Cloud Cuckoo Land

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. If you had to live in one of the book’s time periods, including the main three timelines and the world of the Cloud Cuckoo Land folios, which would you choose to live in and why?

2. Many of the characters feel different or isolated from those around them. For instance, Anna’s interest in books and literature distinguishes her from many girls in the 15th century. Which character’s struggle for belonging and acceptance did you relate to most? Do any of them remind you of similar situations you have gone through?

3. This novel explores the idea of utopia, though it is critical of the idea of perfection and all of the main characters ultimately reject their pursuit of utopian ideals. Would you want to live in a utopia? Do you think utopia is possible?

4. The preservation of the Cloud Cuckoo Land folios across time demonstrates the importance of preserving literature and the knowledge it contains. Do you think this is an important thing to do? Why or why not?

5. The novel explores the rewards and regret that might result from risk-taking. How do you balance taking risks? Do you typically feel regret for risks you’ve taken that haven’t panned out, or are you more accepting of them?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Anna and Omeir’s timeline depicts the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire’s Sultan Mehmed II. How does this novel depict religious and ethnic conflict? Is the language used in depicting the Ottoman army culturally sensitive? Does the friendship between Anna and Omeir add nuance this topic?

2. How and why does this book portray various types of perceived physical, mental, or social difference? For instance, Omeir’s cleft lip, Zeno’s identity as a gay man, and Seymour’s neurodivergence? How does each character’s depiction interact with their larger role in the plot? For instance, what are the ethical ramifications of depicting Seymour’s neurodivergence as a factor in his radicalization?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What distinct elements of science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction does this novel use in its world-building, tropes, characterizations, plots, etc.? How do these elements enhance the novel in unique ways and in combination with one another?

2. How do the ways the characters each relate to the eponymous Cloud Cuckoo Land folios underscore their characterization and role in the narrative? Why are people’s relationships to the folios used in this way?

3. What is gained from the novel’s use of a nonlinear structure? How does this structure support the work’s main themes?

4. Though the characters are often separated by hundreds of years and vast quantities of geographical (or galactic) space, how do their character arcs still influence one another? What message does this enmeshment of diverse people across time and space suggest?

5. The novel is full of symbols and motifs related to new possibilities. For instance, birds are symbols of change and freedom and books are motifs that represent knowledge and entry into new worlds. What other symbols or motifs can you find that relate to this general trend? What do they mean, why are they used, and how do they relate to the novel’s themes?

6. How does this novel use allusion to Ancient Greek mythology to craft its social commentary? For instance, Konstance is aboard the Argos, which is named after the ship sailed by Jason and the Argonauts. How do these allusions serve the work’s characterization and themes, and how do they affect the way the characters, like Konstance, choose to view and interact with the socio-cultural factors of their world?