Cloud Cuckoo Land

On the New York Times bestseller list for over 20 weeks A New York Times Notable Book A National Book Award Finalist * Named a Best Book of the Year by Fresh Air, Time, Entertainment Weekly, Associated Press, and many more

"If you're looking for a superb novel, look no further." --The Washington Post

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All the Light We Cannot See, comes the instant New York Times bestseller that is a "wildly inventive, a humane and uplifting book for adults that's infused with the magic of childhood reading experiences" (The New York Times Book Review).

Among the most celebrated and beloved novels of recent times, Cloud Cuckoo Land is a triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring story about children on the cusp of adulthood in worlds in peril, who find resilience, hope, and a book.

In the 15th century, an orphan named Anna lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople. She learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds what might be the last copy of a centuries-old book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the army that will lay siege to the city. His path and Anna's will cross.

In the present day, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno rehearses children in a play adaptation of Aethon's story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege.

And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father.

Anna, Omeir, Seymour, Zeno, and Konstance are dreamers and outsiders whose lives are gloriously intertwined. Doerr's dazzling imagination transports us to worlds so dramatic and immersive that we forget, for a time, our own.

“Praise for Anthony Doerr and CLOUD CUCKOO LAND FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION A New York Times Notable Book, Barack Obama favorite, and selected as a Best Book of the Year by Time, Associated Press, Entertainment Weekly, Goodreads Choice Awards, BookPage, Library Journal, Minneapolis Star-Tribune , St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Oprah Daily, Cosmopolitan, NPR.org, Publishers Lunch, Publishers Weekly, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Tor.com, Polygon, Tattered Cover, T oronto Star, Chicago Public Library, Erie Reader, Fresh Air, Globe & Mail, KUER RadioWest, Parade, Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, Columbus Dispatch, Broomfield Enterprise, and Distractify! "There''s no book like Cloud Cuckoo Land... As with all of Doerr''s books, the characters [in Cloud Cuckoo Land ] are beautifully described, the story is mesmerizing, and the carefully-crafted tapestry of themes pulls characters and time periods together into an incandescent whole--tempting the reader to start over as soon as the book is finished." --Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Forbes "Simply put, Cloud Cuckoo Land had me spellbound. Doerr has created a treasure chest of stories." --Barbara Lloyd McMichael, OurCoast "Beautiful and enthralling, a masterpiece . . . . If you love books, you''ll love this book." --Rebecca Bennett, Austin American-Statesman "This novel is fearless and boundless in its ambition. It''s like Homer meets Borges aboard Noah''s Ark." --Arturo Serrano, Nerds of a Feather "A deft and intricately woven tale [and] one of the most memorable books of the year." --Ron Sylvester, Spokane Spokesman-Review "Not just the best book of the year (or most years), the novel is also a great read. Doerr works literary magic to tell three cleverly entwined stories set centuries apart, celebrating children, and the natural world, and always, especially, libraries. We''ll be talking about this one for a long time." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Realism may be the dominant American literary mode, but leave it to Anthony Doerr to push us out of our comfort zone. His passion for myth and fable lights up this panoramic epic, as an ancient manuscript braids three disparate strands: the 1453 siege of Constantinople, present-day Idaho, and a 22nd-century starship careening away from a poisoned Earth. Doerr''s prose casts a spell; his world-building is both defiant and tender, a virtuosic meditation on the alchemy of books. Come for the magician''s tricks, stay for the exquisite storytelling." --Hamilton Cain, Star Tribune " Cloud Cuckoo Land is a soul-piercing masterpiece that examines what it means to be human with profound empathy." -- Winnipeg Free Press "It feels wonderful . . . to spend a few days losing oneself in an exquisitely built book." --Eve Andrews, Grist "Another masterful novel from Anthony Doerr." --Dean Poling, Valdosta Daily Times "Divinely inspired storytelling." --Melony Carey, Muskogee Phoenix "Anthony Doerr is not just a master of storytelling. He is, arguably, a magician. . . . There''s no need to dream of a beautiful land, up above the clouds, to escape 2021 for a few hours. Anthony Doerr''s magic, captured in the pages of this thrilling, lovely, deeply satisfying book, will take you there." --Gail Pennington, St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Of all our contemporary fiction writers, Anthony Doerr is the one whose novels seem to be the purest response to the primal request: tell me a story . . . . [ Cloud Cuckoo Land ] transports us far above the stars, and down into the mud. It dazzles, and disturbs. And I for one wanted Doerr''s vast and overwhelming story to last much, much longer." --Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air "In Cloud Cuckoo Land , [Doerr] writes a marvel of a story himself, filled with gorgeous language and distinctive characters. He sweeps readers in and gives us the enveloping experience of living in another world. . . . [A] great novel." --Maureen Corrigan, Wall Street Journal "Sprawling and ambitious and imaginative. . . . [Doerr] is a writer with the rare ability to achieve the universal and the specific simultaneously. His stories, both vast and intimate, are dazzling, sometimes dizzying in their scope. . . . [ Cloud Cuckoo Land ] is unlike anything you''ve ever read." --Samantha Schoech, San Francisco Chronicle "The greatest joy in [ Cloud Cuckoo Land ] comes from watching the pieces snap into place. It is an epic of the quietest kind, whispering across 600 years in a voice no louder than a librarian''s." --Jason Sheehan, NPR.org "A seamless tapestry . . . . Ultimately, Doerr seeks to remind us of the many ways we are tied to the natural world." --Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times "A trip well worth taking with the inimitable Doerr." --Rob Merrill, Associated Press "Packed with lush details and a gripping narrative." --Keziah Weir, Vanity Fair " Cloud Cuckoo Land is bound to leave as indelible a mark on readers as All the Light We Cannot See ." --Alessia Santoro, PopSugar "Doerr''s creation lifts off quickly, soars, and then, like the various wildfowl wheeling through the story, lands with practiced finesse. . . . Fueled by deep imagination and insistent compassion, Doerr weaves together his storylines with brisk pacing that never feels rushed." --Erin Douglass, Christian Science Monitor "The novel is a celebration of the way in which books enable us to connect with the past - and a warning about how fragile their survival has always been in a world in which those in power pursue war or harm the environment." -- The Daily Express "This engagingly written, big-hearted book is a must-read - immersive popular fiction that breaks boundaries and makes you look at the world a bit differently." -- The Daily Mirror "A paean to stories as a source of sustenance and solace, and to the sweetness of our shared terrestrial home, Doerr''s narrative is buoyant with humanity and it''s author''s palpable pleasure in invention." --Stephanie Cross, The Daily Mail "Cloud Cuckoo Land is an impressive achievement and a joy to read. Serious novels are rarely this fun. In a world where nature and stories are more precious than ever, this fine book is an education, a comfort, and inspiration." --Melissa Katsoulis, The Times (UK) "There is a kind of book a seasoned writer produces after a big success: large-hearted, wide in scope and joyous. Following his Pulitzer winner All the Light We Cannot See , Anthony Doerr''s Cloud Cuckoo Land is a deep lungful of fresh air-and a gift of a novel." Elizabeth Knox, The Guardian "[ Cloud Cuckoo Land is] a wildly inventive novel that teems with life, straddles an enormous range of experience and learning, and embodies the storytelling gifts that it celebrates. . . . A humane and uplifting book for adults that''s infused with the magic of childhood reading experiences." --Marcel Theroux, New York Times Book Review "In a big fiction year . . . Cloud Cuckoo Land stands out. . . . Doerr''s characters are astoundingly resilient, suggesting that we may yet save ourselves, with literature an essential tool." --Hamilton Cain, Boston Globe "A magical (and hopeful) tale of humanity." -- People "Ambitious and complex . . . . [Doerr] weaves it all together beautifully." --Angela Haupt, Washington Post "A tour de force of a novel . . . recalling Jorge Luis Borges, Umberto Eco, and Ursula K. LeGuin. . . . A literary salon to which all manner of storytellers and readers are invited." --Jenny McPhee, AirMail Weekly "For his next act, Anthony Doerr wrote a book about everything." -- New York Times "Epic and profound." --Claire Martin, People Magazine "Stunning . . . deeply imagined . . . a novel about how people find hope in the midst of chaos and fear, and how books themselves might be the best things humans have ever done." -- Samantha Schoech, San Francisco Chronicle "As intimate as a bedtime story, a love letter to libraries and bibliophiles." -- O Magazine "Anthony Doerr''s talent for deftly weaving the criss-crossed stories of adults and children will tug at your heartstrings an”

Praise for Anthony Doerr and Cloud Cuckoo Land

WINNER OF THE READING THE WEST BOOK AWARD AND THE OHIOANA BOOK AWARD

"Sweeping and atmospheric."
--Time

"A magical (and hopeful) tale of humanity."
--People

"As intimate as a bedtime story, a love letter to libraries and bibliophiles."
--O Magazine

"A dazzling epic of love, war, and the joy of books."
--The Guardian

"A novel of epic stature and ambition."
--Buzzfeed

"[An] intricately braided story . . . [and] a stunning, mind-bending tale of survival and how closely we're all connected."
--Good Housekeeping

"Doerr works literary magic to tell three cleverly entwined stories set centuries apart, celebrating children, and the natural world, and always, especially, libraries. We'll be talking about this one for a long time."
--St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Packed with lush details and a gripping narrative."
--Keziah Weir, Vanity Fair

"A trip well worth taking with the inimitable Doerr."
--Rob Merrill, Associated Press

"Of all our contemporary fiction writers, Anthony Doerr is the one whose novels seem to be the purest response to the primal request: tell me a story. . . . [Cloud Cuckoo Land] transports us far above the stars, and down into the mud. It dazzles, and disturbs. And I for one wanted Doerr's vast and overwhelming story to last much, much longer."
--Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air

"Sprawling and ambitious and imaginative. . . . [Doerr] is a writer with the rare ability to achieve the universal and the specific simultaneously. His stories, both vast and intimate, are dazzling, sometimes dizzying in their scope. . . . [Cloud Cuckoo Land] is unlike anything you've ever read."
--Samantha Schoech, San Francisco Chronicle

"Readers will come away from it with a greater appreciation for those invisible qualities that have bound human life across the ages--the love of a good story and the joy of returning home."
--Samantha Spengler, Wired

"There's no book like Cloud Cuckoo Land... the story is mesmerizing, and the carefully-crafted tapestry of themes pulls characters and time periods together into an incandescent whole--tempting the reader to start over as soon as the book is finished."
--Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Forbes

"Doerr's prose casts a spell; his world-building is both defiant and tender, a virtuosic meditation on the alchemy of books. Come for the magician's tricks, stay for the exquisite storytelling."
--Hamilton Cain, Star Tribune

"The greatest joy in [Cloud Cuckoo Land] comes from watching the pieces snap into place. It is an epic of the quietest kind, whispering across 600 years in a voice no louder than a librarian's."
--Jason Sheehan, NPR.org

"Doerr's creation lifts off quickly, soars, and then, like the various wildfowl wheeling through the story, lands with practiced finesse. . . . Fueled by deep imagination and insistent compassion, Doerr weaves together his storylines with brisk pacing that never feels rushed."
--Erin Douglass, Christian Science Monitor

"There is a kind of book a seasoned writer produces after a big success: large-hearted, wide in scope and joyous. Following his Pulitzer winner All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr's Cloud Cuckoo Land is a deep lungful of fresh air-and a gift of a novel."
--Elizabeth Knox, The Guardian

"In a big fiction year . . . Cloud Cuckoo Land stands out. . . . Doerr's characters are astoundingly resilient, suggesting that we may yet save ourselves, with literature an essential tool."
--Hamilton Cain, Boston Globe

Anthony Doerr is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cloud Cuckoo Land, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and All the Light We Cannot See, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the Carnegie Medal, the Alex Award, and a #1 New York Times bestseller. He is also the author of the story collections Memory Wall and The Shell Collector, the novel About Grace, and the memoir Four Seasons in Rome. He has won five O. Henry Prizes, the Rome Prize, the New York Public Library's Young Lions Award, the National Magazine Award for fiction, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Story Prize. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Doerr lives in Boise, Idaho, with his wife and two sons.

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