Kate's Blog

Follow me if you will as I try to navigate through the ups and downs of my world.

I'm writing this blog to help me make sense of all that has happened - from my diagnosis with non-Hodgkins lymphoma while pregnant with my third child in May 2008
, through to my reflections on chaotic family life as I try to pick up the pieces of my life again.


The kids are so small, and I'm working hard to keep us all safe and to stay in remission.

Stay with me - it won't be all doom and gloom I promise!



Monday 27 June 2011

Cloud Atlas

Finally, finally, finally I've finished David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas". It has taken me weeks, in between everything else, and I have to say that at times it was hard going enough to make me consider giving up. As you will have gathered, I did not find it an easy read.... but in the end I decided it was a truly amazing one.

The plot is convoluted - six different narratives scroll through the book and connect together at the end. But it takes a leap of faith to believe that such different voices and such different stories can connect in any meaningful way. They do, though. He plays with the way that language has been used in literary narrative over the past two hundred years: some parts of the book are pure pastiche, while the whole book is something quite original indeed.

It's an intellectual read - a funny and at times an annoying read - but certainly a challenging read.

As I read it mostly late at night once I was finally bed, I'd often fall asleep while reading it. And several nights it infiltrated my dreams in unsettling ways. I feel really bereft now I've finished it - which is a testament to how consumed by the book I felt. And I've spent much time pondering the complex messages and themes which Mitchell is exploring.

Have you read this incredible book? If not, I'd recommend it to you. Let me know!

3 comments:

triles said...

I haven't read it yet, but I'm going to pick up a copy this Friday. Some of the best books are the ones that challenge-can't wait to get started.

Vince said...

I have two pet hates with books. One is where the plot is so complex that any vague notion of logical connections is a laughable concept. Then you have the book so dense that it's two or sometimes four volumes masquerading between one set of covers. Both crimes are a result of publishers too scared to Edit an established author. Or to put it another way. They are terrified to question a golden goose for fear that it will either stop laying or more probably fly off to another better feathered nest.

p.s. Why have you word verification switched on if you're moderating the comments.

Unknown said...

Ooh maybe I should retrieve it from the shelf, blow off the dust and persevere where once I failed