Cloud Atlas is a novel by David Mitchell, published in 2004. It consists of 6 stories that are largely stand alone, however are connected. For these connections to become apparent, the reader must have some patience; 100 pages, I was on the brink of banishing it to my ‘Try again later’pile, the saving grace being uninterrupted R & R on a Lang Tengah (see earlier entry) that enabled the breakthrough. My perseverance was rewarded in large measure; however I draw well short of labelling this novel an outstanding piece of work. The breadth of writing styles is unquestionably its strength, ranging from 19th century literature, airport mystery novel style, and science fiction to name a few. Furthermore, Mitchell invents a futuristic English dialect born in a post apocalyptic world hundreds of years in the future. This was certainly no average read.
Mitchell has a fantastic imagination making for a super science fiction element and by the time I had reached the invented English dialect, I was hooked. Which is just as well. It was as comprehensible as an Irvine Welsh character with a speech impediment. This is a remarkable novel for its scope and breadth and you can only respect a writer who has pushed the boundaries this much. Mitchell has described the common themes of the 6 stories; ascent and descent as well as the predatory nature of individual and group. However, the structural connectivity between the stories is too shallow, too implausible, for the sum of its whole to be considered profound. Despite this, for those who enjoy a challenging, and at times brilliantly entertaining read, I highly recommend this novel.
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