Einstein's Dreams [Paperback]

Some vignettes are simple to interpret -- the world where time moves more and more slowly until, as you get to the center of the town, it almost stops. People go there to preserve a childhood, a love, their lives. A kiss can be nearly infinite. Children grow more slowly than redwoods, and never lose their innocence. Some are more difficult. But each one carries some deeper meaning about human life, and how we choose to live it. And the narrative of Einstein as a patent clerk echoes those ideas, as you watch the choices he's made.

This book isn't simply about bringing together science and literature, it's about science and philosophy, science and human nature. It's about how each of us lives so differently, we might all be living in a different temporal reality. Quite simply, it's a wonderful book, that will make you think, and stay with you for a long time. Highly recommended.

On the night of May 14th in Einstein's dreams time has an origin. This center point on Earth is where time is dispersed, it sprawls out and speeds up from here. At the center time stands still, people remain doing what they are doing forever, their simple motions may take decades or centuries in this slowly moving place of time. "...one sees parents clutching their children, in a frozen embrace that will never let go." Out of this center of time, things move at a much quicker pace. On the night of June 17th, Einstein dreams of a world in which time is not continuous. Much like a scratched CD skips, time would cut in and out leaving its victims paralyzed for the time being. "Nerve action flows through one segment of time, abruptly stops, pauses, leaps through a vacuum, and resumes in the neighboring segment." If one were to analyze time here, they would find that it is only paused for an instant, everything still appears and looks the same. But every so often a confusion or vagueness can fall over someone when this pause of skip in time occurs, it can be catastrophic.

In this small book there is no real plot, it is more of a collection of creative vignettes. The five carefully arranged interludes tell the sad and lonely story of Albert Einstein. All the interludes separate themselves by about eight chapters. The first chapter is titled Prologue; it introduces Einstein and his growing interest in time. "For the past several months, since the middle of April, he has dreamed many dreams about time. His dreams have taken hold of his research. His dreams have worn him out, exhausted him so he sometimes cannot tell whether he is awake or asleep." Einstein's small interest has begun to transform into an obsession. In the next Interlude Lightman introduces Einstein's friend Besso. Besso's character is concerned for Einstein's well-being. Einstein continues to ramble about his interest in time. Einstein seems to distance himself from his wife, Mileva. Besso is confused on why they were ever married, and Einstein is unsure himself.

The third interlude is uncomforting. Einstein has begun to look ill and sickly. Besso asked if he was ok; Einstein replied with he was making process. Einstein tells Besso that he feels very close to the truth. The fourth interlude tells of Einstein's inner struggles and how he wishes he could share them with Besso. Besso ensures Einstein that he believes in him. In the fifth, and last chapter of the novel titled Epilogue; Einstein realizes that his life is incomplete and lonely. "He feels empty. He has no interest in reviewing patents or talking to Besso or thinking of physics. He feels empty, and he stares without interest at the tiny black speck and the Alps."

The first and last chapters represent a parallel in this novel, both speak about the clock tower. The time tower represents the idea that time is universal and continuous. The Prologue starts with the idea of time and how it keeps the world we live in together. Einstein introduces many bizarre concepts of how time could be distorted in parallel universe. In the Epilogue Lightman displays, that Einstein is still held captive by time. Lightman has used this powerful yet petite novel to show how the everyday realities of our lives could be drastically different.