Cloud Cuckoo Land tells the story of an ancient manuscript and its story told through 3 very different periods in time; the distant past, present and the distant future. The ancient story is threaded through each time period with each characters arc telling/deciphering a piece of the original manuscript connecting all the stories together. It is a fantastical journey that has a lasting impact portraying the power of words, of stories, and searching for your answers in the world.; whatever time period you are from.

It has taken me days after finishing this book to even begin to write about it. Words like breathtaking, stunning, and tremendous barely begin to describe what Anthony Doerr has accomplished with this book. The prose is elegant, lucid, and rich with specificity which make the characters and places leap from the page. The characters are drawn with such exquisite compassion that even the initially unlikeable win a place in your heart by the end. The craft with which the novel’s disparate stories and timelines eventually find their way to one another is impressive. The book is a masterclass in empathy, in finding the connections that tie us all to one another. This is a book to return to over and over again.

Wow. This was STUNNING. The pacing and structure of this made it so hard to put down. Very early on I knew my heart was about to be ripped from my chest, but I couldn't fathom how much so. I was a little overwhelmed at first with all of the different timelines (Anna and Omeir's being hardest for me to follow), I quickly found myself needing to get back to each character to check in on them.
It got to a point I'd tell myself I'd finish a chapter and go to bed, only to turn the page and see the name of exactly who I wanted to next and curse myself.
Stunning, stunning, stunning. I will be purchasing a physical copy when it comes out and fully anticipate it being well loved and worn from many rereads.

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and Doerr for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Here is one of those times when I feel so fortunate to get my hands on an early read of what promises to be THE book of the fall. Anthony Doerr has such a well honed reputation, and already has one beloved masterpiece under his belt, but he'll have to make room on his shelves for more awards because he's not done yet. Cloud Cuckoo Land is a title I would not usually gravitate towards, nor is the subject matter -- three disparate eras, all connected by an ancient Greek text with an imperfect provenance and folios out of order and incomplete. And yet, the life of a fifteenth century Bosnian farmer's and a young orphan girl's slavish experience in a Constantinople embroidery factory kept me enraptured with each page. Then there is an event in a library in Idaho in 2020. Finally, a young girl and her family in a spaceship headed to a planet simulating earth that won't be reached for generations into the future. Each of these segments, told contemporaneously, seems to carry no connectivity, and yet in conclusion they mesh perfectly. This is not just a work of art but also a wakeup call. And worth every minute you spend reading it. Kudos.

Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Cloud Cuckoo Land is defined as a perfect utopia. It’s also a fictional story around which this book is based. This book navigates between past, present and future, focusing on how the readers are impacted by Cloud Cuckoo Land throughout time. There are some really dear characters that will stay with me and I didn’t mind the switch in time periods however it did feel long at times (656 pages). I’ll continue to read more by this author in the future.

The heart of the story begins with an ancient text called “Cloud Cuckoo Land.” It is a Greek story about Aethon who wants to be a bird and see the world, but the gods change him into other animals along his journey to help him find out what we all know…”What you already have is better than what you so desperately seek.”

The plot flips from present day, the 1400s, and decades into the future. It is not told linearly. Their stories are entirely different, but the ancient story is the common thread between the characters.

This book will have you flipping the pages to find out what happened, and make you thankful for those who have gone through extreme measures to keep history alive.

Many thanks to Anthony Doerr, Scribner, and Net Galley for providing me with an advance copy of this astonishing, beautiful novel. I don’t think I have adequate words to express how moved I was by this story — the lush, wonderful language, the intricately woven plot, the expertly rendered characters! This is sure to be one of the best novels of the year, and I am so grateful to have read an early copy. Everyone needs to put this on their to -read list. What an extraordinary book!

A beautiful, inventive story about 5 seemingly random people across 3 vastly different time periods who are all connected by a long-lost and long-forgotten Greek tale. It took quite some time for me to get into the story, and there were certainly some characters I enjoyed reading about more than others, but I ultimately found this to be a masterful, unique story that I highly recommend.

This book is another triumph and gift from Mr. Doerr. And totally different from his Pulitzer Win. I loved every page of this provocative and emersive book. Bravo, And what a way to weave what ends up to be the coolest environmental novel....while mixing in Greek. Owls and everything in-between.

This is a great big epic monster of a book, but in the end it's telling a very simple, small story. It spans centuries but really focuses on a few hours in a library. I wish I had read this as a physical book, because I felt like turning the last page and closing the book needed more of a gesture.

This book probably won't be for everyone, but what book is? Those who are grabbed early will remain held, reading longer than they planned, and they'll be swept up in the stories. This book is unlike any I've ever read, and I'm sure I'll read it again when it's officially released.

I was torn between staying up all night to finish and making the book last. I would have been happy to read another 600 pages about these characters.
Every part of the three skeins in Cloud Cuckoo Land was different and gripping and totally believable. As different as Ottoman Europe, the Korean War and outer space are, each was vivid.
I cannot wait to read Doerr next book. As much as I loved the last, this was even better. There’s no telling how wonderful the next will be.
So many writers have one great idea and never match it that it’s a real pleasure to find someone going on to even better books.

While I love Anthony Doerr, Cloud Cuckoo Land is just bizarre. I wonder if this book was published just because he wrote it. He’s definitely experimenting with a different type of writing and it’s not for me.