I read a bit but I’m a dumb scientist not an English graduate*. What’s this book actually about?

I enjoyed some of the sub-stories more than others, and I can see that there are common elements, and of course they refer to each other – but why? What am I not getting?

* My wife is, and she downloaded the book to her Kindle last night so she might also have some insight.

It entwines the whole 6 stores with themselves, so that each resolves the previous story in reverse order.

so build up story order 1-6, resolution order 6-1

but why? What am I not getting?

Enjoyment from it?

It entwines the whole 6 stores with themselves, so that each resolves the previous story in reverse order.

Yeah ok, but what is this other than fancy editing? I didn’t really want each story interrupting if I’m not going to gain anything from it..?

Enjoyment from it?

I want to.. I really loved no 5 with the replicant burger waitress in it, and I liked how no 6 followed on from it, but given that I feel like I am missing other causal steps from 1-5, where there are only brief references.

Yeah ok, but what is this other than fancy editing?

I just saw it as an exercise in cleverness – as in how smart am I writing like this? Maybe I didn’t work hard enough at trying to understand it but that’s not why I read. Good bits but too disjointed for me

What am I not getting?

Maybe you needed to turn your brain up to 11 and stick at it,or upgrade to imagination #2015.

Then again,it may just be that you don’t like that style of story telling,in which case,bin it,read something else and let your OH explain how it works 😉

What am I not getting?

Thought the same as you. I’ve read other books by him (Bone Clocks was great) but didn’t enjoy Cloud Atlas. Other people I know love it. I guess each to their own

I think it’s supposed to be the same “soul” throughout so Frobisher and the android (for example) are the “same person”

It’s a story about humans and humanity and what that means, but the “fancy editing” is a device to part start and have them resolve themselves. I think story 6 is the only one told uninterrupted? and then it resolves 5, which in turn resolves 4 and so on.

Would’ve preferred it as 6 short stories tbh. Less gimmicky, would allow the reader to think about the links more – I found the break in the narrative ruined the flow.

I liked the interrupted narrative it mirrors how lives aren’t a straightforward narrative. I like the guest appearances from some of his other novels (Ghostwritten for instance). It wouldn’t be the same if they were told as stand alone stories, the point is that they are linked.

The film’s terrible though 😆

I bet.. can’t imagine a worse book to attempt to make into a film tbh.

I thought the film was ok. I wouldn’t fancy watching it without having first read the book.

There was one story I found really difficult to get into.

I wondered at the time if it was about parallel worlds.

I think it’s has something to say about the human condition and how we all want and suffer the same thing throughout time. He uses the idea of the same soul passing through the ages. And the stories are interconnected in other ways to keep you interested.

I think what you’re missing though is enjoyment.

I think what you’re missing though is enjoyment.

You make it sound like that’s my fault somehow..?

If they are supposed to be simply good yarns then they’re not even long enough or interesting enough for that. With the exception of the Sonmi one they are pretty flat as short stories.

wondered at the time if it was about parallel worlds.

yes, at first I thought that as well. but the sixth story ties them all in the same world doesn’t it?

You make it sound like that’s my fault somehow..?

I don’t read TD’s post like that.

Have you read Use of Weapons by Ian Banks? He uses a similar device to tie two narratives together, one going forward, the other backward.

If they are supposed to be simply good yarns then they’re not even long enough or interesting enough for that. With the exception of the Sonmi one they are pretty flat as short stories.

Have you tried the Famous Five series? Straightforward narrative with ripping yarns for all… 😉

it’s not about anything, it just goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, about the tedious whinings of a tedious musician being tedious.

apparently, there’s a bit more to it than that. but not in the first eight thousand pages of rubbish that i dragged myself through.

Have you tried the Famous Five series? Straightforward narrative with ripping yarns for all

I think you misunderstand.. I said they were TOO straightforward at face value – I want them complicated.

I think you misunderstand.. I said they were TOO straightforward at face value – I want them complicated.

That’s why I suggested the Famous Five. Often misinterpreted as simple adventures for children, the surface story often overlies a deeper, darker, infinitely more complex narrative. Timmy the dog, for example, can be taken either at face value or as a metaphor for slavery, ditto the girls and their place in the world etc. 😐

molgrips – Member

I bet.. can’t imagine a worse book to attempt to make into a film tbh.

It had Tom Hanks and Halle Berry for the full house 😯

TBH, I was underwhelmed by the book too. It was good enough because it was a bit different, but I just kinda found myself not caring half the time. It’s miles better than Ghostwritten though

Often misinterpreted as simple adventures for children, the surface story often overlies a deeper, darker, infinitely more complex narrative.

Having read a bit about the author I find that hard to believe.. I suspect meaning may have been superimposed on the author’s original intentions 🙂

“I think what you’re missing though is enjoyment.”
You make it sound like that’s my fault somehow..?

I didn’t mean it that way at all and I don’t really see how I’ve made it sound that way.

The point was that it’s supposed to be entertainment. We all have different views on what is enjoyable and obviously this book just isn’t working for you. So that’s the main thing you are missing from it – fun!

is that because it’s dreadfully awful?

(it is)

Fair enough, traildog. You’re right, of course, but if we are to take each story as a simple short story without any greater concept, then they are just pretty banal short stories (except for #5) that are interrupted in the middle.

Problem solved 🙂

I liked the book but can’t remember for the life of me what the overlaps were now, something about the lost musical score / someone’s birthmark / sexually harassed robot etc. etc. was it not about human nature & how some folk will be nice & others manipulative toe-rags to further their own cause?

The film was ok although my wife hadn’t read the book & was pretty confused by it – I thought the underlying theme throughout was that Hugh Grant is a massive donger throughout all history? 😆

J