About a Book

by Theresa Gauthier 

A Review of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

     I was in a hurry to read this, but kept putting it off. Why? Not really sure, but part of it was a fear of disappointment. Sometimes the more good reviews you read on a thing—book, movie, TV series—the less you like it when you finally get around to experiencing it for yourself. Something to do with expectations being elevated beyond the point where they can be met.

All my fears evaporated as soon as I started reading. 

Ambitious is the word that comes to mind when I think about what I've read. A complex story that's in actuality many stories woven together, a story pointing out that there's no good reason to resort to violence or war, and a story on relationships, dreams forgotten, dreams come true, making amends, reconnecting with the past and pushing ahead to make a future you'd never have imagine—this is all of those and more.

Author Anthony Doerr has brought to life an impressive number of characters, all different, all integrated into their portion of the story—and yet all somehow feeding the whole and emphasizing the interconnectedness of all life. (I know it sounds lofty, but really, what an amazing book!)

Taking place partially in the present day world, partially in the far past, and partially in the not-that-distant future, this is a story of possibilities. Creating something wondrous out of the ashes of what came before. 

What’s it really about? At its core, it’s about books.

In the way that only a true bibliophile can appreciate, Cloud Cuckoo Land explores the life of books and what those who love them will go through to bring keep them safe, to pass them along, to use them—sometimes as inspiration for other creative projects, and sometimes as something sacred and almost magical. 

Constantinople in the 1400s, a futuristic space voyage, present day Idaho—with all of these seemingly disparate locations how do we get such a coherent, beautiful story? Because the author is a master.

Chapters are divided up among several times and the names of the characters head their chapters. You know when you see a Seymour chapter just what you’ll be reading about, but Seymour’s story is unpredictable. You can’t really guess what will happen, though you have your hopes about how his story will turn out. Then you learn how it connects to Anna’s story, to Zeno’s story, to Omeir’s story, and to Konstance’s story. They’re all the same story—but they’re all their own story, too. They’re all one long interconnected, tapestry of tales that shed light not only on the life of books but also on the truths we embrace.

It’s impossible to read this and not recognize Doerr’s brilliance. This is a writer who knows his craft. His every sentence, every word, is perfectly placed in a way my mind connects only to my favorite authors. Reading it I felt part of the tale—albeit as an observer—but since the other characters are entrenched in books of their own, it fit.

I hoped for the best for the characters, and while their tales (including the ends of each thread) made sense within the context of the story, I can’t say I guessed any of them. I also didn’t feel let down in any way. It felt like a true, natural ending and I loved it even though I couldn’t predict it. 

An unpredictable ending is a good thing, but the reason’s for the unpredictability were more important to me. I’ve been struggling to read lately, and it was with John Scalzi’s The Kaiju  Preservation Society that I first felt my obsession with books returning. With Cloud Cuckoo Land, I was so comfortable with these characters, so enmeshed in their lives and their stories, I didn’t really anticipate any ending at all. I mean, I knew it would end, but I was happy enough riding through the ups and downs and surprises and relationships and characters that I let myself enjoy it. I let myself take the ride and soak in the details. 

This was the perfect book to read to solidify my recovery from ‘can’t read’ to ‘I’m back, baby!’ 

All I can say is thank you Anthony Doerr and John Scalzi. I’m so happy to be back.