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Original poster

Does "Cloud Atlas" get any better?

39 replies

NostrilDarmus · 08/04/2026 14:00

I'm 188 pages into David Mitchel's "Cloud Atlas" and finding it a real struggle.

I've just finished the story where the publishing man gets put in an old folks home and I'm just about to start what looks like the dystopia future story. I'm not sure whether to bother reading on.

Is it worth carrying on?
Does it get better?
I'm guessing the writing doesn't improve but do the stories start to link together soon? Basically, does something happen at any point?

Thanks so much.

OP posts:
ElizabethVonArnim · 08/04/2026 20:42

I really liked the second half once it started coming back to the different narrators. Overall I found it was worth persevering with, but I absolutely remember having to push on through.

Original poster
NostrilDarmus · 08/04/2026 20:22

DeftGoldHedgehog · 08/04/2026 14:26

I loved the old folks home story (I think this was Richard Osman's inspiration), and enjoyed the whole thing.

We obviously have very different tastes 🫣 I absolutely hated that story. I think it might be the worst so far. I found the characters completely under-developed, and the attempts at humour really weird and awkward. It felt like an excerpt from a low-quality "Hundred Year Old Man" sequel was just dropped into this tome.

OP posts:
Original poster
NostrilDarmus · 08/04/2026 20:16

senua · 08/04/2026 14:42

I'm guessing the writing doesn't improve but do the stories start to link together soon?
Haven't they started linking already?

Hmm, kind of. There are vague mentions of previous stories in some of the stories but I was hoping for something a bit deeper.

At the minute, it just seems like a load of half-baked and poorly written stories about boring men.

It's like a terrible chimera of "The Luminaries" and "To Paradise" but with more male maim characters 😭

OP posts:
FruAashild · 08/04/2026 20:01

You get half way through then you start getting the second half of each story. I dislike Cloud Atlas, much preferred Ghostwritten.

Echobelly · 08/04/2026 15:04

I loved it myself, but if you don't like it by this point I doubt you'll get into it.

AzureCats · 08/04/2026 15:04

Potential spoiler.

I got half way through then gave up when it was written in total vernacular. Someone who speaks like this and it was written verbatim:
T'ere him who 'ave it ain't it like dat.
No thanks I'm not struggling through hundreds of pages of vernacular to then get back to the sodding robot voice character. 😭

shivermetimbers77 · 08/04/2026 14:57

I loved it, but if it’s not your cup of tea there’s no shame in leaving it!

Bunnyofhope · 08/04/2026 14:44

It's my favourite book. That said, you should stop if you are not enjoying it.

Morepositivemum · 08/04/2026 14:43

It’s such a long book and it doesn’t radically change, I enjoyed it but if you don’t by now I’d say leave it

senua · 08/04/2026 14:42

I'm guessing the writing doesn't improve but do the stories start to link together soon?
Haven't they started linking already?

FranticFrankie · 08/04/2026 14:33

So sorry you're not enjoying it. It's one of my favourite books! I love David Mitchell's books.
The film is good too but not long enough to do the book justice.
It is worth sticking with but as some might say, life's too short to read a book you're not enjoying. (Or is it life's too short to drink bad wine?) 😁

ExquisiteSocialSkills · 08/04/2026 14:27

I liked it.

DeftGoldHedgehog · 08/04/2026 14:26

I loved the old folks home story (I think this was Richard Osman's inspiration), and enjoyed the whole thing.

1stGen · 08/04/2026 14:22

Honestly, I gave up on that pile of shite. As you say, it’s unlikely that the writing gets any better.