Literary · Science fiction
Cloud Atlas
Six nested stories, from a nineteenth-century sea voyage to a far-future island, each in a different genre and voice. Every narrative is discovered by a character in the next one.
Facts last checked 2026-10-16
- First published
- 2004
- Pace
- Medium
- Length
- Long
- Pages
- 509
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you like ambitious structure and genre-hopping, and enjoy spotting how the pieces echo one another.
Skip this if you want to settle into one character and plot, or find stylised dialects hard going.
The feel
Content warnings
Also reported by Hardcover readers:
Quick answers about Cloud Atlas
- What is Cloud Atlas about?
- Six nested stories, from a nineteenth-century sea voyage to a far-future island, each in a different genre and voice. Every narrative is discovered by a character in the next one.
- Who should read Cloud Atlas?
- Read it if you like ambitious structure and genre-hopping, and enjoy spotting how the pieces echo one another. Skip it if you want to settle into one character and plot, or find stylised dialects hard going.
- How long and how fast is Cloud Atlas?
- It is a medium-paced, long read of about 509 pages, first published in 2004.
- Does Cloud Atlas have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Violence, Slavery, Death.
- Can I borrow Cloud Atlas for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends Cloud Atlas; the borrow button above searches it for you.
- What should I read after Cloud Atlas?
- Readers who liked it often move on to The Starless Sea, Station Eleven, Slaughterhouse-Five.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Bookshop.org | Check price | Buy new from Bookshop.org |
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Libro.fm | Check price | Buy audiobook from Libro.fm |
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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Because you might love it
If you loved Cloud Atlas
-
The Starless Sea Another novel of stories nested within stories, where the tales and their readers keep intersecting.
-
Station Eleven
A gentler, more focused novel that links separate lives across time through a single thread.
-
Slaughterhouse-Five
Plays with time and genre in a shorter, angrier and more satirical way.
Literary
