Seven Centuries, Six Stories, Seamlessly Woven Together

Title: Cloud Cuckoo Land

Author: Anthony Doerr

For scene-setting, let's begin with a brief synopsis from the publisher: 

 

"In the 15th century, an orphan named Anna lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople. She learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds what might be the last copy of a centuries-old book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the army that will lay siege to the city. His path and Anna’s will cross.

 

In the present day, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno rehearses children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege.

And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father."

 

Insights and Opinions

Following our preferred book-club-gathering format, we began with a random assortment of chatter we refer to as "catching up." This day's catching-up topics included Linda's recovery from a dramatic and painful encounter with a scooter demon in New York City, travels planned and completed, home repair challenges, current ski conditions, and Lois' first taste of kombucha.

We missed Margy and Blanche, who were off where it's warm and sunny, as well as Chris who was "wheels up" somewhere on her way to keeping the wheels of commerce turning.

+ Most of us confessed to having difficulty getting into the book and sustaining the read. Reasons were varied and not necessarily the fault of the author.  For some, it was the distraction of the holidays. For others, the frequent switching between multiple characters interrupted forward motion. Because there are so many characters -- and each requires careful attention -- the book demands extended periods of concentration to keep the reader engaged.

+ Steve listened to an audio version on a 10-hour drive. Linda started on audio due to two broken wrists, and then switched when she was able, at which point she was able to enjoy it more. Liz found it a hard slog because the lives of each of the characters seemed to her to be relentlessly grim, making it hard to enjoy.

+ What connects these characters are stories, libraries and a manuscript written by Antonius Diogenes, the Greek author. Although Diogenes is real, Doerr has invented this manuscript, which touches and is touched by all of the main characters. Somehow, Doerr is able to link characters who are alive in 1453, 1940, 2020 and 2046. In his NPR review, Jason Sheehan says "The book is a puzzle. The greatest joy in it comes from watching the pieces snap into place."

+ The importance of the written word, the book, and librarians are the blood and marrow of this book. The lives of each character are shaped by them. And they unite at the end in a satisfying way. Again, from Sheehan's review: "It is a tragedy and comedy and myth and fable and a warning and a comfort all at the same time. It says, Life is hard. Everyone believes the world is ending all the time. But so far, all of them have been wrong."

+ While we all agreed that the weaving of the fictional Diogenes work through and between the stories of the characters was masterful, none of us were quite able to grasp the meaning of the fable itself. Linda proposed that perhaps it means we can find happiness at home and don't need to go so far to find it -- that utopia isn't necessary. Steve admitted that the tale is the part he had the most trouble with and liked the least. Given the fact that it's the wisdom of antiquity that's supposed to bind everything together, shouldn't we be able to grasp what that wisdom is?

+ All five main characters function both as people who strive and suffer and as archetypes. A consistent theme is the importance of librarians, who seem to swoop in like saviors at key moments to propel characters along a better trajectory, or at least a trajectory that's convenient to moving the story along.

+ Liz, who is consistently the crabbiest reader, felt that Doerr's self-described "paeon to books" elevates the book while sacrificing the people. But line after line, the writing is beautiful.

What We Are Reading Next

Please note the changes to our schedule. Those who have been beefing about War and Peace will be pleased. 

February: The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

March: Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

 

April: In acknowledgement of the length, we are moving War and Peace to April and will be reading only Books 1 and 2.