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gegnew 's review for:
Einstein's Dreams
by Alan Lightman
This book is undoubtedly counterpoint for discussion and writing about other pieces of literature. It can be easily and usefully connected with many other works.
A few elements struck me in particular. Lightman leaves out important elements quite frequently (an artistic/literary device which James Joyce called "gnomon," which is with googling).
Additionally, nearly every vignette is sad, depressing, or morose, not to mention thought-provoking. This surprised me at first, but given that each vignette seems to identify and embellish, deepen, or otherwise hyperbolize a different aspect of our own perception of time (or, more concisely, our perception; the human condition, in other words) it is logical that the vignettes would reflect the inherent fragility and pain of the human condition.
Lastly, the perspective of individuals is crucial in this novel. In many vignettes, individuals perceive the relevant aspect of time quite differently. This reflects that we, too, perceive time - and therefore the universe - uniquely.
I do hesitate to call this a novel, due to its structure. There is some character development of Einstein, but not much. Given the space devoted to it, however, it is significant and certainly relevant. That it is not precisely a novel is by no means a detriment to the quality and depth of this work.
A postscript: Science is the method by which individual humans communicate and reconcile their unique perspectives of reality (or rather, their knowledge). The humanities, then, must be the means by which individual humans communicate their imagination (as opposed to knowledge). The reason "Einstein's Dreams" is important is because it blurs the line between knowledge and imagination. In this sense, it is a book of the meta-mind. It isn't about an objective or individual subjective reality, but rather it is about the interactions of individuals trying to understand the universe.
A few elements struck me in particular. Lightman leaves out important elements quite frequently (an artistic/literary device which James Joyce called "gnomon," which is with googling).
Additionally, nearly every vignette is sad, depressing, or morose, not to mention thought-provoking. This surprised me at first, but given that each vignette seems to identify and embellish, deepen, or otherwise hyperbolize a different aspect of our own perception of time (or, more concisely, our perception; the human condition, in other words) it is logical that the vignettes would reflect the inherent fragility and pain of the human condition.
Lastly, the perspective of individuals is crucial in this novel. In many vignettes, individuals perceive the relevant aspect of time quite differently. This reflects that we, too, perceive time - and therefore the universe - uniquely.
I do hesitate to call this a novel, due to its structure. There is some character development of Einstein, but not much. Given the space devoted to it, however, it is significant and certainly relevant. That it is not precisely a novel is by no means a detriment to the quality and depth of this work.
A postscript: Science is the method by which individual humans communicate and reconcile their unique perspectives of reality (or rather, their knowledge). The humanities, then, must be the means by which individual humans communicate their imagination (as opposed to knowledge). The reason "Einstein's Dreams" is important is because it blurs the line between knowledge and imagination. In this sense, it is a book of the meta-mind. It isn't about an objective or individual subjective reality, but rather it is about the interactions of individuals trying to understand the universe.