So, Cloud Atlas. Undoubtedly a daunting book when you first pick it up, mostly due to it's immense size, though that doesn't usually tend to put me off a book. This novel is divided into sections of narrative, each intelligently woven into the other to create a book which is both argued to be and not to be a dystopia at heart. It is difficult to read this text without receiving a sense of forewarning, as the novel moves from the 19th century through to the far future, after the 'Fall'. Personally, I found this to be one of my favourites out of a year of dystopias, as Cloud Atlas carries a subtlety in it's pages, as well as a sense of hope that humans are not entirely doomed, as Orwell and Huxley would have you believe. Despite being relatively difficult to read in the central section, due to being written in a similar fashion to Riddley Walker, Mitchell's work made for an interesting read, and an even more interesting subject for my essay. Therefore I would thoroughly recommend this novel to those who have the time and patience to read it, especially if you are exploring different dystopia novels, as it contrasts greatly to the bleakness of many of those traditionally classed within that genre.Friday, 26 August 2016
Cloud Atlas
So, Cloud Atlas. Undoubtedly a daunting book when you first pick it up, mostly due to it's immense size, though that doesn't usually tend to put me off a book. This novel is divided into sections of narrative, each intelligently woven into the other to create a book which is both argued to be and not to be a dystopia at heart. It is difficult to read this text without receiving a sense of forewarning, as the novel moves from the 19th century through to the far future, after the 'Fall'. Personally, I found this to be one of my favourites out of a year of dystopias, as Cloud Atlas carries a subtlety in it's pages, as well as a sense of hope that humans are not entirely doomed, as Orwell and Huxley would have you believe. Despite being relatively difficult to read in the central section, due to being written in a similar fashion to Riddley Walker, Mitchell's work made for an interesting read, and an even more interesting subject for my essay. Therefore I would thoroughly recommend this novel to those who have the time and patience to read it, especially if you are exploring different dystopia novels, as it contrasts greatly to the bleakness of many of those traditionally classed within that genre.
Apologies for the neglection
Woah, so this blog has become somewhat neglected, and though I will attempt to make excuses through studying etc, I've still had time to read, and therefore should really have made the time to write. This past year I have read mostly books from the dystopia genre, due to essay-based reading, and so I can include reviews on Cloud Atlas, Riddley Walker, The Handmaid's Tale, Oryx and Crake, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World. At least, I think that's all of them. Not to mention I finished the A Song of Ice and Fire books to date, though that was rather a while ago and therefore I won't review them as I can't recall them in enough detail to write both a review worth reading and one that does them justice. All I can say is that I'm eagerly awaiting The Winds of Winter. I've also read a smattering of other books, though rather than trawl through them all, I shall stick to those named above, and try to keep up with myself in future.
So what are we waiting for?
So what are we waiting for?
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