MASSIVELY unpopular opinion that I’ll probably be downvoted for, but I’m 100 pages into Cloud Cuckoo Land and finding it quite boring.
The writing is beautiful, but it’s not a page turner at all for me. I’m surprised because All the Light we Cannot See is one of my all time favourite books and I couldn’t put it down.
Is it still too early in the book for me to judge it? Does it get better?
Posting here because r/Books wouldn’t allow it.
by Dubzil18
12 Comments
Just posting to say you’re not alone! I have left this on my TBR because of all the wonderful things I’ve heard about it so I’m acknowledging that maybe I just didn’t pick it up at the right time but I also felt like I gave it the old college try and just couldn’t get into it.
I found it slow at times and did end up enjoying the book overall! As long as there’s one storyline you’re really engaged with, I think it’s worth it! If you find them all boring, maybe move on.
I thought All the Light You Cannot See what very meh, but I enjoyed Cloud Cuckoo Land but would say it’s maybe just 6.5-7 stars for me. I’d say 100 pages in, you have a pretty good idea of what it’s doing and where it’s going and you can decide for yourself about dropping it and moving on. No harm in reading something you enjoy.
I ended up loving that book. Some pov and characters carried more weight than others though.
Yes! I listened to the audiobook and at some point (I feel like it was after the 1st 100 pages) it completely gripped me and I couldn’t turn it off.
Nope. It’s a pretty mediocre book. I think it gets a lot of hype from people who don’t read much so they don’t realize how mediocre it really is.
Interesting, I have not read Cloud Cuckoo Land but I felt the same exact way about All the Light We Cannot See. Ethereal writing, very bland plot and characters.
In my opinion, it’s definitely still too early. He’s still setting up the story at that point, and the completion of it all is what makes the beginning trudge worth it! I’d say if you’re not feeling it now, maybe put it down for a while then come back to it refreshed? I was able to appreciate that because the book is so long, he is really able to take care with each of the story lines. 💜
Eh
I DNF’d this one before page 100. Seemed like a less engaging Cloud Atlas-type story.
I think that if you liked All the Light We Cannot See, you’ll probably like Cloud Cuckoo Land as well. I also found it slow to begin with, but right around page 100 (Seymour starting to get more interesting) I got more into it. I’d say that if you’re still not feeling it in 25 pages, you can probably put it down.
I DNF’d it the first time I tried to read it! Picked it up a few years later and ended up enjoying it, but at around 100 pages in it hasn’t fully picked up yet. If you don’t have the patience for it right now, maybe put it down for a while and pick it up when you’re in a different headspace!