50 Books Challenge - # 17: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Title: Cloud Atlas
Author: David Mitchell
Story: A reluctant voyager crossing the Pacific in 1850; a disinherited composer blagging a precarious livelihood in between-the-wars Belgium; a high-minded journalist in Governor Reagan’s California; a vanity publisher fleeing his gangland creditors; a genetically modified “dinery server” on death-row; and Zachry, a young Pacific Islander witnessing the nightfall of science and civilisation -- the narrators of Cloud Atlas hear each other’s echoes down the corridor of history, and their destinies are changed in ways great and small.
Start: march 26th 2011
End: april 2nd 2011
Comment: When I read the back of this novel, I was very curious about it. I really didn't know what to expect. Six different stories are told and five of them are interrupted half way through. At first you think it are just six stories, but soon enough you'll find out there's more to it. The individual stories have connections with the other stories, which makes it one piece. The great thing about this book is that David Mitchell managed to use six different writing styles. Each story has his own unique style, like a journal, letters and an interview. And they are all set centuries apart. I never read anything like this before. The stories about Adam Ewing, Luisa Rey and Robert Frobisher were my favorites and the story of Zach'ry didn't really interest me much. I don't know why, it was a confusing story. That's probably just me. It took me a while to finish it, because it such good literature. It's not easy to read. Mitchell is a very gifted writer and I'm really looking forward to reading more of his work.
Rating: 4/ 5