well...I read an article on the av club about a movie adaptation of "cloud atlas," which was described as having shifting narratives, moving from primitive times to dystopian futures, my cup of tea entirely, and I'm now about halfway through with the same narrator stuck in 1944 Alaska, and yes it's engaging, but I keep waiting for the shifts forward...and it turns out that is a book called "cloud atlas," not "the cloud atlas." I've not been this incited about a missing article since checking out Ellison's Invisible Man in 8th grade.

Like many readers, I mistook The Cloud Atlas for the sci-fi book, Cloud Atlas. It was a worthwhile mistake. The Cloud Atlas is an intelligently written novel.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell is one of my favorite books. This is not that book.

It's also funny that this was selected for my international book club as it is set in Alaska!

I think the people in my book club that enjoyed this book the most really enjoyed learning about the Japanese balloons that came into the United States during World War II, something which was hidden by the government. I had heard this amazing episode of Radiolab, Fu-Go, which arguably tells the same story in a better way. So the parts that fascinated others were already known to me, leaving me with a weak narrative about a few guys in Alaska. Since I spent last year reading Alaska, I can name ten books about Alaska that I enjoyed more.

Enough said, this wasn't the book for me.

All the boxes checked for a favorite novel: history, exotic locale, love story, philosophical and moral dilemmas--even some humor.

"Balloons are a much purer kind of flight; they go where they will and leave you little say."

One of the things we used to discuss in my college English classes was why a book was titled the way it was. This is a fun book to use to explore that question. Cloud Atlas - what does that mean? The answer can be found by reading this beautifully written tale of an old priest's confession to a dying Yup'ik shaman. It is a tale that honors the life, culture and traditions of the love of his life.

It is also a tale of the media suppressed bomb attack by Japan on the shores of American soil toward the end of the war. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this book is a gem in that jewelry box.

I’m one of the many who started this thinking it got adapted into a trippy Tom Hanks sci-fi movie. Was too far in before I realized my mistake and settled in with some resentment to an ethereal tale that was pretty sad.

I am shocked that i read the wrong book. I got about 30% in and was confused that the povs havent changed. But the story was actually gripping so i kept going. And then i was enthralled in it enough that i stopped expecting a pov change. Finished the book in like 3 days. Now i gotta go find a copy of cloud atlas instead before netflix takes it off streaming in 2 weeks ahhhhh

Liam Callanan is one of those authors who understands life is 90% reality and 10% magic that we will never fully understand. This book is a good representation of that ratio. Incredibly imaginative, bonkers characters (who still feel real), and excellent writing.

This is his first novel, and I can see here and there some slight missteps in characterization (some of the main characters' statements weakened him from time to time) but they weren't enough to take me out of the story.

Amazing book. Can't wait to read Paris By The Book.

This book offered an interesting take on the Japanese balloons sent to Alaska in the Second World War, which I admittedly knew nothing about before reading this book. The setting and the concept kept me engaged, however I was not a fan of any of the characters. They each possessed qualities in excess, they were too cruel, too cowardly, too manipulative that I just didn’t see anything to root for.

Alaska, World War II, and mystical native culture combine in this story that captures the magic of faith and friendship. I enjoyed that the historical elements are woven into the magical Alaskan culture in a way that doesn't bog down readers who do not know much about military terminology or that war-era culture. Although this is not a coming of age story, the story does develop the story of a young orphan who lies about his age to enter the military rather than a seminary. His innocent but upright character is refreshing. At times, his military superior reminded me of characters in Conrad's Heart of Darkness and the movie Apocalypse Now, although his lunatic antics are not as extreme as the other two works. The quirkiness of the characters also reminded me a little of the TV series Northern Exposure.

My wife got this for me thinking it was the other cloud atlas which I have been wanting for a while. I am glad she did. The book starts off slow, but is a very interesting story blending history and mysticism. The last 100 pages are what really sets the book apart. Sometimes the love triangle of the story became annoying, and there were parts of the beginning that seemed to drag on forever. Still, this is a good read that will grab your interest at times and not let go.

Chore to read this book