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First Tuesday Book Club: Careful critiques of 'Cloud Atlas'

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First Tuesday Book Club: Careful critiques of 'Cloud Atlas'

SUBJECTS:  English

YEARS:  9–10


Sometimes you have to choose your words carefully to avoid offending others.

I'm sure we've all had one of those moments!

In this clip, explore how Marieke Hardy and Max Barry choose their words carefully when discussing one of Jennifer Byrne's favourite books.

This clip is the first in a series of two.


Things to think about

  1. 1.Has there been a time when you've had to choose your words carefully? Describe the situation. 'Cloud Atlas' by David Mitchell is an ambitious novel that interweaves the stories of six very different characters over hundreds of years. You can view the trailer for the film version or read a synopsis online. Do you think you'd find it interesting to read?
  2. 2.Marieke Hardy jokingly says that she and Jennifer Byrne agree, as they both use the word 'clever' to describe 'Cloud Atlas'. What differs in the ways they use this word? What does the word 'museum-esque' suggest about Marieke's appreciation of the novel? What simile does Marieke use to suggest she didn't connect with the characters in the book? Identify other words that reveal her lack of connection.
  3. 3.Why do you think people use words like 'clever' and 'brave' to describe books they didn't really like all that much? How successful do you think Marieke Hardy is in revealing that she doesn't care for the book without offending Jennifer Byrne?
  4. 4.Max Barry constructs a metaphor of the monster in the cupboard; the story he comes close to believing before realising he's been fooled. Despite the different analogy, how similar was his response to Marieke Hardy's? Some readers find it hard to connect with the many characters in 'Cloud Atlas'. Write a metaphor or simile of your own to illustrate this problem.



Production Date: 9 Jun 2011


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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