A review by balfies
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Cloud Atlas is famously structured like a matryoshka doll with six very different stories, with the protagonist of each tale a reincarnation of the previous story's narrator. Mitchell's ability to craft distinct voices through genre and form is admirable, and he interweaves then with variable success. Some stories are obviously stronger than others - I really got into the Luisa Rey mystery and the clone ethics in Sonmi-451's neo-Seoul uprising.

It also gave me a lot to reflect on the process of adaptation, as I'd seen the Wachowskis' 2012 film version which is far weaker in narrative structure. 

Feel like I need all of the strands of this to settle in me properly before I can navigate their meaning. Overall enjoyable prose, but I found the philosophy tenuous and purpose slightly unclear.
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