At the end of May, Maria dies. Aethons tale, originally told to his dying niece, was a way to evade death and slip the trap of mortality. Sybil also tells her that she has enough food powder for 6,526 meals. In April, they reach the permanent camp area, and Zeno and Blewitt are sorted into the group of healthier prisoners and put to work. She decides to set about making her own library of things she knows that Sybil does not, and she sets about trying to use her synthetic food to make ink. His time in the prisoner-of-war camp is defined by his crush on his fellow prisoner, Rex Browning. They pay for the animal manuscript, and they offer more money if she brings them additional manuscripts. She gets fired for not returning to work (because she was out looking for Seymour). It turns out to be a small island. Anna is a young orphan living in Constantinople before the Ottoman siege; Omeir is a Bulgarian boy born with a cleft lip who is enlisted into the Ottoman troops. She tells Zeno that she thinks that two of these folios are out of place. He tells an old crone that he hopes find a sorcerer who will transform me into a bird, a fierce eagle or a bright strong owl. Bunny takes Seymour to a doctors office. Anna is told that a blessing from the Church of Saint Mary of the Spring may be able to heal Maria (by letting her drink holy water), but it costs silver. 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. However, before he can, he is captured by bandits who use him to haul stolen goods to their hideout. He travels there and offers the book to the library at the palace, telling them that he was told they safeguard books there. Rex says that the bureau mustve misfiled his letters, since he received three letters at once. Then, it occurs to Konstance to find out about the five children that Zeno Ninis saved that day at the library. And sometime in the future, Konstance is a girl on Argos, an intergenerational ship that is on a 592-year-long journey with a mission to reach a distant planet. One day, Anna returns to her cell to find Kalaphates violently confronting Maria after having found the pages that Licinius gave to Anna. She tells Anna that theyll want girls to be sold or used, and she knows because it happened to her before. Ilium later develops a treadmill prototype for navigating the map. By now, in the story, Aethon has become a crow and is swept up by a waterspout. The Greek tale was likely. He then gets eaten by a large sea creature. An iconoclastic, mixed-genre world where there are no rules or unhappy things and serves as a hidden base for the rebel protagonists and councils of Master Builder. The oldest person is Thekla, 70. [This wasn't explicit, but there was a chapter or part of a chapter (I listened) where Seymore invites all the "kids" that were in the play to an all expenses paid trip and I think that is where the idea of the Argos is introduced to them. "Cloud Cuckoo Land" is ultimately a celebration of books, the power and possibilities of reading. Its now 5:38 PM. He died when he was 86 on February 20, 2020. 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. In quarantine, Konstance and her parents spend most of their time on their Perambulators with their Vizers on. If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ($2, $3, or $5) or joining the Patreon! In the section where Seymour is working for Ilium by erasing all the horrible things that happen in the world, until he starts to work against Ilium by placing the owl portals to allow an Atlas user to access the truth, he realizes that Ilium doesnt care what he is doing because they have lost interest in the project. They explain that their lord loves antique manuscripts. What was the point of the experiment, given that K was able to live on earth and have children? Cloud-cuckoo-land definition, an idealized, illusory domain of imagination; cloudland: the cloud-cuckoo-land of technicolor cartoon whimsy. In May 2019, the new childrens librarian Sharif shows him an article entitled New Technologies Uncover Ancient Greek Tale Inside Previously Unreadable Book. Follow along on Goodreads, or keep in touch via the newsletter. Konstance begrudgingly does as shes told. 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). In Thessaly, he looks for a witch that can transform him into a bird. She gets another cleaning job and waitresses at night. In Argos in Mission Year 65, after Konstance escapes the vault, she uses a makeshift axe to break through the exterior of Argos. The bombardment is concentrated at the walls, though occasionally a cannonball flies deeper into the city. When he awakes, he sees its 4:42 PM and that hes been asleep for the last 15-20 minutes. Sybil's core is housed in Vault One. She also mentions that Natalie Hernandez, one of the kids from that day, is studying Latin and Greek in college. In those places, shes able to reach out and touch the item to reveal a hidden location. She also mentions that perhaps itll be a good thing by raising their land value. Nearby (within viewing distance of the library), Seymour Stuhlman, 17, is asleep in his Pontiac Grand Am. Seymour is enraged to find the dismembered wing of a great grey owl on the roadside. On the way, he comes across the folklore worlds of many cultures. 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. The four-paragraph version: Cloud Cuckoo Land is about a book and how it manages to survive across time. He smashes the classroom projector. This section describes a scene of dancing and rejoicing. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The characters all face internal and external conflict when they learn that the world is more complex than they thought in a coming-of-age plot. As they cross some wet rocks in a creek, the bull in front of Tree slips and breaks its leg, causing the one next to it to fall as well. 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 glad that the goatskin codex is safely with her instead of burning up in the fire. They recommend an occupational therapist, and Seymour gets suspended for a day. By the winter, Zeno is still in the prison camp. The next day, in the toolshed, Seymour soon finds a pistol, ammunition and a crate containing 25 M67 hand grenades. To do so, they have a riddle for him to solve, The Lakeport Public Library / February 20, 2020 5:41 PM. Seymour sees the motor home as embodying a lot of things that he finds odious, like wasting energy and consuming excessive amounts of fossil fuels. The novel centers around an Ancient Greek codex that links characters from fifteenth-century Constantinople, present-day Idaho, and a twenty . When Seymour is 22, as a good behavior innmate, hes given an opportunity to work for the Ilium Corporation by manually identifying objectionable images like homeless people, obscene graffiti, demonstrators, etc. He thinks about how at 17, he had convinced himself that every human he saw was a parasite, but instead the truth is infinitely more complicated, that we are all beautiful even as we are all part of the problem. Time passes. (Read the rest of the authors note at the end of the book for more details). I didnt understand the purpose of the passengers living in the Argos if it was just sitting in a field and not being observed by anyone. Right now, we dont know who The Bishop is, though it seems like Seymour is hoping this person can get him out of this mess. Finally, as the oxygen reaches 8%, the door to Vault One opens. Hes prescribed pills to take twice a day, which Bunny says will help make him calmer. The last time she sees Licinius, she notices he looks unwell. She also finds Zenos translation of the folios. She flees as the city falls, taking her precious copy of the Cloud Cuckoo Land folios, and meets Omeir. Alone in Vault One, Sybil informs Konstance that she is healthy, but she is not permitted to leave. Cloud Cuckoo Land, excerpts. It follows three sets of characters in different time periods who all come across a (fictional) ancient Greek tale called Cloud Cuckoo Land by Antonius Diogenes. One of the key themes explored in the ending of Cloud Cuckoo Land is the idea of finding solace in literature and storytelling. Finally, in December 1970 (17 years later), he gets a letter from Rex who says he only just received Zeno's letters (presumably, the bureau mislaid them for some time). This time, she notices that it says Translation by Zeno Ninis. As Seymour does the job, he finds hes good at it, and his supervisors give him glowing reports. In November, Seymour sees his imaginary owl guide him towards Paw-Paws old toolshed next to the double-wide. 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. It is a cylindrical vault with Sybil suspended in a tube in the middle. It's about a character named Aethon who goes on a journey to find a "utopian city in the sky" (the titular Cloud Cuckoo Land). The woodcutters village is a superstitious one, probably partially because of the time they are living in. 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. Anna continues to read to Maria. Anna and Omeir arrive at Omeirs home. On the fourth day of their travels, two banner men with plunder pass by. In this section, Aethon announces that hes leaving for Thessaly, the Land of Magic. Unable to leave Compartment 17, Konstance puts on her Vizer and goes to the Library instead. She recognizes the name Rachel Wilson from the list its her grandmother. Next to her, a machine named Sybil gently instructs her to eat, though she declines. In this section, Aethon goes to the goddess to ask to read the book. Zeno almost has his hands the phones when one of the phones in the bag starts to ring. That December, Pearl Harbor is bombed. Seymour attempts a bombing at the Lakeport Public Librarythe building that neighbors the housing developers responsible for the forests destructionon the same night that Zeno and the children are doing their dress rehearsal. In this section, after Aethon watches the witch/owl fly out of the window, he rushes into her room. Anthony Doerr's Optimism Engine. Konstance then travels to Qaanaaq, the location where the crew of the Argos had been stationed before departing. She then flies out the window and into the night. Mrs. Maher talks to Omeir about the spoils of war that he will claim for himself. In the book, Aethon-the-crow looks down at Earth from above, feeling hopeless. Traveling with the rest of the caravan, it takes the strength of 60 oxen to haul the cannon. Sybil suggests that she do her writing in the library where she doesnt need to make ink and whatnot, but Konstance declines. Meanwhile, the motel Bunny works at closes down, and she loses her job. Cloud Cuckoo Land blends elements of fantasy and science fiction with unconventional organization to create a complex world of plots relating across generations. Inside the archers turret, surrounded by rubble, is a fresco painted on the southern wall (perhaps painted by a bored or lonely bowman). Out on the streets, Anna heads for the harbor. This chapter opens with an excerpt from Folio of Cloud Cuckoo Land. He has spent the summer mainly in his bedroom. James Corwin Ilium scammed the original Argos crew into joining the "mission", which was actually just an earthbound prototype for possible future space travel. Certainly the technology of The Atlas & The Perambulator were introduced at this meeting. That would go against Sybils directive to protect the crew. He considers that if he travels with her, maybe it will attract less suspicion since she will seem like a prize he has won. When Zeno was seven, he and his Papa moved from Northern California to a small cabin a mile away from Lakeport, Idaho since Papa had been hired install a saw for a lumber company. With some difficulty, she manages to get out past the breakwater and out into the dark sea. He suggests that she help him to steal some things from there and they can split the proceeds, otherwise hell tell on her. 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. Marias vision seems to clear a little and she feels better for a few days, but soon her vision blurs and her headaches return. He learns that there are roughly 11,100 great grey owls in America. However, he ignores it and yanks the phone out of the wall jack. Then, she sees the elaborately decorated stage, dazzling her with clouds and birds. When Seymour is 27, hes doing his work when he realizes one of the flagged areas is in Lakeport. Zeno is an anxious child who struggles with his fathers death. That night, Anna helps with hauling stones to be dropped on the heads of the invaders. At home, Bunny tells Seymour that the motel she works for is shutting down, so shes being let go. Seymour thinks about all their unpaid bills and how his medicine alone costs $119 a week, but she reassures him itll be okay. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. 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. However, some bandits show up to rob the inn. In conclusion, the ending of Cloud Cuckoo Land raises philosophical and existential questions about the nature of existence and the search for meaning in a chaotic and unpredictable world. Required fields are marked *. In the dress rehearsal, the kids act out finding a book in the sarcophagus and beginning to read from it. Someone with the screen name of Mathilda in the Bishops ranks is assigned to correspond with Seymour. 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. This is the name of the land that separates humans and gods in the Greek play The Birds by Aristophanes. Instead, Rex does it by himself. I don't think this was because the world was uninhabitable, but because it was clearly heading that way in the long term (based on what the owls reveal in the atlas) and humankind needed to do the long term research to be able to evacuate at some point in the future. Seymour becomes engrossed in watching these videos, neglecting other parts of his life. Rex also mentions that he and someone named Hillary are hosting an event for his birthday in May, and he invites Zeno to come visit. Seymour is sent to prison, where he works to compile Zenos translations of Cloud Cuckoo Land as penance for his actions. He then hides the images into various owls around the Atlas so they are still hidden, but accessible. There, she sees a copy of the book Cloud Cuckoo Land, translated by someone named "Zeno Ninis". He reminds Zeno that he had a knack for translating. She wonders if shes the only one left. She also bought some new electronics with the extra cash she had, though Seymour points out they dont have the Wi-Fi setup to use most of it. He watches as Marian exits the library at 4:51 PM. Due to the running water, the foundation there is weak and the stones near there are less stable. Maher, a young oxherd, comments that fear of the thing will be more powerful than the thing itself.. Your email address will not be published. Instead, Konstance wants to find the copy that her father had read from. As he eats them, she asks about his father. In her father's hometown, she sees people clamoring for water near a water truck as men with guns shoot at the crowd. In its belly, he meets a great wizard who tells him that Cloud Cuckoo Land doesn't exist, but who agrees to turn him into a bird. Shes brought into a room with three men, and they ask if she knows how to read old Greek. Just before the attack, Anna notices a goatskin codex that she retrieved from the priory. He makes the determination of whether the boy will live or die and the family accepts his authority and judgment. Around her are scraps of paper, some of which mention a Greek tale by Antonius Diogenes called Cloud Cuckoo Land. He is slowly radicalized by Bishop, an internet persona who advocates for extreme retributive actions against climate destruction. Without the story, all was chaos and death. In May 2109, Zeno finds out that the text of an ancient Greek goatskin codex that was once considered illegible is being scanned with new technology that can extract the text. The ending of the novel brings this storyline to a crescendo, as the characters are forced to confront the dire consequences of their actions and make decisions that will shape the fate of their world. He rejects this side of human nature and flees the war, running into Anna on her journey away from Constantinople. As she bleeds out, Kalaphates burns the pages in the fire. One night, a traveler passes through. The kids also ask him to turn it into a play for them to perform. However, instead of transforming back into him, Aethon feels himself transform into a fish, The Lakeport Public Library / February 20, 2020 5:27 PM. Neat trick if you can do that in 9 years. He sets up traps in the forest, but they continue to be empty. She finds Himeriuss skiff and rides out in it. 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. You make ZYZZYVA possible. These chapters jump from character to character, switching perspectives throughout. Before dark, Widow Theodora sends Anna to fetch caper buds (a plant) outside. This chapter opens with an excerpt from Folio O of Cloud Cuckoo Land. After many days of travel, they arrive at Omeir's home. Enlisted into the Ottoman troops against his will, Omeir learns that the world is full of destruction and cruelty. "You and I will never reach Beta Oph2, dear, and that is a painful truth. Earth no longer habitable? You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with When he looks at the book, Zeno has sexual feelings, but he feels they are wrong (probably partially because he knows they are mens bodies), which is why he throws away the book. This chapter opens with an excerpt from Folio K of Cloud Cuckoo Land. Years later, there is a flood at the cottage. 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. The party is loud and flashy, and Zeno feels overwhelmed and out of place. Aethon is told he sounds an awful lot like a human right now, but they suggest that Aethon read a book that they have that contains all the knowledge of the gods. Thanks Agustina! Cloud Cuckoo Land, excerpts. He ends up sitting on the forest floor, and everything feels quiet finally. Their director is 86-year-old Zeno. The next day, the unleash an opening salvo of cannon fire as more than 60 cannons hurdle cannon balls toward the city. She also asks if Zeno build all of this for them. In this section, Aethon-the-donkey is about to be killed by the bandits for being a useless donkey, but a miller offers to buy him instead. On Konstance's 276th day in isolation, she reaches for the owl drop box and realizes she's able to grasp on to it, unlike other things in the Atlas. Konstance is also able to find Zeno Ninis's version of Cloud Cuckoo Land there, and she starts to transcribe it section by section into scraps of sackcloth (from the food powder bags in the Vault). A short while later, Bunny tells him that she took out a payday loan while she looks for a new job. 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. He find himself visiting Edens Gate and then he heads to the library. The plot follows five main characters through three timelines. She escapes the ship and creates a life for herself on Earth, and with her she takes her homemade copy of Zenos translation of the Cloud Cuckoo Land folios. In present day, 7-year-old Anna is the youngest person at the convent. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. Mrs. Chen explains that Sybil contains the collective wisdom of our species, including every map and book, and that Vault One has a separate thermal, mechanical and filtration process from the rest of Argos. 3 comments. An owl greets him at the gate, saying that before he can enter, they must first ensure that he truly is a bird. The siege has now gone on for five or six weeks. When Rex sees Zeno, he embraces him warmly. Anna tries to reassure her, but the thought of it scares her, too. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Konstances life aboard the Argos is fraught with existential dread when she learns that she will never live long enough to reach the spaceships destination. She falls asleep and wakes up in time to capsize on a rock. He thinks about what would appeal to these kids and capture their attention, and he starts again to write. Seymour wonders how they couldve gotten there so quickly, but then he sees that the man on the floor (Sharif) has earbuds in. In May 1971, Zeno makes the trip to London. She has Konstance practice using the librarys resources by asking her to figure out how long the journey to Beta Oph2 will take.
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