Neil's review of Cloud Atlas > Likes and Comments
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"a violently shit novel".
This was close to my general impression of the novel, if it can be called that. The six, supposedly interlocking stories, are tediously done at best. A couple of the six novellas have promise, particularly the fifth and sixth ones. The third and fourth ones, from memory, had a great deal of promise, as stories in their own right but abruptly ended and had little plot development.
I particularly like your observation on number six: "The final one is obviously the obligatory post-apocalyptic one, where the protagonist of the last one is worshipped like a goddess. It would be merely tedious if not for the ridiculous and completely unnecessary apostrophes everywhere, which render it actively obnoxious and pretty much unreadable. Initially, at least, because Mitchell doesn't have the attention span needed to keep it up for a whole chapter."
Very true and it did just end abruptly.
Lambert wrote: "Brilliant troll"
Hardly, it's a little long for a troll. This book is overrated dog shite
You best check my ratings. Dan Brown gets a one from me as well. I don't see which part(s) of my review is/are unsubstantiated. Would be grateful if you'd point them out. I'd also love to read your review of this, maybe then I'd understand why you rate this pretentious, hash job of a novel so highly
Oh dear, if you were expecting a professional review, you're on the wrong site. Why would I attempt to balance a review for a book I absolutely hated? In my eyes, a book that garners pretty much universal acclaim from all critics needs to have a little more depth to it, rather than cliched short stories and pseudo-buddist musings about reincarnation. Even this wouldn't be so bad if the writing was at least semi decent. IN MY OPINION.
I would welcome your own opinion, if I was allowed to actually read it. If you are willing to critise my opinion, you should at least allow me to do the same
Lambert wrote: "There is zero balance in your "review"."
Neil does call the novel's concept "an interesting idea".
I too would be interested to read your opinion of the novel, seeing as you have given it 5 stars.
You got my vote there, Neil. This sounds like EXACTLY the novel I would have written at age 24, if I'd had the energy. Shudder.
Paul wrote: "You got my vote there, Neil. This sounds like EXACTLY the novel I would have written at age 24, if I'd had the energy. Shudder."
Cheers, definitely a minority opinion here. I've had a number of abusive (and now deleted) comments as well as the few people I've found who dislike this novel as much as me
Well, I started it but the horror began to dawn on me and I quickly bailed out. But since I was already embroiled in a long ongoing argument about why I hated American Psycho when the rest of the goodreads world loves it, I wasn't prepared to stick my neck out over this one. But somebody had to.
Paul wrote: "Well, I started it but the horror began to dawn on me and I quickly bailed out. But since I was already embroiled in a long ongoing argument about why I hated American Psycho when the rest of the g..."
American psycho is brilliant: how very dare you have an opinion different to mine!
"After that he goes through the entire list in reverse order again (because he *hates* you), and then at the very end he tries to make the obligatory vapid point (I forget what it was; something about drops in the ocean)..."
Heh! Has to be the funniest line I've read here since I stared.
I don't get all the high-ratings for this one...compared to other stories that are much better, that have received multiple low-marks.
I have this image of Mitchell pulling open the file drawer, removing six stories that were so-so, and shuffling them, adding a line in each one to bind them together...cheesy.
wally wrote: ""After that he goes through the entire list in reverse order again (because he *hates* you), and then at the very end he tries to make the obligatory vapid point (I forget what it was; something ab..."
Exactly my thoughts, naff short stories reworked and molded together using a clumsy and unoriginal reincarnation device. Honestly it's my most hated novel
Loved the novel, but also love your review! And the 6th novel with all the apostrophe's - definitely annoying.
Wonderful review, especially the way that your only substantiated critiques are about spelling "mistakes" that no one cares about.
Kevin wrote: "Wonderful review, especially the way that your only substantiated critiques are about spelling "mistakes" that no one cares about."
You're welcome, glad you enjoyed
First trailer for the film: why oh why did I watch it? made me realise why I hated this book so much
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWnAqF...;
I know we disagree on the book, but I'm fairly confident that the film will be absolute shite. The Wachowskis will be very heavy handed and any subtlety in the original will be hammered out of it to make sure we all get the messages.
Interestingly I think the film looks like it might be interesting, which is more than can be said for the book, so I disagree with both of you! Some people say bad books make good movies, maybe this may be the case.
First off, I am in love with your review. Secondly, I'd much rather read your review over and over again than this book =D
Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was just being hyper-intolerant, but I'm at page 20 and it's terri-boring me to sleep... Usually I can tell if I like a novel from the get-go and after an unsuccessful start and the decision to read your review I am more than convinced that I will hate it as much as you did... and here I wanted to like it so badly! When does the post-apocalyptic part start? Maybe I'll just read that...
Although, if you wanted a decent post apocalyptic novel, there is much better about. The Book of Dave by Will Self has the unusual grammatical style/ invented language, and In The Country Of Last Things by Paul Auster does the end of the world thing better.
Excellent review Neil, this book was neither original nor clever, and in particular I would agree that the first narrative was excruciatingly bad in its attempts to mimic 19th century language and sensibilities. The reincarnation gimmick does nothing for the stories; no secrets unlocked and no motivations revealed, just a tenuous 'connection' between characters with little else in common. All in all, this book is much less than the sum of its parts.
Thank goodness it wasn't just me!! I hated this book but there were page after page after page of 5 star reviews. Then I filtered for one star reviews and found some sanity!
That Lambert guy is an idiot! This book is a PQ (pretentiousness quotient) test. If you liked it, YOU FAIL!
Alain wrote: "That Lambert guy is an idiot! This book is a PQ (pretentiousness quotient) test. If you liked it, YOU FAIL!"
Haha! I shall use this as an assessment test when first meeting people...
-"Did you ever read and enjoy Cloud Atlas?"
-"Loved it!"
*walking away, vowing to never speak to them again...
Sylvia wrote: "Alain wrote: "That Lambert guy is an idiot! This book is a PQ (pretentiousness quotient) test. If you liked it, YOU FAIL!"
Haha! I shall use this as an assessment test when first meeting people......"
A woman after my own heart!
Lambert's a huge idiot. But not because he liked Cloud Atlas. He's an idiot because he called Neil a troll for disliking the book in his own review space!
People should be allowed to dislike this book, just as they should be allowed to like it (as I do!) without being called names.
That's interesting, because our views on this novel differ extremely. I'd say, you are simply totally wrong:)
Great review - I am at the 90% point on kindle and it feels like swimming through molasses. I keep holding out on the premise the book will suddenly shift, everything comes together and eureka - 5 stars. I should have stopped after the first chapter. Life is to short for reading this type of drivel. Your review thankfully convinced me I'm not missing something, except my life back.
Phil wrote: "Great review - I am at the 90% point on kindle and it feels like swimming through molasses. I keep holding out on the premise the book will suddenly shift, everything comes together and eureka - 5 ..."
Daaamn! You are tenacious!
Deb wrote: "Jason wrote: "He appears unhappy: http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos..."
priceless"
Exactly how I felt
First reviews in for the film: sounds like the adaptation nailed the book!
http://www.theweek.co.uk/film/49744/c...
Neil wrote: "First reviews in for the film: sounds like the adaptation nailed the book!
http://www.theweek.co.uk/film/49744/c..."
My God, a movie that made a perfect book adaptation... *cursing the gods*
Sylvia wrote: "Neil wrote: "First reviews in for the film: sounds like the adaptation nailed the book!
http://www.theweek.co.uk/film/49744/c..."
My God, a movie th..."
By that I meant the movie appears to be an overblown, pretentious mess. Exactly like book then, and therefore an accurate adaptation
I think the movie will still be better than the book. At least because the involved filmmakers have more directorial talent than Mitchell literary.
Very good review, I fully agree. Watched the movie tonight, and it has the same exact problem: "posing" as something more than what it actually is.
Neil wrote: "First reviews in for the film: sounds like the adaptation nailed the book!
http://www.theweek.co.uk/film/49744/c..."
So, the film is crap, too?
Wow, you really disliked this book with a passion. I enjoyed parts of it - the one you somehow missed in your review about the crudmudgeon publisher was my favorite. It did not work for me as a whole and it's interesting to see how it provokes different reactions in readers.
That curmudgeon publisher and his antics amused me to no end. That whole section is very farcical. It reminds me of like a Three's Company episode or something.
Jason wrote: "That curmudgeon publisher and his antics amused me to no end. That whole section is very farcical. It reminds me of like a Three's Company episode or something."
Yes, that was the best part of the book for me. It's often difficult to make the humor work in fiction, but here it works completely. Good to see you're all right after the hurricane, Jason!
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Chris
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Mar 02, 2011 04:01pm
"a violently shit novel".
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This was close to my general impression of the novel, if it can be called that. The six, supposedly interlocking stories, are tediously done at best. A couple of the six novellas have promise, particularly the fifth and sixth ones. The third and fourth ones, from memory, had a great deal of promise, as stories in their own right but abruptly ended and had little plot development.I particularly like your observation on number six: "The final one is obviously the obligatory post-apocalyptic one, where the protagonist of the last one is worshipped like a goddess. It would be merely tedious if not for the ridiculous and completely unnecessary apostrophes everywhere, which render it actively obnoxious and pretty much unreadable. Initially, at least, because Mitchell doesn't have the attention span needed to keep it up for a whole chapter."
Very true and it did just end abruptly.
Lambert wrote: "Brilliant troll"Hardly, it's a little long for a troll. This book is overrated dog shite
You best check my ratings. Dan Brown gets a one from me as well. I don't see which part(s) of my review is/are unsubstantiated. Would be grateful if you'd point them out. I'd also love to read your review of this, maybe then I'd understand why you rate this pretentious, hash job of a novel so highly
Oh dear, if you were expecting a professional review, you're on the wrong site. Why would I attempt to balance a review for a book I absolutely hated? In my eyes, a book that garners pretty much universal acclaim from all critics needs to have a little more depth to it, rather than cliched short stories and pseudo-buddist musings about reincarnation. Even this wouldn't be so bad if the writing was at least semi decent. IN MY OPINION. I would welcome your own opinion, if I was allowed to actually read it. If you are willing to critise my opinion, you should at least allow me to do the same
Lambert wrote: "There is zero balance in your "review"."Neil does call the novel's concept "an interesting idea".
I too would be interested to read your opinion of the novel, seeing as you have given it 5 stars.
You got my vote there, Neil. This sounds like EXACTLY the novel I would have written at age 24, if I'd had the energy. Shudder.
Paul wrote: "You got my vote there, Neil. This sounds like EXACTLY the novel I would have written at age 24, if I'd had the energy. Shudder."Cheers, definitely a minority opinion here. I've had a number of abusive (and now deleted) comments as well as the few people I've found who dislike this novel as much as me
Well, I started it but the horror began to dawn on me and I quickly bailed out. But since I was already embroiled in a long ongoing argument about why I hated American Psycho when the rest of the goodreads world loves it, I wasn't prepared to stick my neck out over this one. But somebody had to.
Paul wrote: "Well, I started it but the horror began to dawn on me and I quickly bailed out. But since I was already embroiled in a long ongoing argument about why I hated American Psycho when the rest of the g..."American psycho is brilliant: how very dare you have an opinion different to mine!
"After that he goes through the entire list in reverse order again (because he *hates* you), and then at the very end he tries to make the obligatory vapid point (I forget what it was; something about drops in the ocean)..."Heh! Has to be the funniest line I've read here since I stared.
I don't get all the high-ratings for this one...compared to other stories that are much better, that have received multiple low-marks.
I have this image of Mitchell pulling open the file drawer, removing six stories that were so-so, and shuffling them, adding a line in each one to bind them together...cheesy.
wally wrote: ""After that he goes through the entire list in reverse order again (because he *hates* you), and then at the very end he tries to make the obligatory vapid point (I forget what it was; something ab..."Exactly my thoughts, naff short stories reworked and molded together using a clumsy and unoriginal reincarnation device. Honestly it's my most hated novel
Loved the novel, but also love your review! And the 6th novel with all the apostrophe's - definitely annoying.
Wonderful review, especially the way that your only substantiated critiques are about spelling "mistakes" that no one cares about.
Kevin wrote: "Wonderful review, especially the way that your only substantiated critiques are about spelling "mistakes" that no one cares about."You're welcome, glad you enjoyed
First trailer for the film: why oh why did I watch it? made me realise why I hated this book so muchhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWnAqF...;
I know we disagree on the book, but I'm fairly confident that the film will be absolute shite. The Wachowskis will be very heavy handed and any subtlety in the original will be hammered out of it to make sure we all get the messages.
Interestingly I think the film looks like it might be interesting, which is more than can be said for the book, so I disagree with both of you! Some people say bad books make good movies, maybe this may be the case.
First off, I am in love with your review. Secondly, I'd much rather read your review over and over again than this book =D Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was just being hyper-intolerant, but I'm at page 20 and it's terri-boring me to sleep... Usually I can tell if I like a novel from the get-go and after an unsuccessful start and the decision to read your review I am more than convinced that I will hate it as much as you did... and here I wanted to like it so badly! When does the post-apocalyptic part start? Maybe I'll just read that...
Although, if you wanted a decent post apocalyptic novel, there is much better about. The Book of Dave by Will Self has the unusual grammatical style/ invented language, and In The Country Of Last Things by Paul Auster does the end of the world thing better.
Excellent review Neil, this book was neither original nor clever, and in particular I would agree that the first narrative was excruciatingly bad in its attempts to mimic 19th century language and sensibilities. The reincarnation gimmick does nothing for the stories; no secrets unlocked and no motivations revealed, just a tenuous 'connection' between characters with little else in common. All in all, this book is much less than the sum of its parts.
Thank goodness it wasn't just me!! I hated this book but there were page after page after page of 5 star reviews. Then I filtered for one star reviews and found some sanity!
That Lambert guy is an idiot! This book is a PQ (pretentiousness quotient) test. If you liked it, YOU FAIL!
Alain wrote: "That Lambert guy is an idiot! This book is a PQ (pretentiousness quotient) test. If you liked it, YOU FAIL!"Haha! I shall use this as an assessment test when first meeting people...
-"Did you ever read and enjoy Cloud Atlas?"
-"Loved it!"
*walking away, vowing to never speak to them again...
Sylvia wrote: "Alain wrote: "That Lambert guy is an idiot! This book is a PQ (pretentiousness quotient) test. If you liked it, YOU FAIL!"Haha! I shall use this as an assessment test when first meeting people......"
A woman after my own heart!
Lambert's a huge idiot. But not because he liked Cloud Atlas. He's an idiot because he called Neil a troll for disliking the book in his own review space!People should be allowed to dislike this book, just as they should be allowed to like it (as I do!) without being called names.
That's interesting, because our views on this novel differ extremely. I'd say, you are simply totally wrong:)
Great review - I am at the 90% point on kindle and it feels like swimming through molasses. I keep holding out on the premise the book will suddenly shift, everything comes together and eureka - 5 stars. I should have stopped after the first chapter. Life is to short for reading this type of drivel. Your review thankfully convinced me I'm not missing something, except my life back.
Phil wrote: "Great review - I am at the 90% point on kindle and it feels like swimming through molasses. I keep holding out on the premise the book will suddenly shift, everything comes together and eureka - 5 ..."Daaamn! You are tenacious!
Deb wrote: "Jason wrote: "He appears unhappy: http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos..."priceless"
Exactly how I felt
First reviews in for the film: sounds like the adaptation nailed the book!http://www.theweek.co.uk/film/49744/c...
Neil wrote: "First reviews in for the film: sounds like the adaptation nailed the book!http://www.theweek.co.uk/film/49744/c..."
My God, a movie that made a perfect book adaptation... *cursing the gods*
Sylvia wrote: "Neil wrote: "First reviews in for the film: sounds like the adaptation nailed the book!http://www.theweek.co.uk/film/49744/c..."
My God, a movie th..."
By that I meant the movie appears to be an overblown, pretentious mess. Exactly like book then, and therefore an accurate adaptation
I think the movie will still be better than the book. At least because the involved filmmakers have more directorial talent than Mitchell literary.
Very good review, I fully agree. Watched the movie tonight, and it has the same exact problem: "posing" as something more than what it actually is.
Neil wrote: "First reviews in for the film: sounds like the adaptation nailed the book!http://www.theweek.co.uk/film/49744/c..."
So, the film is crap, too?
Wow, you really disliked this book with a passion. I enjoyed parts of it - the one you somehow missed in your review about the crudmudgeon publisher was my favorite. It did not work for me as a whole and it's interesting to see how it provokes different reactions in readers.
That curmudgeon publisher and his antics amused me to no end. That whole section is very farcical. It reminds me of like a Three's Company episode or something.
Jason wrote: "That curmudgeon publisher and his antics amused me to no end. That whole section is very farcical. It reminds me of like a Three's Company episode or something."Yes, that was the best part of the book for me. It's often difficult to make the humor work in fiction, but here it works completely. Good to see you're all right after the hurricane, Jason!
