⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So many great things: lives woven together across centuries, told from each different point in time and point of view; Ancient Greek history; storytelling; magic.

It all revolves around everyone’s connection to the old tale, Cloud Cuckoo Land where a man embarks on an adventure that turns him into a donkey, a fish, a crow.

One of my favorites! Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalley #netgallyreviewer #netgalleyreader #netgalleyarc #fiction #booklover #bookreviews #whatimreading #whatiread #bookish #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #bibliophile #bookgram #bookstagrammer #instabooks #bookreviewer #cloudcuckooland #anyhonydoerr

Anthony, with the talent again! If you're willing to invest a good chunk of time reading because this book is definitely longer than most - this felt like more than just reading another book, and so for me the length paid off. So many different elements coming together, with such a huge story scope encompassing each perspective shift that reminds me of a like a mix between Ken Follet and Blake Crouch. This book started out as an underdog read for me, because while All The Light We Cannot See was a near spiritual reading experience, anything related to Greek mythology is just not my favorite. I somehow managed to skip out on that whole genre through high school and college. Things that didn’t work for me in this book - there were some plot gaps, especially in the space related storyline, that were definitely unsatisfying.

All the Light We Cannot See is one of my top five reads of all time and so I was ecstatic when I was approved for an ARC of Doerr’s newest book on Netgalley.

Unfortunately, this one did not live up to the All the Light We Cannot See wonderfulness. There are so many different story lines and it could get very confusing. This book, however, has too many plot lines, timelines, characters, and sudden stops for me to fully commit to 700 pages. I wish I loved it; I wish I could follow it. I wish for a lot that this book just didn't deliver.

This book took me a while to get into. It has a slow and confusing start, but a friend told me to stick with it and give it another try and I’m so glad I did. Beautifully written and truly one of a kind.

I'm not sure how to best describe this story except to read it if you like books about books. It's really about a story that touches many lives across time.

It emphasizes how impactful works can be and how it touches readers in different ways while also bringing them together.

DNF. Unfortunately, this was a book I started multiple times but could just not get into. I appreciate having the opportunity to read this book, it was just not a good fit for me as a reader. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted review copy.

This was a book that I originally DNF. Honest. It seemed too overwhelming and BIG. But, that’s actually the beauty of it. I’m glad I overcame my own insecurities and picked it back up. It all comes together.

So beautifully written. Of course this is on the best reads of 2021 lists.

This book has multiple storylines with five point of views. While each story line is different and interesting, they seem to end just as you are catching on to what is going on. The story is long but confusing. Parts are very interesting but when you can’t focus on character very long, it’s hard to follow.

3.5/4 stars. The imagination and creativity behind this book is truly staggering and it is in my mind worth making it through to the end where the multitude of storylines, genres, time periods, characters converge and all come together in a sort of aha moment. Anthony Doerr is a genius and this book deserves to be on the lists it has made and receive the accolades that is has received. I enjoyed some characters immensely - Zeno and Konstance especially. I had to force myself through most of the sections with Anna and Omeir. There were far too many words given to waiting for the fall of Constantinople. So do I recommend it? Yes (if you can muddle through the confusing beginning and stick with it, keep going). I didn’t love all the pieces of the story, but I did appreciate it in totality as a great book.

Doerr's latest book is an epic tale that spans time and space to tackle issues of our time and of all times.

A charming epic story of intertwined tales tha show the power of storytelling and importance of human connection.

This novel is not only thought provoking but also funny and entertaining. It is an unusual story weaving together multiple narratives. There are a lot of moving parts and at times it can get overwhelming. Stick with it because things become easier to follow as the story moves on. Possibly one of the best books I've every read.

"Thirteen-year-old Anna, an orphan, lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople in a house of women who make their living embroidering the robes of priests. Restless, insatiably curious, Anna learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds a book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. This she reads to her ailing sister as the walls of the only place she has known are bombarded in the great siege of Constantinople. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, miles from home, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the invading army. His path and Anna’s will cross.

Five hundred years later, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno, who learned Greek as a prisoner of war, rehearses five children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege. And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father. She has never set foot on our planet."

My thoughts:

It is a monster of a book, filled to the rim with descriptions. I both loved, and hated that. There were a lot of moving POV's and story lines that I struggled to keep up with it. I did enjoy the world building and how beautiful the story was once I got through it. Thank you so much for y advanced copy!

I tried twice to read Cloud Cuckoo Land in ebook format and once via audiobook from my public library, but I eventually decided it just wasn’t the right book for me. After about 50%, I wound up skimming. Which is a real shame, as I remember loving Doerr’s earlier book, All The Light We Cannot See. This story is really several stories which eventually get connected. But there were just too many different stories in this book, too many characters and too many shifts between the various stories for me to enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book is amazing and so unique. Anthony Doerr never disappoints. The story is weaved into three time periods has many characters and leaves you with something to think about. I absolutely loved this book even though it was a hefty one. Would highly recommend reading this!

I love this author and really expected to love this book. Despite a few tries over a long period of time, I just couldn't get past halfway. It was well paced and the themes good, but it just wasn't pulling me in at all.

Fabulous read. Doerr does it again. I was hesitant as I loved "All The Light We Cannot See" so much and often, I don't like to read another title by the same author for that reason. However, this title was beyond description. I enjoyed it and have read it again since.

This started out really slowly. It took several hundred pages to really get past the groundwork and get going with the plot itself. I came close to giving up several times.

I loved the blend of characters and time periods. Some broke my heart. Others left me with not enough clarity for my liking. Either way, I think Doerr has created a wonderful work here.

I really enjoyed this book. It is beautifully written and I would give it ten stars if I could! I will be purchasing a hard copy!

It's a long book with multiple storylines and timelines. Yet, is is absolutely lovely! I highly recommend reading this novel..

Thank you #NetGalley, #Scribner and #AnthonyDoerr for the advance readers copy for my honest review.