If you enter into Cloud Cuckoo Land expecting All the Light We Did Not See, you are going to be disappointed. This book really launches you into a new world with engaging characters of different time and place. And all of their storylines are intertwined. The book is dedicated to librarians, which seems so fitting, and makes you wonder - when all is lost, do our stories survive?

I was lucky enough to receive this book from NetGalley. It took me a while to get into and to keep all the different stories straight, but once they began to come together, the story was truly magical. One ancient story weaving its way through so many generations. Past, present and future. And the stories of each character end very similar to the story of Aethon which wraps it all up very nicely.

I don’t care who you are, you need to read this novel!
It is the story of a simple Shepard, Aethon. But it is also so much more. It is about Konstance and Seymore, Omeir, Zion, and others. It is across time from the 1500s to the 2100s.
It is about a philosopher and religion and global warming and humanity. I believe there may be light nods to Stephen King as well.
Incredibly well written. When I began the book I thought it was not my kind of book and by the third chapter , I couldn’t stop. I so wanted to know what happened next to each character.. Thoroughly enjoyed this. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC.

For those that loved Doerr's other work, this one will also enchant. For those that didn't find his other work compelling, this is not likely to change your mind. His style is very word-heavy (why use three words when you could use twenty!) and full of detail that slow the story's pace. However, I do think that's what the author intends - to ruminate rather than rush. What I found most difficult is that the author thinks this is somehow honoring the work of libraries, but as a librarian, I did not find his stories uplifting to my profession. This is a treatise on the catastrophes of climate change and war, and I found little that was hopeful for the future. I do acknowledge that the book is well-constructed, with the disparate stories coming together in a wonderful way in the finale. I just find that this book was not for me.

What a dizzying, breathtaking, utterly captivating book! I had no previous experience with Doerr, but I left so astounded that I need to catch up ASAP. I know, I know. This seems like such a sin with the sheer popularity of some of his books, but I was a struggling college student at the time and most of my free time was spent mourning the fact that I was wasting time I didn't really have to waste. Tangent aside, I love when there are multiple narratives that tie together (especially when it is done this well), The beautiful descriptions and the story kept me invested long after I closed the book, and I keep finding myself thinking about how deeply this book affected me. Please give it a chance! In the mean time, I will be catching up on Doerr's catalog.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so immersive and beautifully written. It captivated me emotionally and had me absolutely rapt. Despite the high page count, I devoured it quickly because it was so incredible. The short chapters also helped, so it never felt like it was dragging on. I loved the interwoven stories and the characters. This was one of the best stories I read in 2021, and possibly ever. I will be re-reading this one in the future, and I bought a copy for my shelf. Thank you for the ARC and for introducing me to this incredibly talented author.

Three major timelines: Constantinople in the 1400s, Idaho in 2020, and the Argos (a spaceship) in the 2100s. Five major characters: Anna, Omeir, Zeno, Seymour, and Konstance. Add to that a Greek tale within this story, and you have Anthony Doerr’s Cloud Cuckoo Land. He expertly weaves all these threads together to form a masterpiece. I loved the power of story in this book, that stories can teach, comfort, and heal.

A great book becomes a great friend. That kind of affinity accelerates the narrative of Cloud Cuckoo Land and provides a network that supports a rich cast of protagonists. The best thing I’ve read in years.

Epic, sprawling, and quirky. I adored CLOUD CUCKOO LAND. Once again, Doerr crafts a character-driven, epic adventure that is deep and wide and sprawling. We follow a legend thread through time, which connects three wildly different worlds.

I appreciate the inclusion of a variety of characters, including people lead by fear and a medieval character has cleft palate.

Powerful and playful and very enjoyable. Highly recommended.

Anthony Doerr is back with a third novel, Cloud Cuckoo Land, which is bound to leave just as indelible of a mark on his readers as his previous bestselling novel, All the Light We Cannot See. As Doerr expertly weaves together the lives of five people living in different time periods, he tells an ancient story within a story about Aethon, who seeks to find a utopian paradise in the sky called Cloud Cuckoo Land. As each character faces the looming dangers in their own worlds — Anna and Omeir in 15th-century Constantinople, Seymour and Zeno in present-day Idaho, and Konstance a century or so in the future living on a ship flying through space — a story about the interconnectedness of all things in the universe unfolds, leaving you somehow feeling both deep despair and endless hope all at once.

Far from a beach read, Cloud Cuckoo Land is a beautiful novel that takes a bit of time to get into, but rewards those who persevere with a dazzling story that will stick with them for some time.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr is an epic novel. The writing is flawless. It’s not an “easy” read but one that is worth the investment if you enjoy these kinds of novels. It’s incredibly descriptive and maybe a little too much for me at times.
I’m sure so many will love this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

Cloud Cuckoo Land
by Anthony Doerr
Pub date: September 28, 2021
Date reviewed: November 8, 2021

Many thanks to Scribner & NetGalley for allowing me access to this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cloud Cuckoo Land.. Where do I begin? Well, I can start with one word. WORDS. Lots & Lots of words. This man sure does Love his descriptive prose. But where this particular story is concerned, so many words was most likely its downfall. I promised myself my review would be different than everyone else’s. But that’s just not possible. I can’t write about Cloud Cuckoo Land without mentioning the author’s overuse of descriptive words. I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t enjoy this one. That’s not saying that others won’t enjoy it, though. I’m giving
2 stars & I feel that’s being generous. Hopefully this book finds it’s rightful audience.
#CloudCuckooLand #NetGalley

Really enjoyed this book! Three very different settings, sharing a common tale. Doerr does an excellent job connecting the three, with great characters that will keep you engaged and wanting more.

Just could not get into this book. Started it but just could not follow it and didn't finish it. It sounded great but I just don't think it is my type of book.

Very pretentious and trying to be super poignant. I just don’t think I’m an Anthony Doerr fan. Hated the Constantinople storyline. The other storylines were a bit better. Wasn’t wowed by the final connection.

I like Anthony Doerr, I do. I loved All the Light We Cannot See so much and have reread it more than once. So I was thrilled to have received this ARC from NetGalley, but I think Cloud Cuckoo Land is simply not for me. The tale jumps not just perspectives but settings so rapidly it's like a careening vehicle, and I just did not enjoy the whiplash. I found it confusing. I think there is a spectacular story hidden in here, but maybe I just didn't have the mental energy to follow the threads and find it. That said the book-within-a-book here was fascinating and a really nice touch. I think if you enjoyed "This is How You Lose the Time War" by El-Mohtar and Gladstone, this is certainly a book for you, but it wasn't for me.

All it should really take is seeing that this is written by Anthony Doerr for you to pick it up.
The woven narrative is so rewarding and all of the characters are flawed and perfect at the same time. I don’t want to reveal too much because it was so rewarding to have the story unfold. Read it!
ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY.

Cloud Cuckoo Land is an intricate tale about the significance of the storytelling that (I'd imagine) will appeal to most booklovers.

This novel is very complex, and will require ALL of your attention. It is told from the POV of 5 different protagonists. To add to the complexity each one of them lives in a different time period. The author takes us on a truly wild ride from 1450's Constantinople to the 22nd century's spaceship on a tour to another planet.

And then there is a story within a story. A whimsical tale detailing the journey of a fool, Aethon, who travels to the end of the world in search of Cloud Cuckoo Land, a mysterious golden city in the cloud, only to return home to his simple shepherd life in the end. Arguably the most important story in the book, Aethon's tale is the link between all the other seemingly disjointed narratives in Cloud Cuckoo Land. It is also the one story with which many of the reviewers are having a hard time. Particularly with the way it is narrated by Simon Jones. I did NOT have a problem with it. I actually loved it :) But....you must know that one of my favourite books of all time is Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin (if you know you know:) So, yeah...I LOVE books within the books. I also think it's a type of plot development that is extremely hard to pull off without boring the reader to death. I am always in awe of the authors who can do it.

For those of you who thought that Aeton's story was too well....cuckoo - it really was. But again this did not bother me at all. I think it did a fantastic job of illustrating that a simple story, with a silly, improbable premise can mean A LOT depending on the circumstances. It can provide hope to the hopeless, and healing to those who need it most. How ridiculous the plot is is largely irrelevant as the listener will find the meaning intended for him/her in just about any story.

As someone who uses reading as a coping mechanism a lot during the toughest times I found this aspect of Cloud Cuckoo Land very touching.

Yes, there are a lot of narrators, and the storylines seem detached, but it all really does come together beautifully at the very end.

I found Omeir's character the most endearing, and Konstance's story the most mind blowing.

The book does have a fair amount of references to classics, Greek mythology, etc. Do you need to know Greek mythology? No. But some references and metaphors will be lost on you. Here is one example: the interstellar ship is named Argo. In Greek mythology Argonauts led by Perseus travelled to Colchis to retrieve the golden fleece. The golden fleece is associated with authority and status, but also often considered unattainable. Something mythical you want to get but cannot. So kind of like the planet to which people on Argo traveled in Cloud Cuckoo Land. OR Cloud Cuckoo Land itself in Aethon's tale ;) ;)

There is one major quam for me personally, and it's how the author chose to portray Seymour's character. I am not entirely sure why Doerr chose to make Seymour autistic. My heart bleeds for this community. Media so often portrays mass murderers as autistc, often incorrectly, or without mentioning the fact that they had other, more relevant diagnoses. The fact of course is that people on the specturm are rarely capable of causing intentional harm, such as premeditated murder. More often than not they themselves are abused and hurt because of their trusting nature and inability to read social cues. How did portraying Seymour as autistc contributed to the story? I fail to see how it added anything. Just another vilification of the autistic people, adding to the myth that they are incapable of experiencing compassion, and empathy towards other people. This just made me sad. There is an attempt at redemption at the very end, but I am not sure it was enough. The damage, so to speak, was done.

It's tough for me to rate this book. It really is. How do you rate a book if you really hated one part of it, but absolutely loved the other parts? I feel like I enjoyed it almost despite myself.

It's a lovely, intricate story. Layered and complex, with one major flow (in my opinion).

I think you will love Cloud Cuckoo Land if you enjoyed reading The Overstory by Richard Powers. Especially if you were fascinated by the echo-terorism parts.

Thank you Scribner Books and Anthony Doerr for giving me this copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is my second time reading an Anthony Doerr book and I think that he's just not an author I'm meant to love. I enjoyed the overall plot of this book, but I found myself confused throughout most of it. The multiple timelines just threw me off. I did that the whole "book within a book" trope, though and I think the author did a good job telling the story throughout the book. I was hoping I would rate this book higher, but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.

“For as long as we have been a species, whether with medicine or technology, by gathering power, by embarking on journeys, or by telling stories, we humans have tried to defeat death. None of us ever has.”

“We think of viruses as evil but in reality few are. Life usually seeks to cooperate, not fight.”

From the author of All The Light We Cannot See comes this grand story with multiple POV and spanning centuries. I found myself drawn to Anna & Omeir’s story more than Konstance, Seymour, or Zeno. But as you read you find that all of the POV are important and they are are related. Watching that unfold is like opening a gift.

It is a testament to this authors talent that he is able to write a book that is over 600 pages, has time frames spanning from the 1400’s to many years in the future with multiple characters at multiple points in their lives, and it all makes sense. It all ties together beautifully. Whew. I’m tired just thinking about it. This book is a lot. It’s a lot to take in and there is a lot going on. But it’s damn near perfect. It takes a few hundred pages to really get into the meat of the story, but it all comes together is such a brilliant way. The character development is superb and I feel like I cannot possibly do this book justice in a review.

“We are all beautiful even as we are all part of the problem. And to be a part of the problem is to be human.”

If you are looking for a book to get lost in, a book that makes you think and feel and think some more, read this one. You are welcome.

Thank you to Netgalley, Scribner, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. On a side note, the print copy is so gorgeous I bought that too! And it now sits prominently on my shelves.