The book cover for Einsteins Dream.
Imagine worlds where time is different. A world where time flows quicker in different places, people in a choice between slowing the moments of their life down to treasure fleeting experiences, or speeding the rest in an exhilarating rush. A world where time is about to end, the last moments of existence spent in one last attempt of seeking whatever joys they can scavenge. A world where time runs like a river – a continuous flow of repeated events, each action just a repetition of the same action that has been done before. These are the world’s which Einstein’s Dream explores, and I have to say, it is absolutely brilliant.
Einstein’s Dreams’ follows the creative journeys of renowned theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, into these imagined worlds where time is a distortion of his world. Like I said, it is brilliant; the concept in itself is both complicated and captivating, but his way of writing it makes the concept relatable, and comprehensible.
Much of this I believe is because of his mastery of narrative conventions. Predominantly a science based novel, Lightman draws upon various techniques to perfect his story. So in this post, I’m going to discuss two quintessential elements of language which I think constitute the main beauty of Einstein’s dream, which are his ability at creating setting and his ability to create a condensed narrative in such short periods of writing.
So what makes Lightman exceptionally good at creating settings? Well here’s an example of some of his work.
“It is late afternoon, and, for a brief moment, the sun nestles in a snowy hollow of the Alps, fire touching ice. The long slants of light sweep from the mountains, cross a restful lake, cast shadows in a town below.” (pg 46)
Lightman’s ability to create a vivid scene is what impresses me most. His use of metaphors like “fire touching ice” in the previous passage is both illustrative, yet allows space for the reader to recreate the scene themselves. By describing the light as “long slants” that “sweep,” and “cross,” he enhances the movement of the light, and again, leaves room for imaginative creation of the scene which I think is an important aspect of a novel.
And it’s especially wonderful how he makes each dream world seem so intricate and lively. Continuing from the previous passage, the book reads,
“In many ways, it is a town of one piece and a whole. Spruce and larch and arolla pine form a gentle border north and west, while higher up are fire lilies … In pastures near, the town graze cattle for making butter, cheese and chocolate. A little textile mill produces silks, ribbons, cotton clothes. A church bell rings…” (pg 46 – 47)
From these two paragraphs, Lightman beautifully creates this quaint, working atmosphere with the town. Whether it be his fresh descriptions of the local flora, or the illustrations of the on goings businesses of the town, Alan Lightman’s ability to create atmosphere and scenery is exceptional.
These are just a few examples of his literary prowess in setting; however Lightman also excels in creating narratives within short time spaces as well.
Many of the dreams shown in this book contain some snippet of a story between characters. The main reasons why I think Lightman’s doing of this is impressive is because of the small windows of opportunity that he does this in – since all of his chapters are merely a scene or too of the imagined worlds, Lightman needs to write concisely and cleverly to build up emotional attachment to characters. If you read the book, you’ll find that every chapter is like a snapshot of an entire story on its own. It’s like Lightman in Einstein’s Dream is opening all of these doors to worlds, letting us just a glimpse into a place of deep stories and conflicts.
It’s been nice to read a good science novel. His techniques are exceptional, and his sharp abilities in narrative conventions are what makes this book shine. So overall a great read, and I’d recommend anybody to read it, whether you have an interest in science writing or not.
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