He also wonders if hes really willing to die for this cause (to give voice to the innumerable creatures that humans have wiped off the earth). She dashes over and takes the roasted bird. It reveals an image of hundred of people holding empty jugs and cans near a water truck. In the 1400's in Constantinople, Anna is a young orphan girl, and she and her sister Maria work at a convent that serves as an embroidery house run by Master Kalaphates. The years pass, and Seymour is now 58 years old, but the insurgent inside him lives still. The second week of April, they finally reach the outside walls of Constantinople. When he finally becomes a bird, he flies high into the cosmos and discovers Cloud Cuckoo Land. She thinks about how shed been warned that she should leave some offerings for the revenants (spirits) that winter, but hadnt heeded those warnings. Seymour lets two shots loose, and the latter hits the man (Sharif) in the shoulder. He introduces her to some letters and demands some wine. Seymour comments that that man hates him and Bunny and wants them to sell their property so more houses can be built. Mrs. Lee is also not doing well, and 21 other people are experiencing symptoms too. A housekeeper shoos Anna away, but the old man, Licinius, comes outside the gate to talk to her. She ends up isolated after a plague kills everyone else on board. When Konstance is 7, she sneaks out when her mother is sleeping to visit Farm 4, where her father, Ethan, is working. Rex comes up with an escape plan for then, but Zeno backs out at the last minute. Shes then equipped with a Permbulator and a Vizer (virtual reality device that goes on her head over her eyes). In present day (in 2020), Seymour is a 17-year-old environmental activist who tries to set off a bomb at the local library. In the courtyard of the palace, he tells tells the guard that he has come with a gift for the learned men of this place. After exploring the complex, she realizes there is no launchpad or rockets. Its a large book that lets you enter its pages and explore and look at a virtual version of Earth. Sybils directive is to keep the crew safe, and Sybil believes that Konstance is safer in Vault One. She looks it up to see that Scheria is a mythical island of plenty from Homers Odyssey. A few weeks later, Konstance turns 14. For a non-spoiler version of the plot synopsis, see The Bibliofile's review of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. That same afternoon, Tree and Moonlight are part of the ox train hauling cannonballs when Moonlight stops walking, lowers himself down and dies. He forgets to attend the event at the library when they unveil a new book drop that looks like an owl. In the book, Seymour gets the name Trustyfriend from a kids cartoon. The siege has now gone on for five or six weeks. The Argos / Mission Year 65, Day 341 Day 370 Inside Vault One. In the library, the kids have their dress rehearsal for their performance tomorrow. 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. She returns to her fathers childhood home in the Atlas and takes another look at the book. When he gets old, Luther passes away, and Zeno adopts another dog, which he names Nestor the king of Pylos. He spends a lot of time with Rex, who teaches him Greek. The preface state that the part of the book with the riddle has been lost, as has the solution to it. He makes the determination of whether the boy will live or die and the family accepts his authority and judgment. Konstance also realizes that there are other places in the Atlas like the owl drop box where certain items are just a little more vibrant. She passes away when she is 54. Years pass. The author claims he found the tale etched onto pieces of wood in an ancient tomb. It is from Greek (= Nephelokokkuga), from (= nephl), cloud, and (= kkkux), cuckoo; this compound was coined by the Greek comic dramatist Aristophanes (circa 450-385 BC) in The Birds. She points out that if Diogenes was writing to his dying niece that the point of a story is that is gets passed on, then he wouldnt have Aethon stay in Cloud Cuckoo Land. However, hes able to enter the library freely, so hes planting it there. Finally, one Thursday in May, Rex announces that they tonight is the night for their escape. The ship goes into Quarantine. A Woodcutters Village in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria / Those Same Years. Even as a young boy, Seymour understands what is the matter with him. Outside the city walls, Omeir's oxen both die from overexertion. A sign indicates that it is Property of Ilium Corportation, the technology company responsible for the mission. 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). That night, Anna helps with hauling stones to be dropped on the heads of the invaders. The book then states that before [Anna] turns fourteen, every person she knows will be either enslaved or dead.. 21/04/2023. Back in the boat, Himerius is unhappy with what shes brought back, which appear to mostly be old recrod-keeping registers filled with tallymarks. cloud cuckoo land ending explained. In 2057, a remorseful Seymour compiles Zeno's translation into a book and gives it to the kids that Zeno saved. Seymour lives with his single mother who struggles to provide for him. The quartermaster responds by giving his whip a loud crack. October Book Club Favorites Discussion: CLOUD CUCKOO LAND - YouTube When they finally near his home, he has her hide her sack in a hollow tree, promising her they will return and that it will be safe there not sure if shes able to understand his gesturing at all. He goes by the name the "Bishop", carries an assault rifle, and is seeking people to "join him". However, she finds that it is empty. This chapter opens with an excerpt from Folio H of Cloud Cuckoo Land. Despite everyones warnings, Aethon embarks on a journey to find the utopia. Chryse warns Anna that the city will likely fall very soon. Idaho State Correctional Institute / 2021 2030. Thank you for helping me realize I didnt miss a chapter. She thinks about whats outside and remembers her mother saying that certain viruses can persist for months on surfaces. Inside is an igniter, nails and two pressure cookers, both filled with a high explosive called Composition B. Meanwhile, by August 2019, Seymour has now reached out to the "Bishop" and his organization. She asks the Library to show her a picture of Lakeport Library in Lakeport, Idaho on February 20, 2020. Compare the library in Lakeport and the one aboard the Argos. When they get to Seymours place, an old man waves to them. I have plenty of questions about how and why Ilium conducted the Argos experiment, and found it interesting that Konstances father was the grandson of one of the library children who were doing the play of Cloud Cuckoo Land. Alex goes to get some root beers for himself and the other kids, but as he does so, he trips and causes the cans to scatter loudly across the stage. It seems that by the time the Argos mission was being set up, things had gotten truly dire in many places on earth. At the end of May, Maria dies. When Anna's book gets soaked, Omeir dries off the pages. In present day, the phone at the front desk of the library rings as the police attempt to contact Seymour. Shes brought into a room with three men, and they ask if she knows how to read old Greek. In this section, Aethon-the-donkey is on the seashore when a goddess with wings descends. As she explores his home, she sees that she has a partial view into a wedge of his room. Determined to find it, he heads for Thessaly, a land of Magic. In 2057, Seymour is now on work-release staying in a small apartment and commuting to work each day. They end up living a happy life together, both enjoying Annas copy of Aethons story. All the information seems entirely unconnected from someone who would translate an ancient Greek comedy. She gets a new worksuit, and she gets pancakes made with real flour to eat for breakfast as a treat. Today, the Hodegetria, a painting of the Virgin and Child that is the citys most venerated icon, is carried out of the church that houses it and is carried up to the Third Hill. This chapter opens with an excerpt from Folio of Cloud Cuckoo Land. Tell me more.who do you think is responsible for the "spaceship?" By now, the siege has been going on for a few days. Learn more by clicking here. To do so, they have a riddle for him to solve, The Lakeport Public Library / February 20, 2020 5:41 PM. On the way, he comes across the folklore worlds of many cultures. I was thinking about why Argos existed in the first place, and I think it could have been a really well-intentioned Hail Mary at preserving our culture and possibly humanity itself.. Its an ark with enough people, seeds, and knowledge to kickstart human life on another planet, and I think the intended planet was Earth after a century or two of the collapse of civilization. As Aethon's story continues, Aethon-the-donkey is told he needs to eat a fresh rose to undo the transformation. She shares a cell with Maria, her older sister. In the prisoner camp, he meets Rex Browning, a fellow prisoner with a love of Greek classics. That spring, Mrs. Onegin introduces him to a book about owls, and he recognizes Trustyfriend as a great grey owl like the one depicted on the cover. Once hes retired, he spends his days working at the public library. In 1452, Anna is now 12. Doerr is an American author, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his novel All the Light We Cannot See, and recipient of numerous other literary awards. Konstance ends up staying in Qaanaaq, living in a village that consists of 49 people. She gets thrown overboard, but finds that shes able to stand in the water. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); On the Argos, all the passengers but Konstance die. He implores her to transform him into a bird so he can reach the city in the clouds where all needs are met and no one suffers. They load Aethon-the-donkey up with stolen goods, and they all leave town. The children marvel at the sight, and Rachel remarks that it looks like Cloud Cuckoo Land. Konstances mother frets that Konstance is going against their mandate to look forward instead of back. During the siege of Constantinople in 1453, she must accept that her city is not infallible. He is slowly radicalized by Bishop, an internet persona who advocates for extreme retributive actions against climate destruction. Instead, he remembers that this was a comedy meant to comfort a dying girl. By 2146, she has a 3-year-old son and is pregnant with another child. The Golden Ass is not made-up, in case any one is wondering. From the 15 th century to the future, the five protagonists in Anthony Doerr's brilliant Cloud Cuckoo Land come together astonishingly in the stories they make of their lives, rewritten by time and circumstance. When it gets late, she puts on her bioplastic suit, tucking her book in with it. See more. Eventually, an interpreter comes, and Omeir show him the book, saying that I have heard that this is a place that protects books. Please share your theory and research! Zeno as assigned to gather wood, despite his forearm still being injured. [Can someone explain the ending w/r/t Konstance and the spacecraft? She reaches out for the handle on the drop box. She also mentions that perhaps itll be a good thing by raising their land value. When she touches an wood owl statue, it reveals itself to be an industrial complex that is enclosed in razor-wire. Following the sound, she finds an old man, a tutor, reading from a book with four boys listening on. News spreads that people are dying and experiencing symptoms. like. Mrs. Instead, the calls a number that is written on the back of a phone that he brought in its the one he was told to dial if theres trouble to contact the Bishop. When he wakes the next morning, he sees that she has untied herself, but stayed with him. Its a three hour bus ride from Lakeport. She watches the sunrise. This chapter opens with an excerpt from Folio Y of Cloud Cuckoo Land. In later years, Anna continues to recite parts of the story to the boys. After months of work, he shows up early to the Library on February 20, 2020 to see the completed set. In Chapters 3 - 4, the book flashes back to various characters' childhoods. You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with When she reaches the outermost layer, it seems completely dark, but then she realizes shes not being sucked towards it or freezing, so she was right. He thinks to himself that my best companions cannot speak the same language as me. He tells the fishermen that hes not a fish, and they take him to a great wizard. She sees an account describing amazing things like a city in the clouds and a donkey near the sea. Anna understands that it would be feared and mistrusted otherwise. Cloud Cuckoo Land Symbols & Motifs | SuperSummary He finds her book, and he wonders if it is a book of witchcraft. one year ago. The bombardment is concentrated at the walls, though occasionally a cannonball flies deeper into the city. I believe the Argos is in the future as Rachel's grandchild grows into Konstance's father. The infant boys three older sisters (Amani is the eldest) look on at him, wondering if he is a jinn (demon/spirit). Zeno is a shy child, orphaned after his father is killed in World War II, who goes on to serve in the Korean War. CLOUD CUCKOO LAND | Kirkus Reviews In this section Aethon-the-donkey describes being ridden by the miller and the son up to a farm. Anna is instructed, along with hundreds of other children to help patch up deteriorated sections of the citys outer wall. The Lakeport Public Library / February 20, 2020 4:30 PM. There are 86 people living in it, 60 of which were born there. Konstance instructs Sybil to send him a message, but he doesnt respond. Seymour is sent to prison, where he works to compile Zenos translations of Cloud Cuckoo Land as penance for his actions. One day, Maria says she can no longer see. Zeno is ecstatic to learn that Rex is alive, even after all this time. In November, Seymour sees his imaginary owl guide him towards Paw-Paws old toolshed next to the double-wide. On the ship Argos (in the future), Konstance was born in Mission Year 51, and she grew up with her parents who are part of the 86-person population of the ship. The Lakeport Public Library / February 20, 2020 5:08 PM. Rex would be Peisetarios (translated as Trustyfriend) and Zeno would be Euelpides (translated as Goodhope). Doerr is an American author, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his novel All the Light We Cannot See, and recipient of numerous other literary awards. This section describes Aethon-the-crow at the gates of Cloud Cuckoo Land. The library director Marian has painted an city in the clouds on the back wall of the stage. Seymour invites the former fifth graders (Christopher, Olivia, Alex, Rachel and Natalie) up for an all-expenses paid three-day resort vacation in Lakeport. She tries to find a copy of the same book in the Library, but it isn't there. Seeing that, Seymour finds Bunny at work, and the consoles him, reassuring him that there are plenty of other forests where Trustyfriend can live happily. In each characters life Aethon's story gave hope, and provided purpose or prolonging in different forms. As he starts second grade, Seymour gets even more into owls. As the kids sit around Zenos table, he tells them the story of Cloud Cuckoo Land, and they ask him questions about it. Interspersed within and throughout all the chapters are excerpts and various parts relaying bits and pieces of the story of Diogenes's Cloud Cuckoo Land. Instead, at the center is a huge circular grounded building. He also burns the pages. In her mind, she thinks about how if shes wrong about this, then shell be dead almost immediately. Years later, there is a flood at the cottage. It consists of 24 parts. Cloud Cuckoo Land As Himerius and and Anna leave, Anna feels hopeful. Bunny leaves him at home alone since she has to go to work, and she promises to check on him mid-day. In the future, in Mission Year 61, Konstance turns 10. With 'Cloud Cuckoo Land,' Anthony Doerr Dazzles And Disturbs They eventually make camp underneath a stone overhang. The 'Cloud Cuckoo Land' in the novel is a first century tale written by Diogenes that tells the story of Aethon, a foolish shepherd who leaves home in search of Cloud Cuckoo Land, a. (Read the rest of the authors note at the end of the book for more details). To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. He loses whatever bravery he began with when Rex is slow to respond. That night, he tells her about Aethon arriving in Thessaly and peeking into the room of the innkeepers wife, who is rumored to be a witch. When she does so, it opens up a hidden area that where it's February 20, 2020 and she's at the public library in Lakeport. One of them reads to him from Homers The Odyssey, and he listens in rapt attention. The preservation of knowledge and the importance of storytelling were key themes throughout the novel, and the escape of Konstance at the end mirrored Aethons desire to return to Earth, bringing the story full circle. At school, Seymour tries to behave, but he hates his desk, which is warped and screeches when he moves. He isnt sure they will all agree to go, but they do. Kalaphates drags Maria by the hair, and Marias head smashes against a stone step. Rex invites him to a birthday event in May. They recommend an occupational therapist, and Seymour gets suspended for a day. Konstance thinks she sees an ant, but Sybil (the machine) insists that its impossible on Argos. He says that the foreigners in the city will pay a lot for these antiquities. She sees a video of him as a 12-year-old boy explaining why he should be allowed on the Argos mission. What happened to her father and the others on board? Soon, Zenos father leaves for military boot camp, and Zeno is left living with Mrs. Boydstun. The next morning, Tree cannot get up. Konstance understands now that situations like this are why her father chose to leave Earth in order to be a part of this mission. He travels there and offers the book to the library at the palace, telling them that he was told they safeguard books there. She knows that the Italian traders believed the ancients had written accounts of fantastic lands theyd visited, so she probably thinks that what this is right now. Anna tries to reassure her, but the thought of it scares her, too. However, he ignores it and yanks the phone out of the wall jack. It turns out to be Omeir, who did not realize she was a young girl. This allows him to behave better so he doesnt get overwhelmed and flip out. A owl stands at the entrance and says he has a riddle for him to determine if he really is a bird, since only birds can enter. Later, Seymour watches more videos of him at the Library. The next day, Dr. Pori (who is elderly and had also gotten Zekes vomit on him) dies as well. Reader Q&A, The weeks later in June, the twenty youngest prisoners including Zeno and Blewitt learn that their release has bee negotiated. The preface explains how Aethons journey to find Cloud Cuckoo Land takes him through the folklore worlds of virtually every culture. When Omeir is 10, their family cow Beauty has twin male calves, one brown (Tree) and one grey (Moonlight), which is a boon for their family. By the time Zeno is 16, he is apprenticing part-time at a machine shop around the time the Korean War begins. As he remembers Zeno, he feels dizzy (something has gone wrong inside him), falls off his treadmill and breaks his wrist. 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. He gets captured by the Chinese (allied with the North Koreans). This time, she notices that it says Translation by Zeno Ninis. He eventually learns to cope with his disorder by wearing earmuffs and spending time alone in the forest. (Later the the chapter, Zeno has a flashback of an image of a man in a prison camp as he scratches Greek characters into the dust.). They explain that their lord loves antique manuscripts. The kids also ask him to turn it into a play for them to perform. That season the family has their most productive harvest since leaving their village. However, its unanimously accepted that the story begins with Aethon drunkenly watching a performance of Aristophaness comedy The Birds, resulting in his belief that Cloud Cuckoo Land is a real place. The Greek tale was likely. Seymour hasnt seen Janet since he smashed in the RV and bolted. A few days later, Omeir and his mother take some coins and buy a castrated bull and a weak donkey. That night, she checks through the sack of unsold papers and sees the goatskin codex. In this section, Aethon provides an answer (saying he knows nothing, and the owls agree that is the right answer), and the gates to Cloud Cuckoo Land swing open. She wonders if shes the only one left. She tells Anna to leave tonight. Cloud Cuckoo Land (out now) weaves together three timelines: 15th-century Constantinople, where a young Omeir joins a caravan on the way to invade the walled town and a 13-year-old Anna discovers .
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