Cloud atlas : novel (original 2004; edition 2004)

http://www.bostonbibliophile.com/2013/01/review-cloud-atlas-by-david-mitchell.ht... ( )

wow. i couldn't read past about 75 pages.

i think i must require pictures in my post modern novels. ( )

wow. i couldn't read past about 75 pages.

i think i must require pictures in my post modern novels. ( )

Book drags on. The stories are pretty good, but the last one kept dragging on and on. The movie looks more interesting than the book!
( )

It took me a while to think about what I would say in this review.

On the positive side, David Mitchell is an excellent writer and storyteller. Each of the stories in the book are terrific in their own right. There were a few slow spots, but I wanted to finish each one (which is my criteria for a good story).

On the negative side, I had a very hard time grasping the common thread that ran through these stories. I got the idea that they were intended to be illustrative of the ultimate downfall of civilization. But why start in 1830, and why pick the periods that were chosen? I also recognized the reincarnation theme in the comet birthmark. But why was this significant?

In the end, I felt as if the author was trying to be extra clever, and since i couldn't understand much the cleverness, he left me behind. I have a hope that if I go back and read this again in a year, I will recognize more of the cleverness. If so, I will post additional comments attesting to my increased understanding. But that begs the question, why write a book that the reader has to read twice to understand? ( )