The Book Nook

Lose Yourself in this Rich Fantasy Not many books can make me laugh out loud, especially ones that focus on serious subjects such as mortality and otherworldly battles between good and evil. “The Bone Clocks” by David Mitchell has that capacity. Those who normally avoid science fantasy may feel more “grounded” in the real world with this one. Plus, there’s a lot under the surface here. Fans of the science fiction movie “Cloud Atlas” may know it originated from a Mitchell book of the same name that was published in 2004. Ten years later “The Bone Clocks” appeared and, like its predecessor, contains six stories that proceed from past to future. At the center is Holly Sykes, a woman with near-psychic abilities who is unaware that the future holds a “winner-take-all” war between two immortal groups. Five of the six stories are told in a first-person narrative by different people with connections to Holly. We start in 1984 with Holly’s story. She’s a teenager running away from home to live with her boyfriend when an unexpected shock derails her plans. Even stranger events await her and she has an experience that recalls the auditory hallucinations she experienced in childhood. She suffers a loss that will haunt her forever and meets people who will be critical in shaping her life. From there we move to the year 1991 and a fictional college in Cambridge, England where we meet several young men in a pub sharing drinks and breezy banter. A few of these lads will meet Holly at different points in the future. One of them is Richard Cheeseman, a critic and aspiring novelist. Another is Hugo Lamb, a political student who makes a better enemy than a friend. Shortly after meeting Holly he’s approached by a shadowy group called the Anchorites, who claim to have telepathic abilities and superhuman powers. He struggles with the decision of whether to follow his heart or accept the Anchorites’ strange and tantalizing offer. The book’s third section is set in 2004 when a war correspondent returns to England for a family wedding. While he had intended to refuse all future war assignments, he’s grappling with guilt over the murder of two Iraquis who were crucial to his success in finding and interviewing locals. Now his mission is to find a way to tell his wife he can’t keep his promise to settle down with her and their daughter. Fast forward to 2015 and the world of the famous author Crispin Hershey. His star is falling and he blames two people. One is Richard Cheeseman, who panned his latest book with words that still sting. The other is a new author – Holly Sykes. Like Crispin, she’s also on an international book tour. She’s promoting a work about her psychic visions and is unaware that the popularity of her book is casting heavy shade on Crispin’s fame. He’s upset enough to consider serving up a particularly nasty dish of revenge. The fifth part of the story centers on Marinus, one of a handful of people who call themselves Horologists. They need all the help they can get to fight the evil Anchorites, who kill people to enhance their immortality. But first they must convince Holly to help them in their final battle. What ensues is a monumental war with heavy losses and an unclear outcome. The final segment opens in the year 2043. The good news is that Holly has reached a ripe old age and is living on the west coast of Ireland. The bad news is that climate change and the depletion of natural resources have made life a real struggle. When their government protection and dwindling rations are threatened, Holly’s worried that civilization will regress and fears for her granddaughter. With no help in sight they face dark times indeed. Well, now that I’ve thoroughly depressed you, let me share that this is one of the most delightful books I’ve read in a while. The “laugh out loud” comment at the top of this article is absolutely true. Some sections contain wit that’s sharp enough to be considered a lethal weapon and provides wickedly comic relief. In addition to comedy, there’s also plenty of drama, an imaginative plot, diverse narration and an unflinching look at our fear of mortality. There’s also wonderfully good and disgustingly evil characters and an interesting mix of historical novel and science fiction. Best of all, its penned in a lyrical style by a masterful writer. Mitchell fans will be happy to see the return of some of the same characters from his earlier novels “Cloud Atlas” and “Black Swan Green”. It doesn’t surprise me that this book was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize, or that Mitchel is compared favorably to authors such as Haruki Murakami, Virginia Woolf, Thomas Pynchon, Michael Chabon and others. A minor complaint is that the changing voices from one section to the next felt a bit disconcerting at first. But there was also cohesion and an internal quiet that spoke volumes. The author did an excellent job using a fantasy plot to explore topical earthly subjects While this is the first novel I’ve read by David Mitchell, it won’t be my last, especially considering the humor from the lively wordplay and the appeal of the characters. “The Bone Clocks” is a book with aspects that will appeal to lovers of adventure, fantasy, drama, humor or excellent storytelling.