Cloud Atlas

Comprised of several stories split and interspersed, each has its own unique voice. The thin threads linking them across time are visible enough, carrying through themes of faith, humanity and a will to power. Grand themes set against a canvas of centuries.

Mitchell at turns channels Melville, with ships at seas in the 1800s all the way to pulpy noir, dystopian sci-fi ala Brave New World and oral folktales peppered with island patois. It would be easy for this to just fall apart but Mitchell keeps the reins tight.

It sounds too clever by far but it is still, at its heart, a fantastic read.