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pershie13's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I knew simply from reading Anthony Doerr's most popular novel, All the Light We Cannot See, that I would likely enjoy every piece of writing of his that exists on this planet, and I was certainly not disappointed by Cloud Cuckoo Land. The novel throws the reader into a five-POV story that transcends centuries and continents, all centered around the themes of longing and self-discovery that are illustrated through Antonius Diogenes’ Cloud Cuckoo Land.
This novel was fantastic, drawing on incredible symbolism to illustrate the human experience while weaving five stories together in one. Doerr's writing style draws you in and provides depth while causing you to pause to reflect on how your own experiences and beliefs mimic those of the characters. I developed great empathy for many of the characters while also recognizing the struggles they each went through in their own times. Seeing multiple people's experiences throughout their lifetimes, some of which overlapped, also provided multiple sides to the same story, which showed that everything has a flip side and there can good and bad in everything.
This book completely lived up to the hype and now rests alongside All the Light We Cannot See as another one of my favorite novels. I look forward to exploring the remainder of Anthony Doerr's writings because he is a truly phenomenal storyteller.
This novel was fantastic, drawing on incredible symbolism to illustrate the human experience while weaving five stories together in one. Doerr's writing style draws you in and provides depth while causing you to pause to reflect on how your own experiences and beliefs mimic those of the characters. I developed great empathy for many of the characters while also recognizing the struggles they each went through in their own times. Seeing multiple people's experiences throughout their lifetimes, some of which overlapped, also provided multiple sides to the same story, which showed that everything has a flip side and there can good and bad in everything.
This book completely lived up to the hype and now rests alongside All the Light We Cannot See as another one of my favorite novels. I look forward to exploring the remainder of Anthony Doerr's writings because he is a truly phenomenal storyteller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Deportation
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