“'Time is what stops history happening at once; time is the speed at which the past disappears. Film gives those lost worlds a brief resurrection. Those since-fallen buildings, those long-decayed faces, they engrossed me. We were as you are, they said. The present doesn’t matter. ”

Cloud Atlas tells a story from six different perspectives from different time periods. We follow this diverse group of characters for a while struggling with human nature of that specific time period. But their life’s seem to have something that connects them.

How do you begin a review for a book that is so multilayered that it’s impossible to almost summarize what’s it all about. One thing is certain, it’s no surprise that the book is regarded as a masterpiece. This book feels like it’s alive and grows. It starts of with historical fiction and mutates from metafiction to contemporary fiction to science fiction. During these mutations the languages also differs. As it first of starts with old fashioned language and further-long it develops to futuristic language that’s very different from our own but still resembles English. Besides these mutations the book takes you on a journey through time. From early 1800s to the far future. And all the while these characters seem to have something in common. The book has some characteristics of an butterfly effect (the theory that the wings of an butterfly can cause an hurricane at some point).
But only after a few narratives, puzzle pieces slowly fall into place. If you are looking for a relaxing read, you might want to reconsider reading this. But if you are in search of an multilayered book that keeps you occupied to get to the bottom of this mystery, this book is for you.