***Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell
>So then, past the structure, the substance of the book is really >remarkable. It's about bondage and freedom and how we bind >ourselves and how others enslave us and where true freedom lies. >And there are portions of it that are really so beautiful and sad >that you'll cry. There aren't a whole lot of books that make me >cry, although I think every one that exists is on this list.

wow, extremely well said janey

my opinions....

-The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing : A+

Yeah, I'd say it's quite an accomplishment when you can make someone who NEVER cries reading books (like myself) start to well up a little bit...not from a tragic happening, but from pure truth and beauty in the literature.

-Letters From Zedelghem : A+

Probably my favorite part of the book. Contains Mitchell's best writing imo. I was getting Lolita flashbacks during parts of the 2nd half...I gotta admit though, at first I didn't buy Frobisher's suicide, thought it tried too hard to force some tears, and then I thought about it more and decided that wasn't the main goal....it's about the peculiarity of Frobisher's character and his beliefs. "Cloud Atlas Sextet holds my life, is my life, now I'm a spent firework; but at least I've been a firework." And the material about war and his brother Adrian was great.

-Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery : B

Smart and a page-turner, but doesn't have many truly great moments like these other stories in the book imo

-The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish : A+

Probably my 2nd favorite part of the book. Easily the best comedy..you could tell Mitchell had a blast writing this. And I love what it says about old age and freedom.

-An Orison of Sonmi-451 : D

The glaring weakness of the book imo. I just couldn't get into it, probably due to the fact that the writing style is so boring compared to every other story in the book.

-Sloosha's Crossin' An' Ev'rythin' After : A

I usually hate slang writing like this, but it worked, and the story was just too good. Contains some of the very best moments of the book for sure.

"One day" was only a flea o' hope for us.
Yay, I mem'ry Meronym sayin', but fleas ain't easy to rid."

-Overall : A

Has anyone read anything else by Mitchell?