Cloud AtlasCloud Atlas
Score Modern
What it's about
Six stories, nested inside one another like Russian dolls: a 19th-century notary crossing the Pacific, a young composer in 1930s Belgium, a journalist uncovering a nuclear plot in 1970s California, a publisher trapped in a nursing home today, a cloned server in a future Korea, and a goatherd in a far future Hawaii. Each story breaks off in the middle, and the second halves come back in reverse order.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Booker finalist and a Nebula finalist, and the New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's a dazzling puzzle, each part written in a different style, about power and the ways people prey on and save each other.
You'll love it if you liked
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
Lincoln in the Bardo
Station ElevenGood to know
The 19th-century opening is slow and the far-future section is written in an invented dialect; both reward patience. The 2012 film stars Tom Hanks.
By the numbers
- Readers44 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics79 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller69 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #61 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #68 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #273 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #538 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Thought-provoking, Moving
More by David Mitchell
If you like this, read next
Anathem
Exhalation
The Dispossessed
The Midnight Library
On the Calculation of Volume
Cloud Cuckoo LandExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Cloud Atlas worth reading?
Yes. It was a Booker finalist and a Nebula finalist, and the New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #538 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Cloud Atlas about?
Six stories, nested inside one another like Russian dolls: a 19th-century notary crossing the Pacific, a young composer in 1930s Belgium, a journalist uncovering a nuclear plot in 1970s California, a publisher trapped in a nursing home today, a cloned server in a future Korea, and a goatherd in a far future Hawaii. Each story breaks off in the middle, and the second halves come back in reverse order.
How long does it take to read Cloud Atlas?
About 13 hours (509 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Cloud Atlas?
If you liked it, try The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell, Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders or Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.