Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr is a perfect fit for readers who crave a sweeping, imaginative, and emotionally resonant tale that explores the interconnectedness of humanity, the power of storytelling, and the importance of preserving our planet, with its multiple storylines and themes of hope, resilience, and redemption.

What is there to say about Anthony Doerr that hasn't already been said? He's a phenomenal writer. That said, I'm not entirely sure the (too many) points of view in this book worked for me -- it left me a bit confused, and it felt chaotic at times.

I wanted to love this book so much because this book has received so much praise. I also loved the books it was compared to. However, I found myself getting confused too many times during reading it that it might it difficult to enjoy the book. There were multiple point of views and many different timelines that it kept it difficult to keep straight, especially with such a lengthy book. Because of the different characters to keep track of I found it hard to connect to any of them. The writing was beautiful though but I would expect nothing less from Anthony Doerr!

Was it ambitious and challenging to have five points of view in this book? Yes. Was the story convoluted and complicated? Yes. But was the writing beautiful and memorizing? Absolutely. I would say this book isn't a casual read, in the sense that it requires a lot of the reader. This isn't a book that you put down for a week and easily pick back up. That being said, I enjoyed the journey of the world it created. All the Light We Cannot See is a more digestible and approachable story, with more emotional lifelines, but this book makes you invest.

Did not enjoy majority of this book. So many storylines, I just feel like I never connected to ALL of the chaos. There were some good storylines, and I looked forward to continuing those. But they were few and far between. Just a jumbled mess. It eventually gets figured out towards the end, but by then I was DONE! I just wanted to words to stop.

I loved All the Light We Cannot See so much I purchased it in format. While Cuckoo Land is a very different story he still creates and manages something phenomenal. Tying the hearts of children who live in varying centuries together where the reader becomes so invested in them it hurts. You hold your breath and exhale wiping tears away and feeling as if this was more than just a story.

I LOVED all the light we cannot see and read it so quickly, I immediately was drawn to this book. However, it took me much longer to read as I had a hard time getting into a flow with the story. This felt like a very ambitious swing, and it fell a bit short for me.

A complicated, complex novel spanning across many decades and possibilities. I loved Doerr's writing although this one ,might be too ambitious.

When I first read the blurb for this book my initial thought was "This book is so me!" so it went right on my to-read list... and THEN.. I took a break from reading. WOMP WOMP.

But, my book club chose this book as our January 2023 selection and it was around this time that I also decided to start seriously reading again, so lucky me, I finally got to read Cloud Cuckoo Land.

The book is set in 3 distinct periods: present-day America, the 1450s Ottoman empire, and a couple of generations in the future on a spaceship.

Konstance is a teenage girl living her life on a generation ship headed to settle on a new planet.
Her father entertains her with stories from Antonius Diogenes' Cloud Cuckoo Land.
Meanwhile, in present-day Idaho, Zeno, an octogenarian works with a group of teens to stage a production of Cloud Cuckoo Land at the local library.

In 1453 Constantinople, Anna works in forced servitude embroidering robes but dreams of bigger things and freedom after being taught to read and write Greek. Meanwhile, outside the city, Omeir lives with his family, ostracized by villagers due to his cleft palate.

The disparate stories all become entwined as the story progresses. Doerr is an impressive storyteller.

Excellent! Took me a little longer than All the Light We Cannot See to really get into a groove with it, but absolutely loved it once I got to know all of the characters. Have since recommended it to multiple friends who have also raved about it. Doerr is a tremendous writer capable of creating beautiful worlds with universal themes. I will happily read anything he writes.

Anthony Doerr's "Cloud Cuckoo Land" is a mesmerizing novel that weaves together the stories of individuals across different times and places, offering a poignant exploration of resilience and the enduring power of storytelling.

The novel unfolds across three distinct settings: Constantinople in 1453, where two young characters
must fight to protect their loved ones amidst a city in turmoil; Idaho in 2020, where a young man purses revenge, unless an unexpected encounter can change his mind; The distant future, where a young woman named Konstance becomes the last hop for humanity's survival.

Doerr masterfully intertwines these narratives, connecting them through a single text the has a meaningful impact. "Cloud Cuckoo Land" is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling to transcend time and connect people across generations.

Written from 5 different character POV and time lines, this book may be hard to follow and very confusing. I am still unsure of what the actual plot and story line was. I enjoyed All the Light We Cannot See, but this book didn't provide any clear path or direction.

This book was outstanding. Doerr once again deftly weaves stories together, linking seemingly disparate strands with finesse. I would read this book 100 times. It was long and somehow not long enough!

This book was a struggle at first as I tried to connect all the chapters and characters, but as I kept reading it kept getting better and better. It was a very complex book, but the development was great.

There were lots of beautiful descriptions in the book but I found the plot lacking. Thanks for the review copy,

I received an e-arc from the publisher via Netgalley though all thoughts are my own.
I found this book to be interesting at times while also confusing as I tried to figure out how the different timelines were connected though the jumping around took my brain a bit to keep track of.

The last half of the book had more of my attention and while the different pieces eventually made sense, it seemed to take a while to get there.

Overall, I can see why this book was so hyped though it's not a favorite of mine.

Trigger warnings: death, violence, war, disease, shooting, misdiagnosis, trauma, ptsd

This book was unfortunately not for me. it was very confusing and I could not understand what was going on. I ended up DNFing at 30%

Thank you to the author, publisher and net galley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, is all I can say.

Four time periods woven together so masterfully I didn't want it to end.

Anna a 13-year-old living inside the walls of 1400s Constantinople. Omeir a boy from a small village that has been conscripted into the army that is attacking Constantinople. A library in present day Idaho. Konstance, a young girl living on a ship hurtling away from Earth to a far planet, who has never set foot on Earth planet.

All tied together beautifully with the ancient story of Aethon.

The story started a bit confusing. Let it go and keep reading. It all comes together beautifully.

I absolutely loved this book. It transported me into another world. I didn’t want it to end. He never fails to disappoint..

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doeer, shortlisted for the National Book Award, is a multi-layered story of how a book, storytelling, and hope help adolescents comprehend the world and how their courage and resilience can be a force for good. Following the last copy of an ancient book from 15th century Constantinople through Italy, present day Idaho, and a spaceship in the future, the book relays Aethon’s desire to become a bird and fly to paradise. It’s also a tale of Omeir and his oxen forced into invading Constantinople, of Anna, a girl in the besieged city, of Konstance, a girl alone in the future, and of the wonder that is Zeno, an octogenarian working with Idaho children to adapt Aethon’s book into a play. It’s primarily a story of courage, imagination, and the power of libraries and storytelling. This book requires the reader’s attention and rewards it with an almost magical understanding of love and courage. Most of my book club members were glad they read it with some not finishing it. Read it. The characters are incredible.