Cloud Atlas

[devohoneybee]

Can anyone point me to any writing about Cloud Atlas and it's treatment of gay characters?

I'm late to viewing -- it's airing on HBO this week. And... ARGH. I've only seen the movie. Don't know if the book is different.

Comments

[devohoneybee]

Thank you SO MUCH for this -- it's very good to hear and completely matches my sense of the happy het endings as being pasted on. The Susan Sarandon character for Cavendish particularly just comes out of nowhere -- he's such a weasely little man, it's hard to imagine her wanting to be with him. Meronym and Zachry had some chemistry, but the romance again took me by surprise. I felt their connection was much more about having a larger vision for saving their people than about personal romance. And I am so sorry not to have seen more of Somnni-451's journey to selfhood. To have her end on "I will love him forever" really detracts, I think, from the importance of her character and her journey. Knowing those het-happy endings were added mitigates somewhat the Tragic Gay, but I still don't like it. Based on your notes, though, I'm willing to give the book a chance now. Thanks so much for commenting.

[liviapenn]

Yeah, I also wondered if the addition of the Timothy Cavendish love interest and Adam Ewing's wife was a way of giving the actresses more parts to play and just emphasizing that ALL these souls are connected throughout time... But, it really comes across more like "this ONE COUPLE is connected across time" which definitely over-simplifies the stories in the book.

(And if you liked Somni in the movie, you should DEFINITELY at least read her parts of the book-- it's so much harsher and sadder, but also a lot more slowly paced and just... better.)