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Jun 03, 2016TSCPL_ChrisB rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
...it is difficult not to stand in awe at Mitchell's raw talent. Whether he's writing a journal as an eighteenth century notary aboard an ocean vessel, the letters of a priggish English composer, a suspenseful tale of corruption and the journalist who uncovers it, the vain musings of a publisher with a belief that he is akin to Randle Patrick McMurphy, the interview of a clone guilty for her rebellion against a capitalist totalitarian government, or the post-apocalyptic oral stories of adventure by a primitive tribesman, Mitchell writes perfectly. One minute Mitchell's writing mirrors Melville, the next Margaret Atwood or a more literate Tom Clancy, then Toni Morrison. Mitchell's talent is clear, but what his aim was is not so transparent. The thread that connects these stories is often thin. Regardless, this makes them no less intriguing. Even the many stories that move slowly are entertaining in their own unique way. Cloud Altas is the kind of novel that takes determination and patience, but it doesn't require complete understanding. Sometimes it's okay to just sit back and be mystified by it all.