Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony DoerrMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The basis for this book is a fable, written by Antonius Diogenes in the 2nd century. It is woven within stories of five different individuals from various points in time and place. Anna and her sister Maria live in Constantinople in the 14th century. Omeir is a young boy born with a cleft palate, living with his farming family also in Constantinople. Zeno lives in Idaho in the 20th century, but also spent time in a POW camp during the Korean War. Seymour is a young boy on the autism spectrum and lives with his single mother, also in Idaho. Finally, Konstance is a 12-year old living with her mother and father aboard the Argus starship heading for a distant planet.
Wow - what a wild ride I went on while reading this book!! The book jumps back and forth between each of the five main characters, with a portion of the Diogenes fable interspersed at the beginning of each section.
I really struggled with the first 40% of the book, trying to figure out how the characters all fit together and what was happening. It finally started to make sense and then I literally flew through the remainder of the book. I typically don't like non-linear books with diverse storylines, but this one worked. I would like to read it again with the knowledge I now have about the structure of the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed discussing it with my book club and came away with a much greater appreciation and knowledge of this book.
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