But trust the author and you will find your reading rhythm. In this section, Aethon describes the fantastical and heavenly sight of Cloud Cuckoo Land. Sure enough, its soon destroyed. He suggests that she help him to steal some things from there and they can split the proceeds, otherwise hell tell on her. The oldest person is Thekla, 70. When reassembles the book, he is uncertain of the order of the leaves (which is why the book ends up being out of order). She is working in her container garden with her son next to her who is paging through her handwritten version of the Cloud Cuckoo Land book, composed of bound sackcloth. They hear a set of solitary footsteps. Meanwhile, Zeno has been struggling unhappily with his translations. Happy reading! News spreads that people are dying and experiencing symptoms. Anna thinks that perhaps she needs to drink more holy water. Omeir is amazed by the diverse people and things he sees on the way, but he also feels dejected seeing the state of Tree and Moonlight and seeing the many animals who are continuously getting injured. Then, he starts to travel, asking some people if they recognize the image on the snuffbox. Mrs. Lee is also not doing well, and 21 other people are experiencing symptoms too. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr is a historical science fiction novel published in 2021. At Mission Year 55 on Argos, Konstance is 4 (so this is a flashback to when Konstance is younger). Seymour has behavioral problems at school due to an undiagnosed sensory processing disorder. She fills up the sack with manuscripts and heads down. However, upon inspection, she sees that this parchment is cheap and likely of little value. The Lakeport Public Library / February 20, 2020 6:39 PM. However, The Birds by Aristophanes (the play where the fictional world of Cloud Cuckoo Land was conceived) features two heroes, one of which is named Trustyfriend, which is where Doerr got the name from. It requires going through a decontamination chamber to enter, and it has a separate thermal, mechanical and filtration system from the rest of the ship. They contained him, but then he ended up killing himself with sleeping pills. in 2021, Seymour is in prison. Konstance learns that the Argoss mission is also a lie and the ship is still on Earth. He then shows them that if they enter the owl drop box on the Atlas, then they can revisit the library like it once was when it was still there. At the end of April, Anna looks out to see that the priory on the rock is on fire. Shes with her mother in Compartment 17, their family compartment. When Rex sends him off at the airport, Zeno is filled with regret and longing. Based on this, we know that the kids are doing some type of performance of the story Cloud Cuckoo Land by Antonius Diogenes, which was referenced in the prologue. Rex says that the bureau mustve misfiled his letters, since he received three letters at once. Anna continues to meet with Himerius on foggy nights to get manuscripts from the priory. Later, Konstance wonders why he didnt join her in Vault One, and she knows it mustve been because he was sick. A few weeks later, Konstance turns 14. In May, Zeno arrives in Heathrow airport to be greeted by Hillary, who turns out to be a large six-foot-tall man wearing a sequined shirt. This chapter opens with an excerpt from Folio K of Cloud Cuckoo Land. At one point scientists must have thought Earth was no longer habitable for the long term, and set up this pod of people so that the species would have a better chance to continue. As Aethon's story continues, Aethon-the-crow ends up at the gates to Cloud Cuckoo Land. She passes away when she is 54. When he finally becomes a bird, he flies high into the cosmos and discovers Cloud Cuckoo Land. Seymour lives with his single mother who struggles to provide for him. Finally, Marian suggests that he take a time-out to help out with the kids instead, and she brings over a group of 5th graders (Rachel, Alex, Olivia, Natalie and Christopher). The four-paragraph version: Cloud Cuckoo Land is about a book and how it manages to survive across time. He find himself visiting Edens Gate and then he heads to the library. As Zenos journey reaches its climax, he finds himself in a makeshift library in a besieged city, where he meets another character, Seymour, who is also seeking refuge and solace in books. He thinks to himself that my best companions cannot speak the same language as me. 23 of them are old enough to remember Earth. He bonds with a great gray owl he sees there which he names Trustyfriend (based on a owl character from a cartoon). In this section, Aethon wakes up back on earth and describes the beauty of the grass, the trees, the moon, etc. She thinks about what the Italian trader had said about books being destroyed: Day after day, year after year, time wipes the old books from the world. That night, Anna starts reading the story to Maria to distract her from her woes. Manuscripts do burn, but the fact we have held onto so many and still find continued value in. He was killing trying to protect children at the library from a terrorist. He thinks about how his mother said that Trustyfriend could have found other forests near here to hunt in, but know he knows that wasnt true. Konstance reads about how it was discovered in 2019 in a badly corrupted codex in the Vatican Library and that it briefly set the world of Greco-Roman scholarship aflame. Sybil still doesnt know what happened to Ezekiel. Aethon-the-fish begs the wizard to transform him into a bird so he can fly to city in the clouds where pain never visits and the west wind always blows. In the book, Aethon-the-crow looks down at Earth from above, feeling hopeless. The book begins by introducing the five main characters and Aethons story, as fictitiously discovered by the real-life Greek philosopher Diogenes. Suddenly, Rachel interrupts the script reading. Published. The kids then take a break from rehearsal. Omeir is startled to see that he has knocked out a young Greek girl. One day, a widow named Mrs. Alma Boydstun beckons Zeno over to her porch, offering him cookies. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Antonius Diogenes is not a real book in our world, and it barely exists in the world of Cloud Cuckoo Land, the novel by Anthony Doerr. Furthermore, we will carefully examine the skilled use of literary devices and symbolism in the ending, and how they contribute to the deeper meaning and significance of the novel. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He regained it by donating silver to buy a blessing at the shrine of the Virgin of the Source, where drinking from the holy well restored his vision. Zeno as assigned to gather wood, despite his forearm still being injured. It serves as an embroidery house run by Master Nicholas Kalaphates. Meanwhile, Zeno is an old man who is at the library afterhours, leading a group of kids in a rehearsal for a performance of Cloud Cuckoo Land. Very interesting - great catch, I didn't notice that. At the public library, the two twin librarians, both named Miss Cunningham, explained that books could transport you to other places. Tonight, she helps him to plant a seed in the farm. In present day, 7-year-old Anna is the youngest person at the convent. Mrs. Boystun is diagnosed with Huntingtons. It was bitterly cold. Zeno writes to every Rex Browning he can find in England and various UK organizations that might know something, but he isnt able to learn where Rex is or what happened to him. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. He ends up sitting on the forest floor, and everything feels quiet finally. They continue to travel together, and he no longer binds her wrists. The story of Beta2 and Aethons tale served as a powerful tool to ease the maddening circumstances of the characters lives and prolong their existence. When Anna is 8, she hears someone reciting a poem in Greek (which turns out to be from Homers The Odyssey, though she doesnt know that) when she is out fetching wine. Required fields are marked *. She finds Himeriuss skiff and rides out in it. Still, Konstance isnt entire sure what the point is of her task and whether anyone will ever find her or her transcription in the Vault. It explains why her father would have Zenos book on his night table. He considers that if he travels with her, maybe it will attract less suspicion since she will seem like a prize he has won. On the stage, theres an epitaph written on tombstone next to a Styrofoam sarcophagus prop that reads Aethon: Lived 80 Years a Man, 1 Year a Donkey, 1 Year a Sea Bass, 1 Year a Crow. In the Epilogue, the story flashes back to the day at the library on February 20, 2020. Once again, Aethon is told that the place he describes is not real, but Aethon still insists. This is the challenging and ambitious aspect of the read. He often sees Trustyfriend there. By the winter, Zeno is still in the prison camp. He immediately begins arranging his trip to London in May. They continue to travel. He also says that someone else has the number to detonate them as well. In Argos in Mission Year 65, Konstance looks at the schematics for Argos and understands that it was always just a feasibility study or trial run about intergenerational survival. I believe the Argos is in the future as Rachel's grandchild. The novel is essentially about the power of books as they can impact individuals across several time periods. But the predictions turned out to be overly pessimistic as Konstance was able to live long term on earth. In this section, after Aethon watches the witch/owl fly out of the window, he rushes into her room. Zeno sees that the man has carved some lines in a mix of English and Greek onto the back of the wooden lid. Not Argo's but what happened to the world, and it appears it was not an environmental thing persay. Your email address will not be published. By Antonius Diogenes. They continue to hide the manuscript in the old tree trunk, checking on it to ensure it is dry and safe. Seymour is a neurodivergent child who befriends a great grey owl he names Trustyfriend. Konstance then starts to see that there are places in the Atlas with depictions of owls that seem more vibrant than their surroundings. At the library, he watches a video on how to use the M67. In this section, Aethon goes to the goddess to ask to read the book. She points out that if Diogenes was writing this for his dying niece, the point of his adventures is that he's able to pass the story on, so it would make more sense for Aethon to return home to tell his story. A few days later, Omeir and his mother take some coins and buy a castrated bull and a weak donkey. The preface state that the part of the book with the riddle has been lost, as has the solution to it. One day, Anna returns to her cell to find Kalaphates violently confronting Maria after having found the pages that Licinius gave to Anna. His task is made more difficult because he doesnt know Rexs unit or commanding officer. He mistakenly transforms first into a donkey then into a fish, as he travels the world inconvenienced at every turn. Theyre interrupted briefly by the sound of a gunshot coming from downstairs. While the painting doesnt have much meaning now apart from evoking some feeling of desire for freedom or exploration for Anna, we later learn that it may be a depiction of a scene from the story of Aethon in Diogeness Cloud Cuckoo Land (the part where hes turned into a donkey, escapes from his captors and ends up near a seashore as he searches for a rose that will turn him back). The Argos / Mission Year 64, Day 21 Day 45 Inside Vault One. He works with Ilium engineers testing the various iterations of the Atlas treadmill and headset. On-stage, the maid (played by Rachel) reassures Aethon (Alex) that shell find fresh roses for him to eat which will undo the transformation. With only a few fragments of legible lines, it describes Aethon-the-crow enjoying the splendors of Cloud Cuckoo Land and eating the delicious foods there. Zeno gets Rexs attention later by quoting Zenodotus (first librarian at the library at Alexandria), which Rex recognizes. Going forward, she sees that in this area hidden within the drop box, it is February 20, 2020 and that she is at the Lakeport Public Library. Early the next morning, Grandfather takes the boy away to leave him for dead, but he returns before dusk, saying he couldnt bear to leave him. In the prisoner camp, he meets Rex Browning, a fellow prisoner with a love of Greek classics. Time passes. He finds a pair of rifle-range ear defenders that helps to mute out noise, which makes him feel better. A man gets out of the RV to walk his poodle. By 2146, she has a 3-year-old son and is pregnant with another child. Right before the final assault, Anna flees the city on a rowboat. like. With her hands bound, he leads her by a rope away from the area. Konstance instructs Sybil to send him a message, but he doesnt respond. The last time she sees Licinius, she notices he looks unwell. Still, it is a book that . Just before dawn, she is navigating through a forest when she sees a campfire and smells roasting meat. I thought Seymour only added the owls after he was released and continued working on the atlas as a trusted employee. Zeno is crouched with the children along a L-shaped barrier. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Bookshelf 'Cloud Cuckoo Land' Review: Slipping the Trap A celebration of a great book's power to free the mind from the confines of time, place and circumstance. He avoids the Cunninghams, since he feels shame for not returning the book and he fears that they will guess why he didnt. When Konstance is 7, she sneaks out when her mother is sleeping to visit Farm 4, where her father, Ethan, is working. As the other kids go to play a game, Konstance decides to visit Thessaly in the Atlas. He starts walking away on foot. Inside the archers turret, surrounded by rubble, is a fresco painted on the southern wall (perhaps painted by a bored or lonely bowman). Inside the belly of the monster, Aethon-the-fish goes to eat an anchovy, but gets hooked by a fishing line. Soon, Zenos father leaves for military boot camp, and Zeno is left living with Mrs. Boydstun. This chapter opens with an excerpt from Folio of Cloud Cuckoo Land. She ends up doing research on Zeno, and she learns that he died on February 20, 2020 at the public library in Lakeport while trying to protect a group of kids from a terrorist. Natalie theories that hes unable to just settle down there because hes always burning inside. By April, Seymour has lost interest in things like going to the library or the Environmental Awareness Club. He talks to various people. She starts looking for documentation in the Library about whether or not the Argos was truly ready for the task itd been given. Sybil then announces Quarantine Level Two (All non-medical personnel to their compartments, no exceptions, which lasts for two months). In Argos in Mission Year 65, after Konstance escapes the vault, she uses a makeshift axe to break through the exterior of Argos. At school, the kids learn about Sybil, a machine that performs a wide range of tasks and contains the collective wisdom of the human species. When selling these books to mysterious Italian buyers, she learns the value of preserving old stories and the risk of allowing a select few to exclusively possess books. To me it represents the callousness of the corporate world if there is nothing to be gained financially, the product or project will not be supported. She then heads to the spot where Elliot Fischenbacher had previously attempted to hack his way out of the ship. She sees that he worked for the county highway department and that his passport had only one stamp a trip to London. By. In the weeks since she discovered the old Lakeport library hidden in the Atlas, Konstance has been able to copy three-quarters of Zenos Cloud Cuckoo Land translation onto scraps of sackcloth (from the food powder bags). When the mold is done and a molten alloy is poured in, then the men break the mold and the animals are tasked with dragging the Destroyer of Cities out of the pit and towards the Sultans testing grounds. He is also in contact with Natalie Hernandez, who is now teaching high school Latin and Greek. The book is a puzzle. After many days of travel, they arrive at Omeir's home. Its been patched over, but she uses her axe to attack the metal. Theres also a preface that notes that the story consists of 24 folios, the exact order of which is debated by scholars. He moves to open the emergency exit door, but it sounds an alarm and he stops. When she sees him, she recognizes that he is not a crow at all. Konstance understands now that situations like this are why her father chose to leave Earth in order to be a part of this mission. Inside is an igniter, nails and two pressure cookers, both filled with a high explosive called Composition B. In her sixth week in isolation, Konstance remembers her father saying once they he was once from a place called Scheria and mentioned Backline Road. Antonius Diogenes' Cloud Cuckoo Land is a fabulous adventure story written by Diogenes for his niece, to beguile and console her during an illness. The Argos / Mission Year 64, Day 45 Day 46 Inside Vault One. Then, in October, on Arcady Lane, which is the road home, he sees a sign indicating that Edens Gate Reality is developing properties in that area. She thinks about Crazy Elliot Fischenbacher and how he tried to destroy the walls to escape Argos after spending a lot of time in the Atlas. Someone with the screen name of Mathilda in the Bishops ranks is assigned to correspond with Seymour. Konstance soon learns that Zeke Lee has died. Moonlight takes on the extra weight of Trees lame leg. Other salient manifestations of bird symbolism come from Aethon's story. A housekeeper shoos Anna away, but the old man, Licinius, comes outside the gate to talk to her. She then flies out the window and into the night. Anna understands that it would be feared and mistrusted otherwise. That summer, Seymour sneaks into the clearing each day after Bunny leaves for work. Konstance has the Atlas take her to Nannup and she scours Backline Road for a farm like the one she saw in her fathers video. Enlisted into the Ottoman troops against his will, Omeir learns that the world is full of destruction and cruelty. As he starts second grade, Seymour gets even more into owls. There are people there photographed mid-stride, and they pass by them as they explore a city and its streets. He admits that hes flown all the way to the end of the stars just to realize this.