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. I love. However, he then sees Marian headed back to the library. One night, the women discuss how the city is now being blockaded, and it is said that the sultan is digging underground passages beneath the walls to reach the inside. from their scans of Earth so they can be removed. Based on this, we know that the kids are doing some type of performance of the story Cloud Cuckoo Land by Antonius Diogenes, which was referenced in the prologue. Marias vision is totally gone now, and she has difficulty speaking. Instead, the solution that appears here is added by the translator. Seymour is sent to prison, where he works to compile Zenos translations of Cloud Cuckoo Land as penance for his actions. The last day of the trip is Rexs birthday party, which is at a club called The Crash. The Argos / Mission Year 65, Day 325 Inside Vault One. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Enlisted into the Ottoman troops against his will, Omeir learns that the world is full of destruction and cruelty. She is no longer as free-spirited after the incident with the pages being burned. Moonlight and Tree continue to be put to work without any time to rest, like the rest of the animals. A short while later, Bunny tells him that she took out a payday loan while she looks for a new job. 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. This time, Himerius talks about fleeing before the attack comes. She ends up on a beach with her drenched belongings, but the skiff is now gone. Even before the public could get their hands on it when it was finally released in late September of 2021, Cloud Cuckoo Land had already been longlisted for the National Book Award for Fiction . For a non-spoiler version of the plot synopsis, see The Bibliofile's review of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. Transformed now into a bird, Aethon-the-crow flies happily across the sky. It rings and then hangs up, and Seymour assumes that means the message has been received. As Tree and Moonlight to take on the extra weight, the two animals in front of them are killed and butchered. It reveals an image of hundred of people holding empty jugs and cans near a water truck. Sybil also tells her that she has enough food powder for 6,526 meals. Finally, she reaches a gnarled old tree, one that she has visited man times before. This chapter opens with an excerpt from Folio of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Antonius Diogenes. She says he can eat the rose of the northern sea right here, which is seaweed. Libraries play a central role throughout the novel, both as sanctuaries for children and as stewards of knowledge. However, he then proceeds to transform into a donkey instead of a bird. 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. In 1953, after Zeno returns from the war, he tries to locate Rex, writing to veterans organizations and anyone named Rex Browning in England. During the siege of Constantinople in 1453, she must accept that her city is not infallible. Master Kalaphatess mood is tense. In present day, 7-year-old Anna is the youngest person at the convent. One of them reads to him from Homers The Odyssey, and he listens in rapt attention. In Mission Year 61, on Konstances 10th birthday as well as her Library Day (the day she gets introduced to the library). 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). With each day, Rexs escape plan becomes more elaborate. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Their director is 86-year-old Zeno. However, eleven days into it, their truck is attacked. He talks about how more carbon in the air means bigger fires, bigger storms and worse floods. With her hands bound, he leads her by a rope away from the area. Meanwhile, by August 2019, Seymour has now reached out to the "Bishop" and his organization. By September, collection agencies are calling Bunny daily. Aethon-the-crow flies happily into the air until he gets caught up in a storm. Certainly the technology of The Atlas & The Perambulator were introduced at this meeting. He introduces her to some letters and demands some wine. He finds comfort in the forest outside their home, especially with his beloved Trustyfriend. He teaches her the Greek alphabet. He is slowly radicalized by Bishop, an internet persona who advocates for extreme retributive actions against climate destruction. Zeno manages to translate one book of the Iliad, two books of the Odyssey and part of Platos Republic. Emily Clement I made the assumption that Ilium set up the Argos experiment as a test, unbeknownst to the occupants. As Aethon's story continues, Aethon-the-donkey goes looking for a rose to undo his transformation, but eats some seaweed instead and is transformed into a fish. He says that corn (which is fed to animals for slaughter) grows worse with more carbon and humans cognition is worse as well. Marian the librarian reads to him about owls from various books, like an ornithology journal. However, he's stopped by Sharif, one of the library staff. When a disease breaks out and sends the crew into panic, Konstances father saves her by locking her in Vault One, the ships intelligence center that operates independently. 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. Hes interrupted by a man (Sharif) who stops him, saying he cant leave his backpack here. He then asks that she bring him a rose to transform him. Cloud Cuckoo Land, excerpts. 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. They cut down the forest nearby. Shes able to see the expansive Saracen army camp set up outside. However, he ignores it and yanks the phone out of the wall jack. On stage, the kids act out the part of the story where Aethon-the-donkey eats the seaweed and transforms into a fish. It then describes Zeno's love of the library and the librarians reading Greek classics to him. He works with Ilium engineers testing the various iterations of the Atlas treadmill and headset. Throughout the novel, Doerr employs vivid and evocative language to describe the natural world, drawing on his signature talent for capturing the beauty and fragility of the environment. After Konstance cleans herself up and does her lessons, she starts to wonder about the construction of the Argos. He talks about aerophonic farming, which requires less water than traditional farming methods. When selling these books to mysterious Italian buyers, she learns the value of preserving old stories and the risk of allowing a select few to exclusively possess books. The book is a puzzle. When he gets old, Luther passes away, and Zeno adopts another dog, which he names Nestor the king of Pylos. Its actually called the The Metamorphoses of Apuleius, but referred to as The Golden Ass. It describes part of the voyages of a man named Ulysses, and Anna is transfixed by its exotic and vivid descriptions. The Argos / Mission Year 64, Day 45 Day 46 Inside Vault One. She sees lines of words written in Greek welcoming her in. Kalaphates drags Maria by the hair, and Marias head smashes against a stone step. Grandfather notes that he once knew a man like this and that he was a good horseman. Konstance figures out that the scan of earth in the Atlas has papered over certain less palatable images of life on earth. . Omeir responds simply that he would like a meal and oats for his donkey. 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 . In Lagos, she takes a vendors drink that in a cup decorated with a cartoon owl and it reveals a bedraggled tent city. He finds her book, and he wonders if it is a book of witchcraft. They eventually have six sons, though three die. In 2021, Seymour is now in a medium security prison where he spends his time on the computer learning to code. In April, they reach the permanent camp area, and Zeno and Blewitt are sorted into the group of healthier prisoners and put to work. [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. The women at the convent are choosing to kill themselves rather than being taken by the invading forces. In each characters life Aethon's story gave hope, and provided purpose or prolonging in different forms. The children learn about his translations and work with Zeno to produce a play of Cloud Cuckoo Land. Seymour invites the former fifth graders (Christopher, Olivia, Alex, Rachel and Natalie) up for an all-expenses paid three-day resort vacation in Lakeport. Zeno agrees and sees that there are two sections that, if rearranged, point to Aethon deciding to leave Cloud Cuckoo Land and return home. Anna asks him to teach her to read, offering him wine as compensation. Hes woken by Hillary just before his flight. In May 1971, Zeno makes the trip to London.