Chat about... Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

What are the views on Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell? For those who saw the film, how does it compare? Bad, good, just the same?

Ah, I thought I had read Cloud Atlas a few years ago and went to see the film. I was wondering where the tree was and clear island.... it was very confusing until I realized that I had read Ghostwritten and not Cloud Atlas ;) (Ghostwritten is very enjoyable, but I have to say I didn't like Number 9 Dream - his second book, mainly due to the random insertion of very weird fairytale-like stories as a break in the main plot)

Uh... Spoilers below

As for Cloud Atlas, having only seen the film I can say I liked it, but thought that some of the storylines were superfluous and could have been edited out. I thought about which would have least impact to the overall flow of the film and hit on the nulear power plant story. Having only seen the film, I have to say, I found the way in which the stories were intertwined was difficult to follow at some points.

The Korean storyline was really great. I knew something was a-foot but didn't see the servitors being recycled into their own food coming at all.

I also really enjoyed the storyline with the composers and how the music became a theme that linked in with the other stories.

Other random thoughts included the fact that I didn't recognize Hugh Grant as a canibal at all! The westerners-as-asians and asians-as-westerners make up was extremely disturbing.