As I sit here in front of my computer, trying to put into words one of the most grandiose and absorbing reading experiences of my life, words fail me. Even David Mitchell could not have imagined that his magnum opus would turn out so wonderfully.
"Six interlocking lives- one amazing adventure. In a narrative that circles the globe and reaches from the 19th century to a post-apocalyptic future, David Mitchell erases the boundaries of time, genre, and language to offer and enthralling vision of humanity's will to power, and where it will lead us" proclaims the back cover. More often than not, back covers are gross misrepresentations of the actual fact. Not this one. The first thought that came to my mind when I picked up the book was that the idea didn't seem new, but then again, no one had ever executed something as big.
An undoubtedly ambitious and risky undertaking. However, I like to think that a good author always finds the perfect balance between the two elements, and Mitchell certainly did just that. The sophistication and poignance of the language, metaphors and imagery employed render it a poetic feel at times, making it all the more enthralling.
The novel essentially consists of six parts, each chronicling a person intricately linked to the other. The plot was a little mind bending every now and then, and I couldn't help but draw reference to the other mind bending films and books Ive read or seen recently. Mind you, of that category, there are quite a few. As the description so aptly put it, Mitchell completely erases the boundaries of time, and this book is definitely not one for the casual reader looking for a quick read.
Despite the ease with which the book draws the reader in, it does require a little extra effort in order to grasp its magnitude fully. Several facets of Cloud Atlas which I thoroghly enjoyed were how Mitchell perfectly blends fact and fiction and history and foresight in a cohesive, compelling narrative.
My favorite section of Cloud Atlas, titled An Orison of Sonmi-451 describes a world driven by consumerism and dominated by corporations, where countries instead of being democracies, are now corpocracies. I must confess, I had never thought of such a future for mankind. One where human greed would form the basis of governance. Only after reading about these fictional corpocracies, did I get thinking. At present, we live in a consumerist world where practically everything one buys or owns is influenced by a prevalent trend. The most obvious example being that of Apple products. No doubt, Apple as a brand does stand for cutting edge design and technological ingenuity, but there are alternatives that go unnoticed just because every third person seems to have one. On a more basic level, how many people actually stop to think and ask "Do I really need this?" before going out there and burning their wallets. The answer is, not many. For example, the tablet. Initially heralded as the new frontier in consumer electronics, people flocked to get their hands on "the future", as it were. I for one, don't see the point of owning a tablet considering that I have a laptop and a smartphone. Anyways, back to what I was trying to say. The way our ideas and spending habits are shaped today, will eventually lead to our downfall. We think the way the corporations want us to think. We say the things the corporations want us to say, well, you get the idea. Eventually, we will resemble sheep being herded, a stream being channelized, convicts being kept in line. It is a thought that makes me shudder.
In contrast to An Orison, Letters from Zedelghem is a lively, breath of fresh air kind of story. It chronicles the life of Robert Frobisher, a troubled, yet prodigious Englishman in pursuit of his musical ambitions. His character instantly enraptures the reader, and those of female persuasion, who have taken no prisoners in letting their feelings known, are left cringing for more! Letters from Zedelghem, I would say, is definitely the most artistic part of the book and Mitchell's mastery of the epistolary is something to marvel. On full display here, is once again, Mitchell's ability to use vivid imagery, as he transports the reader to countryside Belgium, where he/ she sees the sights, smell the fragrances, hears natures melodies and revels in a perfect little place.
The most exciting part about Cloud Atlas is that it has elements of practically every genre of book. In keeping with that idea, Mitchell also incorporates satire/comedy, action, suspense and folk to name a few to the ones already discussed earlier into the other parts. It's like reading six different novels at the same time, but with the mind bending reality that they are all linked, neither prequel nor sequel to eachother.
If you haven't read the book yet, I shall not keep you any longer. You are about to embark on a tour de force, one that you shall never forget. If you are thinking of watching the movie first, all I can say is that you are robbing yourself of the reading experience. Besides, I felt that, though it was a good effort, it was incoherent at times and a tad slow. If I hadn't read the book first, I don't think I would have been able to make sense of it. I now sign off by quoting Sonmi 451, "Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb,we are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future".
