Wow. This won’t be a book for everyone but if you’re willing to take this tremendous journey, it’s beyond worth it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ With multiple timelines jumping from the 1400s in Constantinople to present day to the future with a young girl on a space ship headed to a new planet... Cloud Cuckoo Land is a book that I won't forget about anytime soon. I want to hold these characters near to my heart but also pass this one along to others to share. Anthony Doerr has created a masterpiece.

“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” – Joan Didion

Storytelling is baked into the human condition. Throughout the centuries, we have told one another stories intended to educate us or entertain us or simply to help us endure. They are the ties that bind us, the threads of the tapestry into which we are all woven.

Stories have power – power that drives us to preserve them, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Anthony Doerr understands that power as well as anyone. His new book is “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” a segmented saga of wild ambition and staggering scope, spanning centuries as it follows a varied cast of characters through their trials and triumphs. From 15th century Constantinople to a 22nd century starship – with a few stopovers in mid-20th and early 21st century Idaho – Doerr takes us on a journey driven by the power of story. The stories we are told, yes, but also the stories we tell ourselves.

Binding all of it together? An ancient Greek text titled “Cloud Cuckoo Land” by Antonius Diogenes. That tale – also an invention of Doerr’s – serves as this novel’s connective tissue, with excerpts introducing each chapter. That book’s journey within Doerr’s larger tale – lost, then found, then lost again and discovered anew – reflects the transitive nature of story; some live forever, while others disappear.

In Constantinople, we meet two young people. Anna is an orphan in the city, working alongside her sister as a seamstress. She is desperate for something more, and when she stumbles across a tutor willing to teach her, the world of words opens up for her, though fate has other plans. Omeir lives in isolation some distance from the great city. Born with a cleft palate, he and his family were driven from their village when Omeir’s grandfather refused to abandon him to the elements. But as he grows up, Omeir’s idyllic life is altered by an intrusion from the outside world.

War is coming, with both young people destined to be swept up into that harsh and brutal reality.

In the town of Lakeport, Idaho, we meet Seymour and Zeno. Seymour is a lonely and troubled young man, one who struggles with the overwhelming world around him. His only respite is a wooded glen behind his house, where he meets and bonds with an owl he calls Trustyfriend. But when development threatens that safe haven, Seymour’s attitudes veer in a darker and more dangerous direction. We first meet Zeno as an elderly man, directing a play version of “Cloud Cuckoo Land” at the local library. But as we delve deeper, we learn more of his long life, from his difficult childhood to his time at war to a late-in-life desire to learn, to do more.

The first crossover between these two brings its own kind of darkness, driven by desperate anger.

And in the future, aboard a ship on a years-long trip to colonize a new planet, we meet Konstance. She has come of age and learns a bleak truth about the mission, which would be difficult enough. But when circumstances lead her to be isolated, with only the ship’s supercomputer Sybil as a companion, she dives into the virtual world on a quest to learn more about the full story behind the mission … and about her father.

As she explores the world that was, she learns that all is not as it seems, even in the unblinking depths of space.

Tying all five of these lives together, in ways overt and subtle, is the eponymous fictional novel. All of these people have their lives impacted by this book. Their paths are influenced by not just the story itself, but by the existence of the story and its presence in the world.

“Cloud Cuckoo Land” is staggeringly ambitious, a delicately-constructed and beautifully-written work. Each of these places and times – Constantinople, Idaho, deep space – and the people in them could have easily been their own story, they’re realized so richly. On an individual level, they are exceptional.

These storylines are incredible on their own. The historical agonies of Constantinople as the end of empire looms. Two similar but different journeys to manhood in a world whose expectations of masculinity prove difficult to meet. A future where sacrifice isn’t a choice, but an unasked-for responsibility.

But together, they become something so much greater, so much … more.

These shifts from past to present to future and back again should be jarring. Even with the connective device, there should be seams. And yet Doerr threads his narrative with such a light, intimate touch that these disparate elements fit together. Even as we bounce from perspective to perspective, we the reader never lose track of OUR perspective; it’s a stunning feat.

Doerr pulled the inspiration for his fictional novel-within-the-novel – including its name – from the Greek comedy “The Birds” by Aristophanes, one of many ancient writers whose body of work is forever fragmented due to the myriad ravages of time. That notion – that what we know of the world of ancient letters is defined in many ways by sheer chance – is one of the foundational underpinnings of this book.

Again, it comes back to a fascination with stories and storytelling. The idea that one story, a story that spent two thousand years being lost and found, could define so many lives – it’s a testament to how we are impacted by the tales we tell and are told. Doerr’s grasp of that power is clear, both in the story he’s telling and the manner in which he is telling it.

“Cloud Cuckoo Land” is a masterful piece of work. It is ambitious in all the best ways, a centuries-spanning saga that is both intimate and epic, granular and grandiose. Doerr has wed past, present and future – all in service to the power of story.

“The trickiest thing is the nature of man, apparent in everything.” – Aristophanes, “The Birds”

I struggled to get into this book. The first 25% was a little bit confusing and had a lot of characters. The writing is beautiful (would expect nothing less!) and I got into the book a lot more as it progressed. It is a book you have to stick with!

I enjoyed this advanced copy so much I bought two copies - one to keep and one to share! Thank you for another great book Mr Doerr.

At times, the multitude of character POVs was a little overwhelming, but other times, I was completely engrossed in each individual story. Additionally, the story was told from three VERY different times. When on paper, all of these details seem like they shouldn't work, but they so do. Well done!

This was such a good story!! For sure a candidate for book of the year!!!!! I want this one for my shelf.

Wow. What a book
This is like three stories in one.
First there is Zeno and Seymore of Idaho. Constance on a space station in the future and Anna and Omeir in Constantinople in the past. All center around the book Cloud Cuckoo Land. The story is so beautifully written and it’s main theme is longing for a better world and that it might exist. Thank you #netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book. It is definitely one I will add to my bookshelf.
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Cloud Cuckoo Land is a story of several tales, spread across time and locations and all connected by common themes and a fictional, mythical text. This is a challenging construction to say the least, and Doerr manages to pull it off.

Each of the stories that weaves through Cloud Cuckoo Land is compelling in its own right, which is necessary to make the book work. Connecting the stories initially is just the fictional text, but eventually they begin to thematically connect. Reading this book can be disjointed and confusing, particularly if only being read for an hour or so each day. Because of the vastly different settings and characters, the jumps from one chapter to the next threw me out of the book each time until I'd really settled into the book.

This would be four stars for me if the flow had been easier, if the construction had obeyed clearer rules. Nevertheless, these are great and varied stories. They are hopeful in a time of hopelessness, which I greatly appreciated.

I was originally going to give this a 3 star simply because I had such a hard time with it but I just couldn't! The complexity of the story and how masterfully it was woven together deserves more than 3 stars and if you can power through the first 2/3 of the book it rewards you by coming together! So many characters, multiple timelines within timelines...it's not easy to follow! The ancient text that weaves it all together makes it worth it in the end.

I’ve always been a reader. When the pandemic began, I became a reader in overdrive. I was just racing through books, feeling all the emotions while reading them, but then quickly moving on to the next. A year and a half later, I realized I was missing CONNECTIONS about books; this is why I started (with the encouragement of my family) a “Bookstagram” account. I am connecting with readers from all over, making connections I never would have otherwise made, were it not for books. That word - connections - was going through my mind as I read this five-star novel.

Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Pulitzer Prize winning author Anthony Doerr, centers around an ancient text that not only connects the novel through three different timelines, but also connects characters within those timelines who might never have made a connection. Some characters didn’t connect at the best or “right” time, some would have been better off not having made a connection, but these were all important to the individual and larger stories.

As I began reading the novel, I knew that the separate stories from different timelines would somehow connect, but for quite some time, I could not see how. There’s Anna and Omeir in and around Constantinople in the 1400s; Zeno and Seymore in the late 20th century to present day; and Konstance, aboard the spaceship Argos in the not-too-distant future. These characters, through time, are connected by the ancient story of a shepherd named Aethon, who is in search of Cloud Cuckoo Land, a heaven-like place only for birds.

At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by the changing timelines and different characters. (This is likely due largely to the fact that teaching this year is really challenging, and it’s been difficult for me to read for good stretches of time.) But each story drew me in, and I really felt connected and invested in the characters. My heart broke and soared with theirs. I’m amazed by Doerr’s writing -- the style, the word choice, the detail, the depth - all of it. I’m not typically a “highlighter” when I read ebooks, but I found myself highlighting so many parts of this novel just to reflect upon. Many of the phrases I highlighted centered on wanting more, the hunger for more. One of my favorites is very simple, but also quite profound, when you have the chance read who wrote this: “The world as it is is enough.”

Thank you Netgalley and Scribner for the eARC.

TL;DR: An utterly magical, atmospheric read that deftly captures the wonder and imagination of childhood. My rating: 4 of 5 stars.

I requested an advance reader copy of this book in large part due to the hype around Doerr’s last novel (All the Light We Cannot See), which I didn’t read.

The story is told from multiple POV occupying different time periods and geographies, but connected by one story, which against all odds evaded becoming lost to the vagaries of time and wars and water damage.

In reality, Cloud Cuckoo Land isn't one story, but several stories:

A young illiterate servant girl living in Constantinople before its fall coerces an old teacher into teaching her to read. She goes on to discover an ancient manuscript, which she protects until the day she dies.

A queer immigrant orphan discovers a sense of belonging at the local small town library before enlisting in the army and bonding with a fellow POW over a shared love of the ancients--a love that drives him to translate a long lost story and pass it along to a new generation of dreamers.

An isolated, disillusioned young boy grappling with disability, poverty, and loneliness has his sense of injustice co-opted by militant environmentalists.

A girl is quarantined and alone on a spaceship, with little to occupy her besides an intransigent AI, a VR atlas, and memories of a story her father once told her.

I know, this sounds disconnected and messy. But by sheer miracle (i.e. ridiculous literary skill), it isn't. I found myself equally absorbed by every POV/timeline. Transitions between them were welcome interchanges rather than jarring disruptions.

Ultimately, each timeline demonstrates how some words, stories, and ideas that we stumble upon in our youth can seize us, cling to our minds and imaginations, and transform the trajectories of our lives.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for giving me advance access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

In this story within a story, a total of 5 different points of view spanning several centuries meld together to create <u>Cloud Cuckoo Land</u>.

While Anna's and Omeir's storylines were very slow moving at times, I still appreciated their importance in the overall telling of the story. Zeno's, Seymour's, and Konstance's stories were all so beautifully crafted that I felt as if I were inserted directly into their lives. I loved the underlying message of making the best of what we've got and, more specifically, of protecting our Earth rather than focusing on space travel and finding some replacement planet to inhabit.

Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See is one of my favorite books of all time. His newest work, Cloud Cuckoo Land, is a complete departure in topic but contains equally gorgeous storytelling.

Cloud Cuckoo Land is told through several different characters set in completely different time periods and environments. Each mini-story is gorgeous, engaging, and draws the reader in. There is a theme that ties the stories together but I found myself a bit more annoyed by it as I experienced it like a disruption when switching between stories. Perhaps it is just me existing in a lazy reading space these days, but I almost would have preferred this book if it were set up as novellas centered on the same theme. For now, we can safely call this a, “me problem.”

In all, Doerr’s Cloud Cuckoo Land is alive with beautiful writing about fascinating characters and I am so glad I read it. I can’t wait for more from this very talented author.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this book. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

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Don't pick up this book if you are expecting a story like All the Light We Cannot See, While Doerr's beautiful writing style that won him the Pulitzer is ever-present in this beautiful new novel, the stories are nothing alike. I only say this because I have heard a handful of people talk about how much they loved All the Light We Cannot See when talking about reading Cloud Cuckoo. If you are looking for a story of grandeur and the connection of human lives through the power of stories. I loved the masterful way that Doerr once again weaved his story and brought such amazing characters to life.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr is a vast story. In it’s over six hundred pages the plot moves frequently between three different settings: Constantinople during 1453, Idaho during the 1940’s & 2064 and aboard the Argos a ship in it’s sixth decade of it’s journey to a new planet. There are five different narrators. This book jumps all over the place. If its not in time and location it is topic. The shifts are so frequent that it became impossible to become vested in any of the characters. I wanted to like this book because I liked “All The Light We Cannot See” but this book was overly drawn out, moved very slow and virtually made it impossible to come away with anything substantial. As in his prior novel, I felt I owed it to the author to finish after the obvious amount of time he invested to tell this story. Unfortunately this just did not engage me. While Mr. Doerr has a gift for beautiful writing it just wasn’t enough for me to recommend this book.
I would like to thank the author, Scribner and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled with this one.

It was too dense for me and I really struggled with the writing and characters.

This was a challenging but lovely book. I found myself at 20% in wondering when things would start to weave together, but they did! It’s been interesting speaking with others who have read the book- everyone seems to have been drawn to a specific thread or timeline- I definitely found myself looking forward to sections featuring Konstance, but I always love seeing how authors create solutions for a future world.

I love how throughout the book, there is a childlike sense of awe at the scale of the world. In the past portions- there are warring civilizations and humongous weapons to consider. In the present portions- there are entire PAST civilizations (and their relics- found and unknown) to consider. In the future portions, there are entire galaxies to consider! There are very large chunks of time and space wrapped up in this book- quite an undertaking, but Doerr seems to pull it off!

A few of my favorite lines:

“The days lengthen and the library roof drips and the big ponderosas standing over the cabin unload snow with great whumps that sound to the boy like Hermes plunging in his golden sandals down from Olympus on another errand from the gods.”

“...the truth is infinitely more complicated, that we are all beautiful even as we are all part of the problem, and that to be a part of the problem is to be human.”

“Aethon saw that the cities on both sides of the page, the dark ones and the bright ones, were one and the same, and he was afraid.”

I wouldn’t say this is a perfect novel. I really can’t help but feel as though it was a bit bloated with self-importance, but the characters in this book are just so interesting and dynamic- it’s a hard book to resist once you really get into it. I also got a little bit of a sense that there was some othering of the Ottomans. Yes, we are sympathetic to Omeir and his story, but something about these sections didn’t sit quite right with me.

Also, there is this quote, from a character reflecting on his past, including as part of a war:

“Forgetting, he is learning, is how the world heals itself.”

…...which I could just not disagree with more.

TL/DR- not perfect, but a very good read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!

Cloud Cuckoo Land is a very engaging, imaginative story of five children, Anna, Omeir, Seymour, Zeno and Konstance, some troubled, others inquisitive, but all hoping for a better tomorrow. Anna and Omeir are from 15th century Greece, Seymour and Zeno from 21st century Idaho, and Konstance from sometime in the future, who was born aboard an interstellar space ship. Their stories are tied together by an ancient Greek manuscript, parts of which have survived over 500 years, and tells the story of Aethon who wishes to be transformed into a bird to fly into the clouds and find paradise. Doerr takes you on a wild ride and hopeful for the human race.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

I tried so hard to like this book but every time I got into one of the story lines it would switch to someone else. I felt like the stories were confusing at best and never really came together in a way I wanted..