Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr 1.5 stars rounded down (I can't believe it, either)

[Karin]

To say that this disappointed me is an understatement. It's not because I expected this to be anything like All the Light We Cannot See which is 5 stars plus hearts for me, nor is it because I don't think Doerr wrote as well. In fact, for the first bit I was hovering between 4 and 4.5 stars.

So, what turned me off of this book?

One reason is the vilification of an autistic person. It's not that I don't think autistic people can every commit crimes, but I didn't think this was a good idea in this story. Also, I felt that this character was the second-least well-developed of any of Doerr's characters I have met so far--the other was his mother. I thought her rather stereotyped.

This alone didn't make my rating as low as it is, of course.

The stories are connected, and not as weakly as some of the others who didn't like felt, but that connection didn't work well for me for long. I thought that the convoluted story felt overly contrived and forced as the book went on. I never once felt like that with the WW II novel. Like Doerr I have read The Swerve: How the World Became Modern so I have some familiarity with that history, but the story used is so broken up and incomplete that it weakened the book after a while, rather than made it stronger.

Another other part I had serious issues with was (view spoiler)[the spaceship having never left earth and just being a hoax. Perhaps this is because I have read a lot of scifi, but it was inane. No one would spend that much money to do something like that. Plus there were other things I didn't care for in that story line, although I did like Konstance. For me that part was rather like reading the third book in the Divergent trilogy (except that unlike Roth he was able to give his POV characters distinct voices. Other issues were that if families were having only one child the ship's population would dwindle to nothing over the 500+ years the fictional voyage was supposed to take and a few more things that just set me on edge ad that story went on. (hide spoiler)]

Also, this book is mostly bleak from beginning to end, but not in the way that led to hope in All the Light....

I do plan to read whatever novel Doerr writes next, of course, but if this had been the first novel of his I read I doubt I would have read the one that is one of my favourite 21st century novels.

[Peacejanz]

Wow. I never read it. Now I do not have to read it. It has been around off and on for my future reading but now I am not going to bother. Thanks for the honest review. peace, janz

[Joy D]

Well, I think this book is a "love it or hate it" type. I loved it but I can see why you did not.

I did not pick up on any "vilification of an autistic person." If you care to provide a quote, maybe it will jar my memory, but I did not get this from it at all.

[Amy]

I thought they treated that character with great respect. And that’s true whether the character was autistic or not. Ultimately, he wanted to use his skills to protect the environment. Which of course was a theme of the book. I loved the book and I think our book group had a great conversation about it. But that’s the beauty of this group, it’s all the divergent opinions. I thought it was incredibly intelligently done, with a lot of layers.

[Karin]

Amy wrote: "I thought they treated that character with great respect. And that’s true whether the character was autistic or not. Ultimately, he wanted to use his skills to protect the environment. Which of cou..."

I was sure that you would feel this way when I saw your review, so I checked other 2 and 1 star reviews and a few others felt as I did (some just don't enjoy Doerr's way of writing, but I do.)

As I said, I was surprised I didn't end up liking it, but of course in my house my daughter loved Of Mice and Men and I hated it (but he really could handle language well!) so opinions do vary.

I think I have had my fill on dying planet fiction! I've been reading it since I was young. I avoid the news and politics for the same reason--I get too upset and sleepless and then am no good for anything positive.

[Karin]

Joy D wrote: "Well, I think this book is a "love it or hate it" type. I loved it but I can see why you did not.

I did not pick up on any "vilification of an autistic person." If you care to provide a quote, ma..."

It was the overall thing--the villain in the library is autistic. You don't have to be autistic to do what he was trying to do or to be lured by an online "woman" promising you things. I felt him rather stereotyped but then I have spent over 20 years dealing with people assuming my Aspie daughter is things shes' not, even some "experts" Having her diagnosis later put on that autism spectrum has led to a host of other assumptions people make that are even more false. This makes it much more difficult for me to accept most fictional characters who are either autistic people or Aspies in general. There are a couple I have thought were well done. stereotyped.

I would have found that story line hard anyway, obviously, but it would have been better if it hadn't been an autistic young man with a single mother who couldn't get her life together. The whole thing just rubbed me the wrong way, and reading is subjective :)

[Joy D]

I found that character's love for nature poignant and very well done. It was so touching it made me cry and, as you know, I am not generally a crier over books. So, as Amy says, it's just different people reading the same words and coming to different conclusions.

[Karin]

Joy D wrote: "I found that character's love for nature poignant and very well done. It was so touching it made me cry and, as you know, I am not generally a crier over books. So, as Amy says, it's just different..."

I loved his love for nature, actually, and could relate to that part of it 100 percent. I have been mourning for destruction nature since I was in my single digits. (however, I also understand the benefits of good forest management thanks to my nature-loving, forestry-major husband who hates cities to this day.)

These are examples of what I grew up near, and there is a beach where we used to swim before there was sewer, only septic tanks.



we used to take the boat through this at the safe times plus I've seen this from the park



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[Robin P]

I loved this book and disliked All the Light We Cannot See, so you are right that they are very different. I can see your points, though, and appreciate your view.

[Karin]

Robin P wrote: "I loved this book and disliked All the Light We Cannot See, so you are right that they are very different. I can see your points, though, and appreciate your view."

Interesting that we had the opposite experiences :)