Cloud Atlas Summary

"Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell is a complex, time-spanning novel consisting of six interconnected stories that range from the 19th century to a distant post-apocalyptic future. Each story is nested within the next, creating a Russian doll structure that connects characters, themes, and timelines.

The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing

Set in the mid-19th century, it follows the journey of Adam Ewing, an American notary traveling from the Chatham Isles to his home in California. Along the way, he encounters Dr. Henry Goose, who may or may not be trying to poison him for profit.

Letters from Zedelghem

A series of letters written by Robert Frobisher, a young bisexual British composer, to his lover Rufus Sixsmith in the early 20th century. Frobisher's story is set in Belgium, where he becomes an amanuensis to a fading composer, Vyvyan Ayrs, and works on his own masterpiece, the "Cloud Atlas Sextet."

Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery

A thriller set in the 1970s following Luisa Rey, a journalist in Buenas Yerbas, California, who stumbles upon a corporate conspiracy surrounding a nuclear power plant. The story connects back to Frobisher through the letters she finds from Sixsmith, now a nuclear physicist.

The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish

A comedic tale about Timothy Cavendish, a 21st-century British publisher, who finds himself trapped in a nursing home. His story reflects on freedom and imprisonment.

An Orison of Sonmi~451

A dystopian narrative set in a future Korea, where a genetically engineered server, Sonmi~451, gains consciousness and begins to question the society that created and enslaved her. Her story is a critique of consumerism and corporate power.

Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After

The final story, set in a post-apocalyptic future, follows Zachry, a tribesman living on the Big Island of Hawaii, who witnesses the fall of civilization and the struggle to maintain humanity in the face of barbarism.

Themes and Structure

Mitchell weaves these stories together through themes of reincarnation, the will to power, predation, and the eternal struggle for freedom and truth. Each story is interrupted at a pivotal moment, only to be continued in the second half of the book, creating a mirror structure that reflects the interconnectedness of humanity through time.

"Cloud Atlas" is a testament to Mitchell's storytelling prowess and his ability to explore the depths of human nature across diverse genres and epochs.