Adam Begley gives Cloud Atlas a thorough review a the NY Observer. Thanks to CAAF for the link.
I love this book. I can’t wait to reread it as soon as I get my copy back. It is one of the best books that I have read in a long time. People will say it is difficult or that David Mitchell uses too much verbal trickery. Some will claim that Mitchell too badly wants to tell an interesting story in a different and interesting way and he relies too heavily on hijinks and textual play (for an interesting discussion on this see here). I say this is nonsense. Mitchell has written 6 short stories that connect. If you have the ability to start reading a short story, put it down ,and go back to it sometime later, then Cloud Atlas shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. Yes, he creates two different dialects, but they are not hard to follow. Perhaps this book is not for everyone. But don’t let people saying it is a ‘difficult’ book discourage you. It is rich in many genres of literature and also has several good plots and characters. So everyone run out and read it.