I’ve been looking forward to reading Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr ever since I heard about it last year. His previous book, All the Light We Cannot See, is one of my favorite books ever, so I had a feeling I’d enjoy this one too!
This is a wide-reaching novel, following many characters in different places and times – from Constantinople in the late 1400s to an Idaho town in present day to a space ship many years from now. But somehow, each of these threads is tied together by an ancient story.
*I received this book for free from the publisher (Scribner) in exchange for an honest review.
**Please note, some links on this page are affiliate links. If a purchase is made through an affiliate link, I may receive a commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure policy here. Thanks for your support!
Order on Amazon | Support local bookstores
Cloud Cuckoo Land: My Thoughts
Doerr writes the kind of stories where you open the book, and all of a sudden 200 pages have flown by and you’re deeply invested in all the characters.
His writing is just so absorbing. Technically, this is historical fiction – but it mixes in some science fiction, too. It reminds me a bit of David Mitchell (who’s another favorite author of mine), but really, it’s in a league of its own.
Each chapter of this book transports you somewhere new, whether it’s to Constantinople in the late 1400s, or a small town in the America during the 1940s. And you get to experience each time period through a unique characters’ eyes.
It’s hard to sum up this story, because it’s about so many things. But I think it can be somewhat distilled into a few main ideas. It’s about how we, as humans, interact with the world around us – even as it changes into something unrecognizable. How stories bind us together. And how we’re not all as different as we might think.
This book totally lived up to the hype for me. I hope it does for you, too. Highly recommended!
Rating: 5 (out of 5)
Release date: September 28th, 2021
Order on Amazon | Support local bookstores
Looking for more great book recommendations? Check out my list of exciting Fall 2021 Fiction Book Releases!
Also, if you’re a fan of Anthony Doerr, be sure to check out the TV adaptation of his book, All the Light We Cannot See, coming in 2023!
