Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Mitchell's expansive third novel, following Ghostwritten and number9dream, is his most emotionally rounded and philosophically mature work to date. Its symphonic narrative revolves six characters through six ages of man - from the 19th century to distant millennia -- then brings them full circle as each one completes their interrupted history.

First up is the 1850 journal of an American lawyer observing colonialism in the Pacific, before a shift of time lines transports the action to 1930s Belgium, where a scheming composer recounts his betrayal of an ageing musical genius. Next, the action fast-forwards to California in the 1970s, the scene of a nuclear cover-up involving big business; it then segues to the account of a publisher trapped in an old-people's home in modern Britain. The final two stories are nightmarish dystopias that recall Philip K Dick and H G Wells respectively: the one, a testimony of a cyborg awaiting execution, the other, a bleak fable of a post- apocalyptic future in the manner of The Time Machine.

While never quite the sum of its parts, Mitchell's novel, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker, adds up to much more than a cosmic shaggy-dog story or a tricksy display of ventriloquism. At his most perceptive, the author illuminates the darkest corners of the human condition - its avarice, venality and cruelty - yet also hymns its resilience and limitless spirit. The result is a long voyage of the soul, but a rewarding one.