Play Book Tag discussion

Cloud Cuckoo Land – Anthony Doerr

5*****

It’s hard to describe this book. It is equal parts historical, contemporary and futuristic. The book jacket blurb describes it thus: Set in Constantinople in the fifteenth century, in a small town in present-day Idaho, and on an interstellar ship decades from now, Doerr’s third novel is a story about children on the cusp of adulthood in worlds in peril, who find resilience, hope – and a book: Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Antonius Diogenes, which tells the ancient story of Aethon.

It took me a while to get into the rhythm of Doerr’s storytelling. I was so confused at the beginning by the changing scenarios, and could not imagine how he would weave this into a cohesive story. In fact, there were times when I dearly wished Doerr had written three separate novels, one for each of these timeframes. But, I’m glad I persevered, and I finally saw how intricately he managed to weave these stories together. Children – teenagers, actually, who are lonely and/or alone but who find solace in an ancient fantasy and ultimately in reaching out to others.

I can hardly wait for my F2F book club discussion.


LINK to my review

How I loved this book. Even more after I was able to talk with my local book group about it.

I think I had to read/listen to this book 3 or 4 times before I was able to walk away from it. Now, you've made me want to read it again!

I really enjoyed this one too!