Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell

This is an ambitious novel, in terms of structure, in terms of style, and in terms of scope. And for the most part, it really works.

Cloud Atlas is a series of six interlocking stories, each set in a different time and place, and style. We open in the 19th century Chatham Islands, with a diary written by a (rather naive) american notary on a journey from Australia back home to San Francisco, and completely out of his depth.

The second section focuses on Robert Frobisher: egotistical, unstable, manipulative - but nevertheless charming as all hell. In 1931, he finds himself broke and desperate to escape creditors; and hatches a mad plan to apprentice himself to a syphillis-ridden composer in Belgium. We learn his story through letters written to a friend, wry, entertaining, and droll, and not in the least lacking in self-knowledge.

Next we move forward fifty years or so, to where Luisa Rey - daughter of a famous journalist - finds herself trapped in an elevator with an eminent physicist; and as a consequence, receives just enough information about a highly dangerous coverup at a nearby nuclear facility that she can't keep herself from digging deeper, and by doing so, endangering her own life.

The fourth section is the tale of a self-absorbed man who manages to - accidentally - sign himself into a hellish retirement home from which he can't seem to escape again...

Now we hit the future: the next section is an interview with a 'fabricant' - a genetically engineered clone, bred for slavery and engineered to be content with it.

The final story-arc is set in a post-apolcalyptic Hawaii; the style here is a little difficult to read, but once you're in the swing of it, the story beneath is just as engrossing as the remainder. This is the only story told in one complete part; all the rest progress - in the order mentioned - and then, after this arc is complete, regress; you get the second half of tale five, followed by the second half of tale four, three, two, one; and you're back where you started, threads picked up and neatly folded.

It's an interesting structure; essentially you have six separate stories, here, split across a book and interweaving. They're distinct, but not unrelated; references, themes, and characters leap from one to the other like salmon. Much of this book is pretty dark - a common theme seems to be free choice that turns out to be not so free, after all - innocence is doomed to learn wisdom - selfishness reigns in much of the worlds as described - there's betrayal and fear and lost worlds.

Yet there's also unexpected allies, and loyalty, and courage. There's an underlying lightness of spirit that shines, and a complex weaving of melody threading through the whole book.

And it might just be me, and how it resonates in my skull; but the final sentence - that's one of the most powerful expressions of hope I've come across.

I'd recommend this book. If you have difficulty working out what's going up after the first section ends so abruptly and you're catapulted straight into a seemingly unrelated story - stick with it. It really does tie in. And Cloud Atlas is definitely worth it.

And if anyone else has any more of David Mitchell's they wouldn't mind putting up for mooching - let me know. I'll take it :-)