seltzerlizard replied to your link: Hugh Grant talks briefly about his role as - among other things - a killing, raping cannibal 2000 years in the future in the Wachowskis’ CLOUD ATLAS.

Oh tell me the book is well worth reading, because I shelved it after that interminably boring first part but I’m looking for anyone to tell me it’s actually as good and or strange as it’s supposed to be.

You make a good point - that first part is tough to get through, but it doesn’t last long. You probably know that the narrative spans many different periods of history and extends thousands of years into the future. That first part, which I think takes place in 1850-something, has very little action but lays in place some important elements that will echo throughout the novel. I actually found that the first part was ramping up nicely right when it abruptly ended and time-jumped forward.

But to be clear: I would call the entire novel worth reading, but not life-changing literature. Its ambitious nature and the clever ways it links together the central characters do provide enough forward motion and intrigue. Each era in the book has its own voice, which I found interesting and compelling. Some of the characters are quite well written, although I’m worried that the Wachowskis will give the novel’s best part to Halle Berry, which would be a shame.

So, to answer your question more succinctly than those couple hundred words above: It’s good. It’s strange. It’s worth reading.