I had such high hopes for this book and now even after finishing Cloud Cuckoo Land I still have high hopes for it. This novel is one that doesnt come around very often but when it does it leaves you with a sense of questions and deep thoughts. A book for lack of a better term truly changes lives. Thus is the case here. The soul of this book has not left me and will not for a very long time.

As this title has been reviewed by all major journals and thousands of readers, I will simply add that it is a complex and lovingly crafted work of metafiction for fans of Cloud Atlas and the more recently released How High We Go in the Dark. The epic narrative travels from ancient Greece to the future boundaries of the galaxy and interweaves a thread of wonder, adventure, and optimism that connects a fascinating cast of characters and a mysterious and fantastical ancient tome.

3.5 stars I found this all a bit confusing…probably because I was listening to the audio while working/driving, rather than reading it (with my full attention). Despite my distracted mind, I got the gist and this was a well-woven, emotional tale.

CLOUD CUCKOO LAND is a stunning novel about leaving home and finding home. It centers on the supposed lost text of one Antonius Diogenes that follows the adventures of the fool Aethon, who longs to be something other than a fool and is transformed into many different beings. In real time, the text, translated by 86-year-old Zeno Ninis, a library volunteer in Lakeport, Idaho who is working with several fifth graders to create a play based on the tale. Every character in the book is somehow connected to Diogenes's text, from as early as the 15th century siege of Constantinople to a young 21st century girl and her family hurtling through space to find a new and livable world. For all its seeming disjointedness, Doerr has melded these characters into Everyman attempting to deal with the real world problems all humans face: including the destruction of the planet, government unreliability, economic privation, war, plague, and domestic terrorism, to name just a few. Each character is engaging and sympathetiic, and shines for their innocence and purity of purpose. Each time period takes on its own reality. Doerr dedicates his book to librarians everywhere. For, indeed, an imbedded theme in CLOUD CUCKOO LAND is the important role of libraries and librarians, and how storytelling and stories survive over millennia. Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner fora review copy of the book.

at first I thought this was a lot of words going nowhere; however, the more I read the more I liked. Three stories, past, present and future get a little overwhelming to keep straight but it all comes together in the end.

AMAZING!! After reading All The Light We Cannot See I knew I’d have to read everything from this author. Anthony Doerr introduced me to historical fiction and opened a whole new world of must read books for me. 100% recommend! You must read this book!

Cloud Cuckoo Land is a marvel of a book. Set in multiple timelines, the novel focuses on the interconnectedness of storytelling--how a single myth can bring us all together and create a sense of immortality. One storyline is set in Constantinople in the Middle Ages; another is set in modern times; and the third thread takes place several generations in the future. What brings all the characters together is an ancient Greek manuscript that influences their lives.

The most interesting storyline in the book, for me, was the storyline set in 2020. Seymour is a sound-sensitive young boy when he befriends an owl in the woods. When society infringes upon his world, Seymour retaliates by teaming up with a terrorist organization that leads him down a dark path. Seeing the world through Seymour's eyes is disturbing but fascinating, and Doerr's gift with language really stands out here. In fact, the author's narrative prowess is the real star of the book. There are certain passages that made me pause because of their sheer beauty.

Don't be intimidated by the size of the book. There's a lot of blank space on the pages, so it reads very quickly. And you'll be very glad to have spent time with this unorthodox novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my opinions.

I love a story that ties seemingly unrelated characters and plots together, and that is just what Doerr does in this fantastic read. History, imagination, disabilities, health disparities—this work covers so much ground in such a unique way. I loved it from start to finish.

4.5 stars - rounded up. This was my second Anthony Doerr novel. With five different narrators I definitely gravitate toward specific people. My favorites were Konstance, Seymour and Zeno. I didn’t like Anna or Omeir’s stories until the end. I found theirs the hardest to follow. I recommend reading it just for enjoyment and not to figure things out right away or you’ll likely get frustrated. Overall this book is unlike anything I’ve ever read and I really enjoyed it. Especially the last 100 pages. Doerr is a brilliant storyteller.

I had such high hopes from this partially from the press that the book received and partially because I loved Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See. This book just fell somewhat flat for me. While I was able to follow the story, it was annoying how much it skipped around from different people and different times. Wasn't terrible, wasn't great.

What an interesting book. I think I spent most of the first half confused and the second half not wanting to put it down. It’s about 6 stories built into one- so getting to know each character is a little hard in the beginning but I’m glad I stuck with it.

One storyline in particular kept me going. I was really thankful it gave a good wrap up to it in the end. I would gladly read anything by Anthony Doerr! Love his writing.

Such an interesting book. Three stories in one that could have been easily stand alone but meshed so well with one another. Long but the short chapters had me zipping through. Highly recommend!

Doerr is a master at weaving disparate stories together, and Cloud Cuckoo Land is no exception. I felt the story got bogged down a bit in the middle—perhaps a little further editing was in order—but the spectacular ending is worth every extraneous word. Highly recommend.

I waited eagerly for this book. I so wanted to love it. But, I didn't. It was nothing like Anthony Doerr's previously highly praised book. It felt disjointed, and hard to follow. Despite many positive reviews from other readers, I
cannot recommend this book. Too many other great ones out there.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr is a beautifully-written, creative book that takes place over different time periods. This book, told in different sections about a world where the power of stories, words, and books bring hope, will stay with you long after you finish it. Master storyteller Anthony Doerr has written a treasure of a book! I simply love this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So many great things: lives woven together across centuries, told from each different point in time and point of view; Ancient Greek history; storytelling; magic.

It all revolves around everyone’s connection to the old tale, Cloud Cuckoo Land where a man embarks on an adventure that turns him into a donkey, a fish, a crow.

One of my favorites! Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Anthony, with the talent again! If you're willing to invest a good chunk of time reading because this book is definitely longer than most - this felt like more than just reading another book, and so for me the length paid off. So many different elements coming together, with such a huge story scope encompassing each perspective shift that reminds me of a like a mix between Ken Follet and Blake Crouch. This book started out as an underdog read for me, because while All The Light We Cannot See was a near spiritual reading experience, anything related to Greek mythology is just not my favorite. I somehow managed to skip out on that whole genre through high school and college. Things that didn’t work for me in this book - there were some plot gaps, especially in the space related storyline, that were definitely unsatisfying.

All the Light We Cannot See is one of my top five reads of all time and so I was ecstatic when I was approved for an ARC of Doerr’s newest book on Netgalley.

Unfortunately, this one did not live up to the All the Light We Cannot See wonderfulness. There are so many different story lines and it could get very confusing. This book, however, has too many plot lines, timelines, characters, and sudden stops for me to fully commit to 700 pages. I wish I loved it; I wish I could follow it. I wish for a lot that this book just didn't deliver.

I'm not sure how to best describe this story except to read it if you like books about books. It's really about a story that touches many lives across time.

It emphasizes how impactful works can be and how it touches readers in different ways while also bringing them together.

DNF. Unfortunately, this was a book I started multiple times but could just not get into. I appreciate having the opportunity to read this book, it was just not a good fit for me as a reader. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted review copy.