"Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell

Writing a good book is not only about making good characters, an interesting story and exploring some mysterious themes… it is also about how the events unfold and their connections to each other. 

Take for example Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (yes, it has been made into a movie with Tom Hanks), a long narrative which touches upon the lives of six main characters. Each one of these characters has their own story, but in the end, as it usually happens, the stories intertwine in one way or another to make for a grand finale where all is revealed.

What exactly makes Cloud Atlas compelling? 

Is it the characters? 

Perhaps. 

The story itself? 

Could be. 

What really makes it such a great read is the kaleidoscopic structure of the story. Each of the narratives is taking place in a different time and place, each one of them is written in a different style, and each and every story is cut at a certain moment in the first half of the book, and they all end in the second half.

Also, I have to mention that reading this book is almost like trying to solve a giant, complex and intricate puzzle where every piece has its own identity and place in the grand scheme of things… which is nice if you are into reading novels as a puzzle.

All in all, Cloud Atlas is a real (and long) adventure filled with puzzles, mystery, attention-grabbing characters, an examination of various worldly philosophies and scientific suppositions and speculations. A brilliant story about infinitely different people separated by both time and space, and how their lives and fates end up coming together… how the souls of the dead ones keep on moving in the sky high above.

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David Mitchell Personal site David Mitchell is an English novelist who has, so far, written six novels, two of which were shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Those two novels are Number9Dream and Cloud Atlas. In 2013 both he and his wife worked to translate a book written by a 13 year-old Japanese boy about autism, titled The Reason I Jump.