Cloud Atlas readalong Jan - May 2014

[Jo]

As Cloud Atlas came second in our fiction poll two months in a row, I have set up this readalong thread as there is clearly some interest in the group to read it. I won't split spoilers and non-spoilers for now, but once people start to read we can do that if need be.

[Jo]

Just a refresh on this thread now that the readalong for the quarter is on. If anyone would like a Spoilers thread, just let me know and I will start one.

[Carol]

I'm half way through the book. I can't put it down.

[Emma]

Is it much different to the film? I watched that and hated it. I know books are always better but its put me off.

[Carol]

I agree that the book is usually better than the film. Overall I would say that the film was good, I liked the majority of the stories (journal of Adam Wing, Letters from Zedelghem, The First Luisa Rey Mystery, Timothy Cavendish, and Zachary in Slossh'a Crossin').

I had a hard time following Orison of Sonmi. The concept that the fabricants are killed and recycled into food reminds me of the 1973 film -- Soylent Green http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/soyle... where in 2022 the earth is overpopulated and polluted, the food of the population is provided by Soylent Industries, a company that makes a food consisting of plankton from the oceans. But later discovers that the oceans no longer produce the plankton, and infer that it must be made from human remains (as this is the only conceivable supply of protein that matches the known production). So I felt as though Mitchell was copying the 1966 book Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison which the film was based on.

[Michelle]

My favourite book ever. I have read it twice and cried both times.

[Carol]

I have to admit I did cry.

[Betty C.]

Does this book move along quickly? I see Carol said she couldn't put it down...I want to read it but during the school (teaching) year, try to limit myself to books around 300 pages or I get bogged down. So the question is whether to save it for the summer of not...

[Anastasia]

I'm not finding it so captivating, the first part was boring, the second one better, I like Robert. The third one weak, but I'v enjoyed the story of Timothy Cavendish! He has humor! :-D
Now I'm reading the fifth part.

[Annika]

I've only just started. The Ewing part is pretty slow, I'm only reading a few pages at a time, to be honest. I LOVED the Frobisher character and story in the film, so I can't wait to get to the second chapter.

[Pink]

I agree that the different chapters/characters are varied in their enjoyment....Timothy Cavendish was by far my favourite part, the Frobisher storyline was quite good, but the rest less so for me.

[Debbie]

I thoroughly enjoyed this and became an ardent fan of David Mitchell on the back of it. I liked the format, breaking down each chapter, leaving you with a cliffhanger and revisiting at the end seemed to make it all the more captivating. I adore Timothy Cavendish. I've read this 3 times now and love it more each time. I was convinced it was unfilmable but did enjoy the film as much as the book, glad I read it first though.

[Angela]

I'm about halfway through. I'm in Sloosha's Crossing.

I admit I almost abandoned the book during the first part. I found Adam Ewing chapter boring. I enjoyed following chapters progressively more. I loved the humor in Timothy Cavendish section and found the Somni part intriguing. The dialect in Sloosha's Crossing is laborious to read though interesting things starting to happen. I keep trying to make connections between events and characters in each chapter and only finding subtle ones so far. Will have to wait and see what happens in the second half.

[Charlotte]

Just picked this up today...trying not to read the comments above! A little late for the read along, but it looks intriguing.

[Carol]

Charlotte wrote: "Just picked this up today...trying not to read the comments above! A little late for the read along, but it looks intriguing."

Ignore what others say. I thought it was great with the exception of one short story. Enjoy!

[Cathy]

I'd also really like to read this, even though I've missed the readalong. Picked it up in the Oxfam shop a few weeks ago but haven't got to it yet. Hoping to make a start soon.

[Paul]

Cathy, we can extend it till May if necessary

[Charlotte]

I will probably be starting it in about a weeks time...we can read along together Cathy!

[Cathy]

Thank you Paul, that would be great. Charlotte, I'd love to read along with you! It's next on my list, once I've finished Oryx and Crake.

[[deleted user]]

I would read along with you if it gets extended!

[Paul]

It's done. Take as long as you need all.

[Jo]

I'd love to read this, but it is a bit down my list. Fingers crossed I can get to it by end of May.

[Charlotte]

thanks Paul! Im need to finish The Devil Wears Prada & On Chesil Beach, then I'm good to start. Will post again when I'm starting :D

[Paul]

You're welcome. On Chesil Beach, is a powerful story. Chesil beach is just down the road from where I live.

[Jo]

On Chesil Beach was quite something. Don't rush it is all I would say! Short enough that you can really digest and linger on it. A book where every word counts.

[Charlotte]

Taken on board Jo....will try to savour it. Am gorging a bit with The Devil Wears Prada, perhaps after the more serious Tale of Two Cities. Will have to slow down for on Chesil Beach

[Cathy]

I absolutely loved this! Thanks for extending the readalong Paul. It's the sort of book that you want to start all over again as soon as you finish it. I loved the structure of the different stories, and all the tiny and subtle links between them. Inevitably I suppose the style of some will appeal more than others - I really loved the first two stories, both written in 1st person, but my attention waned during the Luisa Rey and Somni stories, possibly due to me not being a great fan of crime or sci-fi. The middle segment, Sloosha's Crossing, is hard to read because of the language - a bit like Pidgin? - but despite the horrors of war, is really uplifting. In fact that was what I liked so much about the book - the positive message about human nature across so many times and places.
Made me realise how rubbish my knowledge of Pacific geography is though (off to consult the atlas)! Will definitely be reading more of his work. Any recommendations?

[Charlotte]

This is me starting Cloud Atlas now Cathy!

[Cathy]

Hope you enjoy it Charlotte!

[Charlotte]

The arc structure at times is very successful but I think the issue I have with the book is that inevitably you are going to enjoy some of the short stories more than others, affecting how you view the overall book. Personally, I found the first story about Adam Ewing a big of a slog. It took me quite a while to read and despite already knowing the characters, by the time his story came back round at the finish, it was just as slow and dull for me as the beginning. Many reviewers seem to take to Frobisher... having studied music, I found the ins and outs of his musical development to be very interesting, and his Cloud Atlas sextet, mirroring in form the structure of this novel, made me think of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, which makes extensive use of the arch form. Though, I didn't much like him, thought he was a bit of a tit. I enjoyed the 70's thriller in the mid section, very readable. The fourth section about Sonmi was such a different style to what I was expecting, and I really liked the concept of this imagined future, once I settled into its world. The sixth story was interesting but I considered the Sonmi story to be the real peak of the book. A bit gimmicky, perhaps, but the form worked for me. I just didn't find all the stories as engaging as hoped.

[Caitlin]

I know I'm a bit late to the party but I've had this book on my list for a while and was wondering if anyone is still interested in reading-a-long?