DNF at 41%

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for letting me receive an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I really don't like DNFing an arc but I've been struggling to read this for almost three months now and I'm still not getting into it. Every time I think about picking it up again, I physically get tired and think about how I would rather be reading something else. Which is a shame because this was one of my most anticipated books of 2021. I didn't love Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See but I had a good feeling about this one since it included many things I like: books about books, connecting stories between the past, present, and future; it had potential. But this book just kept dragging, dwelling on details I didn't think were important, and for a book that is 640 pages long, it's important to keep the reader's attention. I had a similar problem with All the Light We Cannot See so if you liked that book you might like this one, but if you didn't, I would suggest avoiding this one.

I was originally going to give this book two stars but realized that wouldn't really make sense considering I ended up not finishing it.

1/5

This one was beautiful. I expected it to be and I was not let down. Though I'm not sure how to even express all my feelings about this book in a review. But, I'll try...

Doerr knows how to write deep, thought-provoking characters. He's an expert in my opinion. Every character from this story is going to stay with me, Konstance and her bravery, Omeir and his love for all living things, Anna and her determination, and the hero in both Zeno and Seymour (thought two very different heroes). Many of them reminded me of people that I know and love, so it was hard not to love them as well despite their flaws. Even though there are multiple plot lines going on, I never once confused them. Doerr writes so well in these compact chapters that it was easy to keep things straight. Those short chapters also made this one very addictive!

Of course the writing was gorgeous and I could feel myself in the shoes of the characters in each scene. I could go on and on about that, but I really feel like what is most important in this book is the message. I get it. This is something that this author is great at writing about. He can show us something as hopeless as what we are doing to our planet or how we hurt each other and then turn it into something that gives us hope for ways we can make things better. Just like in All The Light We Cannot See, this one shows two sides to the world and to people, and how we can choose to see either. This book is very different from his Pulitzer book, but it's just as big of a feat.

The overarching theme of the story of Aethon was clever. I could see it intertwined with each character and despite not having heard a word about it until this book, I think I'll remember it with all those other Greek stories I learned in school. It's an important tale and I feel like it should be touched on more, even if just for the fact to show people that maybe many of us are luckier than we realize.

I definitely recommend this story. It'll transport you to an entirely new world while grounding you at the same time.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

One of the Best Books I’ve Ever Read

There are times when you read a book that is profoundly, emotionally true. It plucks your heartstrings and rings within you as pure as a bell. Cloud Cuckoo Land is such a story. The novel is spread across three locales and timelines, Constantinople in the 1400’s, Idaho in the present, and a spacecraft in 2064. A book, a story, a myth weaves the characters and times together.

Doerr’s rich prose takes us on a journey through dark times but the redemptive power of story heals the characters - and us. A wonderful story is an experience that has the ability to inspire and light our way through difficult days. A prominent author recently said, “We must restory ourselves.” Anna, one of the characters in Cloud Cuckoo Land, says “”Some stories can be both false and true at the same time.” Emotional truth does not depend on facts.

I will read this book again and again. I wanted to slow down during this first reading to immerse myself in the stunning use of language that Doerr places on the page. But the story was too compelling and took me over. So that immersion will wait until my 2nd or 3rd pass.

A captivating story lives on in the questions we ponder upon finishing it. Poet David Whyte asks, “What are the beautiful questions for the rest of your life?” Cloud Cuckoo Land helps illuminate those beautiful questions.

I get why some people won’t like this novel. It builds a story around an Ancient Greek text and the ravages our planet receives, be it from war, climate change, or greed. But the characters from the sacking of Constantinople, World War II, present day, and the future all tie together through the Greek text. I loved this story.

So lucky to have received this advance copy from Net Galley & Simon & Schuster - many, many thanks.

Forget the 5 stars, this is an automatic 10 stars! I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it. Not sure what I expected after All the Light We Cannot See, but I was not disappointed. So many genres, time lines, characters, story lines, but I had no trouble following them. It is GENIUS! Destined to be his masterpiece. Highly recommend!

Oof, I tried and tried. This one is going to need a reboot for me to get it to it. I love the cover and the author, the book is a DNF though.

I handed it off to my high school aged nephew and he’s stalling too.

An imaginative, epic journey this novel had adventure, historical elements, fantasy, and sci-fi all in one. There aren't enough superlatives. There are masterpieces of individual stories that are woven together to create completely beautiful writing. Prepare to immerse yourself and binge read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. This is my second book that I've read by him (previously read All the Light We Cannot See). This book will be published in September 2021.
This book was both complex and intriguing for me. It is set in three different time frames- the past (the year 1453) which took place near the city of Constantinople, the present, which mostly took place in a small town in Idaho, and decades into the future. Each time line had one or more main characters all linked to the Greek myth Aethon. It was amazing how Doerr was able to interweave this Greek myth into all three time lines. The characters were very complex and you couldn't avoid hoping for the best outcome for each one. The author is a master with the complex language he writes. It helped that I was reading this on my Nook and could use the dictionary to better grasp some of the language.
I was not sure if this was a good pick for me and it took me a while to become immersed in it, but when I did, I couldn't put it down. It's part science fiction, part historical fiction, fantasy and Greek mythology. The book is over 600 pages long and the chapters are fairly short. As a reader of this book, I was anxious to see how each separate story/timeline finally gelled at the end. The ending pulled everything together.

5 Creative, Crafted Shining stars
“Part fairy tale, part fool’s errand, part science-fiction, part utopian satire…”
I had high expectations for Cloud Cuckoo Land, as one of my absolute favorite books is All the Light We Cannot See. It took a few chapters introducing characters and settings that varied from Middle Ages to the Korean War, to the present and into in the future. The narrative travels through time and place (Constantinople, Idaho, Iceland, London, Korea) – all with different protagonists – and twists around again but remains clear and connected. Be a little bit patient when starting, it’s so worth it.

Delightful and charming details abound. “Boys call her Mosquito because she won’t leave them alone.” “The child blinks up at them with dark, memorizing eyes.” “Folded inside that seed is a whole wilderness.” Doerr molds words into poetry. “Rain pelts her sweat-soaked hair…. It seems so incredibly, dangerously promiscuously wasteful: clear water, given from the sky, in such quantities…. The blue rim of dawn is turning pink, raising its fingers to push back the night.” This is why I read.

Only the most talented author could get me to care about two bulls in the 1400s and their cleft palate marred owner. Doerr takes the underdogs and the quietly brave and infuses them with hope. Cloud Cuckoo Land is an epic adventure story.

”…the tale I have to tell is so ludicrous so incredible, that you’ll never believe a word of it – and yet, It’s true. For I, the one they called birdbrain and nincompoop – yet, I dull-witted muttonheaded lamebrained Aethon – once traveled all the way to the edge of the earth and beyond…” Enjoy the journey!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am truly grateful for this book that I will also purchase, share, and reread.

Wow. This book is crazy bizarre and intricate, the premise sounds like it should be a mess but the more you look the more you see the connections and narrative cohesiveness. It was delightful to see the depths of how much each timeline was connected to the others in themes and characterization. I could go on about the characters, the way the meta-narrative of the Greek play Cloud Cukoo Land seamlessly flowed through the time frames giving a sense of narrative spiraling, but mostly I want to comment how much this book hit me. As a post-Covid novel, you can feel the way these characters all felt like the world was ending, the crazy uncertainty and fear (especially the future timeline in space). You get this overwhelming sense that life is fragile, plans get ruined, and world ending events are closer than we ever like to imagine but there is still a lot of beauty to be found too.

While I typically enjoy historical fiction, I had difficulty getting into this story. It wasn't necessarily a bad book. It's just not the kind of story I enjoy.

The Light I Cannot See meets Cloud Atlas. I tried, I really did. Multiple times. But I just couldn’t get into it. I would be caught up in one story and then poof… I’m no longer there. Everything jumbled up and I found myself rereading to get my head around it. I’m sure many will love this story, but it just wasn’t for me.

***3.5 stars rounded up.*** Every reader has some component of literary style that they detest. For some, it’s an unreliable narrator. For others, it’s multiple storylines. Personally, I can’t stand abrupt endings that leave many unanswered questions. Enter Cloud Cuckoo Land. I have had this book on hold at the library for months awaiting its release. So, when I saw that it was being offered on NetGalley, I was ecstatic. Anthony Doerr is one my favorite authors, and I will read any book that he writes.

The beginning of the book was rough—you not only have multiple story lines, but multiple timelines. You even have two characters with multiple storylines expanding into multiple timelines. Once you wrap your head around the characters, however, you begin to enjoy Doerr’s vibrant storytelling. Omeir and Anna are children living in the 1400s and are eventually brought together through war. Anna takes comfort in a book entitled “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” a lost Greek tale written by a man named Antonius Diogenes for his dying niece (For the purpose of this review, I will write “Cloud Cuckoo Land” in quotes when referring to the Greek tale inside the book, and I will write Cloud Cuckoo Land in italics when referring to Doerr’s book). The tale of “Cloud Cuckoo Land” is told throughout Doerr’s book and relays the story a shepherd who “lived 80 years a man, 1 year a donkey, 1 year a sea bass, and one year a crow.” Excerpts from the tale are written at the beginning of each shift in timeline.

After meeting Omeir and Anna in Constantinople, we are transported to the 1940s & 50s. We are introduced to Zeno, a boy-turned-man who develops an unrequited love for his buddy, Rex, in the Korean War. While trapped in a POW camp, Rex teaches Zeno Latin. Zeno later uses Rex’s teachings when he discovers “Cloud Cuckoo Land” and begins to translate it.

Next, we move to the year 2014 where we meet Seymour, a young boy with autistic tendencies living with his mother in a double-wide trailer. Seymour develops a love for owls, which makes him begin to research environmentalism. Unsatisfied that his classmates don’t seem alarmed by the state of the climate, Seymour begins watching an extreme-left environmental “prophet,” which eventually leads to his radicalization into ecoterrorism. We meet both Zeno and Seymour again in 2020 when Seymour acts upon his radicalization for the first time.

Finally, we are transported to “Mission Year 65,” which is sometime around the year 2146. Konstance is a preteen girl on a spaceship bound for another planet after all humankind flees Earth due to climate destruction. Like most of the ship’s inhabitants, she was born onboard and has never seen land. Her father, one of the few remaining people on the ship who can remember Earth, often entertains her with the tales from “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” one of his favorite books as a boy. However, Konstance soon finds herself in a precarious position that makes her question everything she knows.

Yes, this book has a lot going on. However, each story is written with vibrant details that make the characters come alive. I did not struggle with following the storylines after the first few timeline shifts, although I did question how they intersected for the majority of the book. Konstance’s tale in particular seemed out-of-place. However, Doerr DOES weave the characters together beautifully in the end. I was fully prepared to give Cloud Cuckoo Land 5 stars….until the last 5% of the book.

Like I mentioned before, I can’t stand abrupt endings that leave many unanswered questions. After trudging through all 600+ pages of Cloud Cuckoo Land and becoming emotionally attached to each character, I was anticipating the moment where I discovered how their stories ended. I felt like Doerr did Zeno, Seymour, Omeir, and Anna justice. However, Konstance, whose tale became more mysterious as the book progressed, had a very unsatisfying ending. There was little closure in her story, and the reader is left asking, “Why?” What happened to Konstance has been bothering me for days.

All in all, this is a well-written, yet eccentric, book. It combines the genres of historical fiction, thriller, and sci-fi across multiple storylines. However, you may, like me, leave with unresolved feelings that are hard to shake.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the book in exchange for my honest review.

More of an Overstory vibe than All The Light We Cannot See but also more hope. Slow, intricate build and then it opens up so beautifully.

👍🏻👍🏻

DNF - Did not finish. I decided not to keep reading this title because I’d did not connect with the writing or plot. Thank you, NetGalley and publisher for the early copy!

All the Light We Cannot See is one of my favorite books, so even though I knew the subject matter would be very different, Cloud Cuckoo Land had a lot to live up to. And did it ever. This book is really three in one and the fact that Doerr was able to weave these three stories together in one book is nothing short of testament to his writing genius. The three stories, told during time settings so different that they may as well have taken place in different worlds, are woven together, if not seamlessly, poetically and logically at the same time. The story of Anna in Constantinople during the mid 1400’s has some strong Aria from Game of Thrones vibes. The present day stories of Zeno and Seymour are foreshadowed to break your heart right from the beginning and the story of Konstance in the future is just vague enough to keep you interested without frustration. I did struggle in the beginning while these three distinct voices were showing themselves but once I passed that hurdle I could not put this book down. The dedication “for librarians the , now and in the years to come” gave me a lump in my throat. This book is a story for readers who love stories, big, rambling saga types of stories. Don’t expect a chronological or linear type of story and be prepared to shift from those three different time settings frequently and sometimes abruptly. If you decide to read it please be sure to read at least 40 pages before deciding whether to continue, I acknowledge the beginning is a bit rough but if you stick with you will be greatly rewarded with a genius of a novel. **thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ebook in exchange for an honest review**

I wasn't sure if it was possible for me to like a book more than I liked All The Light We Cannot See, but Cloud Cuckoo Land may have done it. Doerr is a master at pushing and pulling on a dozen different storylines such that they eventually converge into one beautiful chord, with no stray notes along the way. I was captivated by each protagonist and their immediate stories, but the task of imagining how they were all connected to each other kept my brain churning such that I just couldn't put it down. Cloud Cuckoo Land is such an immersive story, one that left me missing the characters and the experience of reading the book as soon as I was finished. It definitely stands in the top three books I've read this year.

Another great book by Anthony Doerr! This story is told from multiple POVs. The storylines are from different times and it was interesting to see how they would come together. The characters are very well developed. I would recommend not to take a break for too long while reading the book as I had to, as it made it hard to follow the various storylines and characters when I resumed reading. That being said, I truly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others. Happy reading!

First, a disclaimer: I received this ebook in advance of publication in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own opinions. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book.

If I could give this book MORE than 5 stars, I would. I am so grateful that I got to read it early on my Kindle, but there is no doubt in my mind that I will want this book on my shelf. I am itching already to reread it and annotate throughout. This was just beautiful. I absolutely LOVED it.

CAWPILE Score: 68
Star Rating: 5
Pages: 640
Read on EBook

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr.
In true Anthony Doerr style, Cloud Cuckoo Land is brilliant! A masterfully written story that flawlessly entwines three unique time periods held together by an ancient fictional masterpiece. A mixture of historical fiction, realistic fiction, and science fiction covering many topics from war, climate change, and relationships. Jumping between the 1400s, present-day, and future, Doerr makes all three engaging and relevant. A book I won't forget!