Today's @LitBooth comes from @ghostwritten, who reviews an exciting-looking book with a rather novel twist. ____________________________________________________________________
TITLE: Cloud Atlas
AUTHOR: David Mitchell
Six stories, six genres. One epic novel.
The journal of a troubled nineteenth-century American, sailing back home from New Zealand.
The letters of an impoverished British musician, working as a composer’s assistant in 1930s Belgium.
A draft of a mystery novel, starring a journalist investigating a murder at a nuclear power plant.
The comedy-thriller account of a publisher who finds himself trapped in a nursing home whilst on the run from gangsters.
An interview with a genetically-modified clone, who is about to be executed for rebellion in a dystopian near-future.
The campfire tale of one of humanity’s only survivors, in post-apocalyptic, distant-future Hawaii.
David Mitchell (not to be confused with the British comedian) builds on the ‘novel in many parts’ idea of his first book, ‘Ghostwritten’, but this time experiments with a variety of forms of writing.
The result is something that is perhaps a little less polished than his debut, but is even more original and ambitious, and an even better showcase for his ‘chameleon’ ability of taking on very different styles and character voices. The lives of the protagonists are interlinked, as are their stories, often in surprising ways.
A fantastic read, with a beautiful cover :)
TITLE: Cloud Atlas
AUTHOR: David Mitchell
Six stories, six genres. One epic novel.
The journal of a troubled nineteenth-century American, sailing back home from New Zealand.
The letters of an impoverished British musician, working as a composer’s assistant in 1930s Belgium.
A draft of a mystery novel, starring a journalist investigating a murder at a nuclear power plant.
The comedy-thriller account of a publisher who finds himself trapped in a nursing home whilst on the run from gangsters.
An interview with a genetically-modified clone, who is about to be executed for rebellion in a dystopian near-future.
The campfire tale of one of humanity’s only survivors, in post-apocalyptic, distant-future Hawaii.
David Mitchell (not to be confused with the British comedian) builds on the ‘novel in many parts’ idea of his first book, ‘Ghostwritten’, but this time experiments with a variety of forms of writing.
The result is something that is perhaps a little less polished than his debut, but is even more original and ambitious, and an even better showcase for his ‘chameleon’ ability of taking on very different styles and character voices. The lives of the protagonists are interlinked, as are their stories, often in surprising ways.
A fantastic read, with a beautiful cover :)