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The Student News Website of Susquehannock High School,   Glen Rock, Pennsylvania.

SHS Courier

The Student News Website of Susquehannock High School,   Glen Rock, Pennsylvania.

SHS Courier

Cloud Atlas Review

From Wikimedia.

There’s action, comedy, adventure, mystery, suspense and everything in between in Cloud Atlas, a book written by Irish writer David Mitchell. It’s filled with characters of all personalities and histories, with different aspirations and trials. The characters never meet, but they all impact each other, no matter what time they’re in, no matter where they are on the great atlas of clouds. 

  A Man Booker prize finalist, the People magazine called it, “Wildly entertaining…a head rush, both action-packed and chillingly ruminative.”

Cloud Atlas begins normally enough, a simple journal entry by Adam Ewing. There aren’t exactly any chapters in the book; it’s more like several short stories that tie in together in the most unimaginable, fascinating way.

From Adam Ewing, it goes to the aspiring British musician, Robert Frobisher, who tells of his time searching for a once-great musician to take him under his wing so that he may bask in fame and glory.

Next is Luisa Rey, a journalist who pines to become great like her father. Her newspaper articles take her on an adventure that may hold the future at stake.

Then there is the old and comical Timothy Cavendish. He just wants to get away from it all, especially the people who are after him.

Then, in a distant future, there is Sonmi~451, an artificial human who lives and works within the confines of a futuristic restaurant. She was created for the sole purpose of serving food. When her partner begins to dream of a life outside the eating establishment, she, too, begins to aspire for something greater than life as a server. There is one more character, but he’ll be left out, for just one mention of him might spoil some of the story.

In between every character’s story, there is a time skip. However, Cloud Atlas manages to keep the time skips from confusing the reader, luckily.

The genre? That might be the hardest question to answer about this book. It changes, from a slow, laid back read, to a mystery, to a comedy, to an action-filled adventure, and finally to an anxiety ridden experience. All the genres tie in together, and they all move at the perfect pace. It doesn’t just jump from mundane to exciting, but goes slowly, progressing with a delicate, well-timed pace that keeps one hooked and not-so-confused with every new character and genre.

Now for the writing, which is something else entirely. With every new character, it changes, and that change really helps one get connected with the character and to feel like they’re not just watching the time skip, but that they are in the time skip that follows every character’s story.

Cloud Atlas is an amazing read and could easily entertain any reader with any interest. With its wide range of genres, large and unique cast of characters, and amazing plot, it deserves a spot in literary history as an outstanding, unforgettable book.

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Cloud Atlas Review