CLOUD CUCKOO LAND by Anthony Doerr is an imaginative and epic journey through many centuries that held me captive from beginning to end. It is a blend of contemporary, historical and science fiction. The story is told from five points of view in three different time frames – the past in 1453, the present in 2020 and several decades in the future. In 1453, Anna is an orphan living with her sister and other women inside the walls of Constantinople before the great siege. She comes across an ancient transcript called Cloud Cuckoo Land that described the story of Aethon who was searching for a utopian paradise in the sky. Omeir is a village boy that winds up a part of the army that is invading the walled city. Anna and Omeir meet outside the walls and form a bond that will last the rest of their lives. Five hundred years later, Xeno, a former prisoner of war in Korea and now elderly, is in the local library preparing to stage a performance of Cloud Cuckoo Land with a group of young children. In the same library, Seymour, a troubled teenager, has planted a bomb without knowing that Xeno and the children are also inside. In the future, fourteen-year-old Konstance is locked alone in a vault aboard an interstellar ship. She is trying to piece together connections between her father and a special copy of Cloud Cuckoo Land that he possessed. The story alternates between these five different characters that are separated by centuries but connected by an ancient Greek myth that comes to have special meaning for them all. The author tackles many important themes in a thought-provoking and hopeful way. I will not soon forget this imaginative and intriguing tale. Thank you to the author publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review and early copy.

Thank you so much to netgalley for the ARC of this phenomenal story. Each time I picked this up, I felt myself tumbling into this completely engrossing, magical book about characters across centuries all connected by a magical book. It truly has a little bit of everything and still Anthony Doerr manages to to create masterpieces within all the individual stories and bring them all together to leave the reader blown away.

Beautiful writing grabbed me from the very beginning, although the vastly different characters and settings felt a little confusing at first, each one was such a wonderful story on its own, it was easy to trust the process as they all build into one another. Highly recommend this triumph of a novel, I wish I had more stars to give!

This book seamlessly weaves the timelines of five characters whose interconnectedness might never be considered likely outside of the lines of this story. The way that Doerr so beautifully tells their stories and highlights themes of loneliness, climate change, conflict, etc. is beyond me. I was so impressed with his storytelling as I found myself rushing forward to put the pieces of each character together, and I was absolutely blown away with the heart breaking reality that this novel presented for the reader.

Anthony Doerr is an amazing and skillful storyteller and Cloud Cuckoo Land finds him in top form. The story is set in 3 different eras: 1500's, Present Day and a dystopian future, Each story is amazing in itself, but Doerr seamlessly stitches together the fabric so that by the time you've reached the end of the tale it a beautifully woven story. Very different from his "All The Light We Cannot See", but equally compelling and thought provoking. I loved it

I found this book to be thought provoking and, ultimately, uplifting. This is the tale of a lost Greek manuscript that is found by a young girl during the 15th century siege of Constantinople. How it is lost again and re-discovered serves as the backbone that the lives of this novel's characters revolve around. It's hard to pigeonhole into a single category. I would say that it is a combination of historical, fantasy, contemporary, and science fiction. This sounds confusing and it is, at first, but the author gradually, and beautifully, ties it all together. Ultimately, it is a story of knowledge and hope being passed from one generation to the next and I strongly recommend this book.

I read this book two weeks ago and still keep reflecting on it. A saga that looks at the past, present and future and how they all intertwine to tell one story. The present and future storylines were really engaging and thoughtfully woven together as seen through young adult and adult eyes. The effect we are having on the planet and how people are reacting to those threats was highly engaging and thoughtful. In full transparency, I struggled a bit with the historical storyline and how the overall tale of Cloud Cuckoo Land was integrated into the greater book. For those of you who read All the Light I Cannot See by this author will recognize the insightful and intelligent dialog. The need to take a pause and think about what you're reading makes this an interactive read vs. a passive one. I'd recommend this and actually think it would make a fantastic movie. Also good for young adults as a method of teaching about the planet.

I didn't know what to expect from Anthony Doerr after the quiet brilliance of All The Light We Cannot See and, although the mind-boggling scope of this book (from centuries ago until an imagined future state) was the last thing I expected, Cloud Cuckoo Land did not disappoint. This epic and sweeping story is unlike anything I've read before. So much suffering for so many individuals across centuries of time and space, yet there is such tenderness in the storytelling that leaves the reader with profound hope. When books are broken down between different characters/storylines/perspectives from chapter-to-chapter, I often struggle when I feel more connection or interest in some more than others. But not in this book; every one of these storylines was a 5-star read for me and their connection (which becomes clearer and clearer throughout the book) was fascinating and touching. Cloud Cuckoo Land makes me want to hug a librarian, increase teachers' salaries, and have our children run the world.

A worthy follow up to a book that’s nearly impossible to top. I was engaged from beginning to end. An excellent read!!

Amazing characters. I loved that the characters had a different setting for each also different time periods for some. I was interested in reading in a time period and setting I've never read before. The 1400s is not a time period often used in historical fiction. I also love the jumping of time periods between characters.

One of the more different and interesting historical fictions I've read in a long time. Between the multiple story line and setting I was in engaged the through out the book and always wanted to keep reading.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

When a reader loves a book as much as "All the Light We Cannot See," a reader would be cautious about the author's next book. Could it really be as good?

Yes, in fact, it could even be better.

...two kids making their way through the 17th century Ottoman Empire...
...a couple of men in a twentieth century Idaho library..
...interplanetary humans traveling to repopulate another planet...
...an ancient Greek manuscript binds them all.

What a treat it was to discover new tendrils in each chapter that slowly but securely connected each story to the others. Readers might need a little patience to see the connections, but they will be richly rewarded! There was much joy among the pain; humor among the devastation. The characters were so well fleshed out, the 640(!) pages flew by.

I don't think this is a book that one can put down and come back to easily, unless the reader keeps notes. Make sure you have time to get through it, or jot some reminders if you have to take a break.

Within these pages is the story of Anna and Omeir in 15th century Constantinople, Seymour and Zeno in modern-day Idaho, and Konstance sometime in the far future, traveling to an exoplanet on a spaceship. Three different eras, five different characters, all woven together by the thread of a fictional text — Cloud Cuckoo Land, an ancient Greek tale by (a real!) Antonius Diogenes, about a man named Aethon who is on a quest to find paradise. I especially loved the beautiful writing and how captivating every one of the storylines is, a rarity with books that tend to contain more than two or so viewpoints. It’s something like I’ve never read before, with elements of fantasy, historical fiction, and science fiction, all genres that I love. However, it did take me a good chunk of the way through before iI actually became invested in the book. Each of the viewpoints seemed like their own disjointed story for quite a while but persevering to see where it all came together felt well worth it in the end. Do stick with it, reader!

“Cloud Cuckoo Land” is a reminder of the power of storytelling, capable of not only connecting us to each other in the present, but also to those far before and after us. There are a number of prominent themes, from loss, war, and prejudice, to the future of our planet — with Seymour facing the realization that we’re running out of time and Konstance navigating an entirely different world in the aftermath of climate change. And I'm more thankful than ever for those who went to extreme measures to preserve history in the past, as we now have so much information right at the tips of our fingers. Ultimately, I feel that I have much to process with this read and I’ll be thinking about it for quite some time. Definitely worth the ride.

✨✨✨ REVIEW ✨✨✨

I have never before read anything like Cloud Cuckoo Land by @anthonydoerrwriter . What an amazingly unique and powerful read. Doerr skillfully weaves together three different timelines and stories, all centered around a piece of Ancient Greek text. I was constantly trying to surmise how the three storylines would link together, and the end was so very satisfying (my guesses were all incorrect, by the way). This was not, by any means, an easy read. The story was complex and there were a great deal of intricacies to keep up with. I often found myself needing to go back and reread certain pages; this was not a burden, just a desire to ensure that I was fully digesting everything that I was reading. I enjoyed all of the storylines but was most eager to read about Konstance. I connected with her character and was anxious to see how her story would evolve. I cannot wait to see how the rest of this community will receive novel; I, for one, thought it was a masterpiece. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Cloud Cuckoo Land

Thank you to @netgalley and @scribnerbooks for this fantastic ARC.

Amazing! I was very frustrated at first, bouncing between the stories, but im so glad i stuck with it. Received an ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Anthony Doerr’s previous works ( Memory Walls…All The Light We Cannot See) but Cloud Cuckoo Land was a total disappointment. The story was somewhat incomprehensible, confusing and way too long. Hard to recommend this to anyone

Anthony Doerr is definitely a Genius writer! I enjoyed his previous Pulitzer Prize winning novel, All the Light We Cannot See, but Cloud Cuckoo Land is even better in my opinion! He handles the multiple viewpoints and timelines and really draws the reader in.

CW: active shooter/hostage situation

Cloud Cuckoo Land is a book about books (the best kind of book?). The protagonists are linked by a shared connection to an ancient Greek text about Aethon's quest to find Cloud Cuckoo Land, a dream land in the sky. The five protagonists include Anna and Omeir on opposite sides of the Constantinople city walls during the 1453 siege, Seymour and Zeno on different sides of a hostage takeover in a 2020 Idaho public library, and Konstance sometime in the future on a ship bound for a planet far from Earth. Doerr uses 24 folios (or sections) of the rescued text about Aethon as the structure of the book, interspersing stories about the five protagonists in between, somehow magically weaving all of these stories together.

As a lover of All the Light We Cannot See, I had high expectations for this book... and it lived up to them! Similar to AtLWCS, it weaves together multiple storylines (and in this case multiple timelines), and it takes time and patience to sort through these threads. Because of this, it's certainly not an easy read - you have to invest yourself in it to get the payoff of the threads weaving together, and it is worth it!

This is a tricky one to review without giving away spoilers, so I'll highlight some of its themes:
-the precariousness of a book's life - it must stay safe from natural disaster, human destruction, the earth's elements, and so much more to survive through time. Despite this precarity, humans can protect and shepherd books throughout time, however imperfectly.
-environmental carelessness and destruction; the wastefulness of humans and the consequences of this waste; the power of technology for both guiding society and destroying it.
-the value of human connection and storytelling to bond us together, to help in difficult times, and to guide our future actions
-the pain suffered by outsiders, excluded by society, as well as their ingenuity in carving out spaces for themselves to belong.

Overall, he builds multiple vivid worlds and helps you grow invested in each of the characters. It was a beautiful book that spanned centuries, and one where multiple times he gives jaw-dropping revelations that link the story together. I remain a fan of Doerr!

Thanks to Scribner and Netgalley for the eARC of this book.
Book release: Sept 28

Anthony Doerr's previous novel "All the Light We Cannot See", was deservedly touted as a luminous piece of fiction. Doerr's latest book, "Cloud Cuckoo Land is a very ambitious novel, which ranges from 1450 Constantinople, to current day America, to a space station in a pandemic-like situation. The thread of Greek writer Diogenes wraps through all three time periods, and Anthony Doerr is able to cleverly bring to life very disparate settings and characters, and even more cleverly give them common events and characteristics.
This is not a book to read casually, it takes concentration and engagement to put the pieces of this historical mosaic together.

Beautiful writing. Very well drawn characters with an interesting premise at illustrates the power of story.

This is a beautiful work of fiction with a unique concept and exquisite writing. It is a mix of multiple stories that span centuries and eventually converge in an unexpected way. Be patient as you begin reading, as it takes some time for the stories to develop. Your patience will be rewarded; this is the kind of book to read slowly, to savor, and to think about long after finishing.
Thank you to NetGalley and to Scribner for the advance e-galley.

What an epic tale! Spanning from 15th C Constantinople to present day Idaho to life on a spaceship in the future, the story Doerr weaves connects each character to an ancient Greek story, and to each other. A story about growing up and about going to great lengths to find answers that sometimes are closer than we realize. A story about being human and the complicated world we've created--"that we are all beautiful even as we are all part of the problem, and that to be a part of the problem is to be human." A uniquely told story, beautifully written. 5 stars!