Slavery comes in many forms. Cloud Atlas takes a harsh look at some of the ways we humans have found to dominate others: physical subjugation is the most well-known, but there are many present-day aspects we don't see…. or like to pretend we don't see.

Hard to get into, but once it grabbed me (~100 pages in) I couldn't put it down. Many of my hot-button issues: bullies, treachery, corporatism, freedom. Homages to [b:Flowers for Algernon|18373|Flowers for Algernon|Daniel Keyes|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327870353s/18373.jpg|3337594] and [b:One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest|332613|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest|Ken Kesey|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1348083651s/332613.jpg|2100252] and perhaps even the [b:Aeneid|12914|The Aeneid|Virgil|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1349032842s/12914.jpg|288738]. Multiple works in one, disparate voices woven together in a sometimes-jarring but overall satisfying way.

I read Cloud Atlas before watching the trailer. I'm glad I did: Hollywood appears to have latched onto the interconnectedness theme, the (literal) story arc, a gimmick I found effective but merely as a storytelling device. Not as a focus. And the reincarnation hoohaw, well, I took that as a wink to the reader; the trailer makes it more prominent than I think it deserves. I hope the film producers aren't missing the point. Or perhaps I'm the one who didn't get it? Maybe it is a story of reincarnation and spaceships and explosions and chases? Am I seeing shapes where there are none? Maybe I should sip some McWine and stop thinking so much.