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Cloud Atlas

The epic bestseller, shortlisted for the Booker Prize

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Cloud Atlas

By: David Mitchell
Narrated by: Charles Collingwood, Jane Collingwood, Tim Pigott-Smith
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Summary

 **Pre-order UTOPIA AVENUE, the spectacular new novel from David Mitchell.**


Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2004

Winner of the Richard & Judy Best Read of the Year

Souls cross ages like clouds cross skies . . .

Six interlocking lives - one amazing adventure. In a narrative that circles the globe and reaches from the 19th century to a post-apocalyptic future, Cloud Atlas erases the boundaries of time, genre and language to offer an enthralling vision of humanity's will to power, and where it will lead us.

(p) 2005 Hodder & Stoughton©2005 David Mitchell Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction
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Critic reviews

Mitchell's almost comically ambitious novel is indeed a kind of cumulus: a wild and woolly condensation of ideas, styles and far-flung milieus whose only true commonality is the reincarnated soul at its center. The book's six nesting narratives - from 1850s New Zealand through 1930s Belgium, groovy California, recent-ish England, dystopian Korea and Hawaii - also often feel like a postmodern puzzle-box that whirls and clicks as its great world(s) spin, throwing off sparks of pulp, philosophy and fervid humanism (100 best books of the 21st century)
A magnificent tour de force
A novel of breathtaking ambition and scale, spanning continents, oceans and centuries
Funny, exciting, imaginative and energetic
A virtuoso performance . . . deeply impressive
The way Mitchell inhabits the different voices of the novel is close to miraculous . . . No other British novelist, to my mind, combines such a darkly futuristic intelligence with such polyphonic ease (Robert Macfarlane)
His most accomplished achievement to date . . . a novel in the biggest, most exhilarating sense
Gloriously inventive and dazzlingly virtuosic
A thrilling ride of a story
Tremendous . . . one of the most shamelessly exciting books imaginable
Stunning . . . One of those rare books that manages to be enormously clever while resisting the temptation to show off
Reassuringly excellent
Engrossing
Mitchell writes as though at the helm of some perpetual dream machine, can evidently do anything, and his ambition is written in magma across this novel's every page
This isn't just one brilliant book, it's a collection of six completely different brilliant books
Mind-bogglingly good
One of those how-the-holy-hell-did-he-do-it? modern classics that no doubt is - and should be - read by any student of contemporary literature (Dave Eggers)
Astonishing . . . essential fiction for the 21st century
Not just dazzling, amusing, or clever but heartbreaking and passionate, too. I've never read anything quite like it (Michael Chabon)
An intense, arcing colossus of a book whose narrative links, supplied by the voices of six main characters, are spun out into a unified theory of everything: history, human evolution, science, the will to power. The voices span epochs, continents, and genres . . . Mitchell has rightly commanded attention for the sheer breadth and energy of his composition . . . I am moved by (his) talent
It takes only a few pages of any part of this masterful feast of a novel to make you want to read the rest
David Mitchell may well be possessed of genius . . . As well-plotted, entertaining narrative, Cloud Atlas succeeds on many levels. As political and cultural fable, with an unerring humanist sense of the dangerous will to power that lies at the dark heart of man, it's visionary
All stars
Most relevant
I loved this book. Its structure is interesting with its interconnecting narratives, and the use of different actors really helps to delineate these clearly. It's so great to read a book that really demonstrates a breadth of imagination and style way beyond anything that I could come up with myself. Luisa Rey a compelling story, Robert Frobisher the most wonderfully flawed cad, Timothy Cavendish's desperate plight hilarious. Sloosha (apologies for spelling, know it must be wrong!) the only one that bemused me, I'll revisit it - certainly easier to grasp in audio than written version.
Anyway, if you like short stories this is a must, as it develops the genre further and tells them in ways which make you think about them long after you have finished reading. Always entertaining, by turns witty, alarming, uplifting, shocking, moving - a great read!

What a great read!

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I’ve heard this book much pleased and I have to say it was interesting, but it was also a bit muddled. Perhaps a better book to read rather than listen to.

Slightly disappointing

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Nice idea fairly well written and well read. I think I woudloffer it a 3.5. It just lacked the untimely quality I was expecting. But worth a listen or read.

Not as memorable as I thought it might be

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I decided to give this a listen before going to see the film but after listening to it gave the film a miss. Although interesting to begin with the jumping timelines and characters began to grate towards the end. The multiple narrators used for different characters also seemed good to begin with but in the end just became annoying, The story was good but I don't think I will be giving it another listen and will wait until the film is on TV.

Average

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Where does Cloud Atlas rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

At the top of my list

What did you like best about this story?

It was engaging and thought provoking and a story that kept me both intrigued and committed until the end .

Which scene did you most enjoy?

They were all so different that it is impossible to identify a particular scene .

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Numerous moments to be honest....

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend you to at least give this audio book a go.

An amazing story to listen to

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