Cloud Cuckoo Land

By: Anthony Doerr

Narrated by: Marin Ireland, Simon Jones

Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST

When everything is lost, it’s our stories that survive

How do we weather the end of things? Cloud Cuckoo Land brings together an unforgettable cast of dreamers and outsiders from past, present and future to offer a vision of survival against all odds.

Constantinople, 1453: an orphaned seamstress and a cursed boy with a love for animals risk everything on opposite sides of a city wall to protect the people they love.

Idaho, 2020: an impoverished, idealistic kid seeks revenge on a world that’s crumbling around him. Can he go through with it when a gentle old man stands between him and his plans?

Unknown, sometime in the future: with her tiny community in peril, Konstance is the last hope for the human race. To find a way forward, she must look to the oldest stories of all for guidance.

Bound together by a single ancient text, these tales interweave to form a tapestry of solace and resilience and a celebration of storytelling itself. Like its predecessor All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr’s new novel is a tale of hope and of profound human connection.

©2021 Anthony Doerr (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"A bittersweet and moving novel that lingers in the mind." (Daily Mail)

"An epic work about bravery and the power of attachment." (Rose Tremain, Observer)

"Doerr can bring a scene to life in a single paragraph.... Delicate and moving...the novel takes hold and will not easily let go." (The Times)

Wow! Brilliant!

The best book I've listened to in a long time and I am certain I will revisit Cloud Cuckoo Land in the future. It has everything - myth, history, philosophy, sci-fi, sexuality, ecology and it's also an exciting story with lots of drama as well as unexpected twists and turns. I was captivated and intrigued from the very first chapter. The breadth and depth of this novel is astounding and yet the various characters are instantly relatable and the reader cares about them and about what happens to them. The threads linking the different narratives across continents and centuries is ingenious! The narration does justice to the beautiful writing. Although I didn't want it to end, the conclusion was very satisfying. I strongly recommend a trip to Cloud Cuckoo Land!

A memorable tale

A tale so ludicrous, so incredible - absolutely brilliant! Beautifully narrated by Marin Ireland and Simon Jones.

Stunning.... feel like starting it again right away

Anthony Doerr is a maestro. His word weaving is masterful and the story is captivating. The narration is clear and draws one into the place and time ... highly recommended

Absolutely sublime

Took a while to get into it but once hooked, I couldn't put it down. Multi-layered.

What a wonderful book!

Brilliantly original. Epic in its scope yet the characters remain real, tender and memorable. Highly recommended.

Mesmerising

Beautifully crafted story line and character portrayal and the weaving through each story of Diogenes’ tale

An important, deeply thoughtful & satisfying book

This book is one of those novels that stitches together a number of stories but it is so much more. From the broad expanse of human history, down to the microscope of a fascinating social history, the book is part science fiction, part historic fiction, part fantasy. If is about how humans both build and destroy. The most intrinsic of truths that life is a paradox.
The book is both a great pleasure and something that warrants thought and discussion.
Hello Simon Jones! You have grown so as a talent since the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Marin does a superb job as well.
However, it is not a book you can listen to with one ear. It is a work that requires and deserves your full attention.
Oh and the ending does not disappoint.

better than reading it myself

The audio book is better than reading it myself as I cannot read or speak ancient Greek.

Brilliant!

Enjoyable, the voices added to the story. Engaging, smart, rare in its combinations of ancient past through to futuristic. I am going to start it all over again right away!

I loved it

What a lovely adventure to listen to. I knew nothing about it but a friend mentioned it on Facebook so I decided to listen to it.

I’m sure I will listen to it again someday.