Cloud Cuckoo Land

By Anthony Doerr

I have been waiting for Anthony Doerr to write another book ever since I read ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ several years ago. (If you aren’t familiar with that work - I would 100% recommend it, it manages to be a completely original WWII piece which is difficult in itself, but also beautifully written and artfully told.) Cloud Cuckoo Land leverages a similar (ish) story telling style - by jumping back and forth between different characters perspectives. The assumption is made by the reader that these stories will be interconnected - but it’s not clear how. However, unlike ATLWCS this novel is told across a timespan of thousands and focuses on five distinct protagonists instead of two. This introduces more opportunities for complexities and questions as to how these individuals could possibly have an impact on one another’s lives over such an extended amount of time.

The one thing that unifies all these characters stories (not a spoiler) is their connection to the ancient fictional story ‘Cloud Cuckoo Land’. This fantastical tale is told in pieces throughout the course of the book - as our own characters go on their individual journeys.

The book was a little slow to start, given he has to introduce five completely different storylines, but really picks up once you start to get a feel for the characters. He also managed to give truly unique voices to each of them - the writing style itself seemed to change depending on the character and time period, allowing you to really be drawn into that specific moment.

Anthony Doerr has a unique way of interspersing fact and fiction - overall the story is one that is not unbelievable and he is even able to use that to build a future which does not seem so distant from our own. The underlying current of connections, to one another, across space and time, to our planet - made this a book to enjoy but also sit with and dig a little deeper.