Cloud Atlas begins in 1850 with Adam Ewing, an American notary traveling from the Chatham Isles to California, befriended by Dr. Goose who treats him for a rare brain parasite. The story jumps to 1931 Belgium with Robert Frobisher, a disenfranchised bisexual composer, entering the household of an ailing maestro. It then moves to the 1970s West Coast featuring Luisa Rey, a reporter uncovering corporate crimes. The narrative extends into a dystopian Korean future and a post-apocalyptic Hawaii, only to loop back to its start. Through these interconnected stories, David Mitchell explores deep questions of reality and identity.