Judgment, No. 17

Cloud Atlas

by David Mitchell

"Brilliantly original fiction that reveals how disparate people connect, how their fates intertwine, and how their souls drift across time like clouds across the sky."

*

I found this while watching movie trailers. Well, no, I watched the trailer for this movie and then, about five seconds later, I bought this book on rush order via Amazon.

See, movies are powerful. And if a trailer gives me chills, I hope the book sends me into conniptions of awesomeness.

Basically it sounds like a mess of stories that span time and place, where love triumphs and hope prevails and, above all, life is lived (insert oohs and ahhs here). I know, right? It actually sounds like quite the puzzle and I'm curious to see how these stories, so far-reaching, can interconnect in a way that doesn't seem trite or contrived. I imagine there's a bit to do with sci-fi, though hopefully no...aliens. I imagine there will also be sex and swearing (see previous post for that rant), but I hope beyond hope it will be, uh, tactfully done. Or this really will be my last adult novel.

Because this is also a book heralded by critics, trumpeted by writers, editors, publishers alike. Everyone seems to love it. And I hope it is because it really is a perfectly original tale done with artistry and craft rather than just some mess of events everyone is scared to complain about in case they're the only ones who didn't get it (like the movie The Tree of Life. Nobody actually gets it, they just don't want to be the one to admit it first).

But here goes. Another foray into the inexplicable and often dull world of adult fiction. Here's hoping there's less shock and awe and more just general wonderment. A girl does like to be wowed, after all.