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When I have a writing deadline approaching, you'll probably find me in the kitchen. It's horrible, I know, but when I work with a deadline, I tend... Continue »
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eBook editions

Einstein's Dreams: A Novel

by Alan Lightman

Einstein's Dreams: A Novel Cover

ISBN13: 9780446670111
ISBN10: 0446670111
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

A modern classic, Einstein's Dreams is a fictional collage of stories dreamed by Albert Einstein in 1905, when he worked in a patent office in Switzerland. As the defiant but sensitive young genius is creating his theory of relativity, a new conception of time, he imagines many possible worlds. In one, time is circular, so that people are fated to repeat triumphs and failures over and over. In another, there is a place where time stands still, visited by lovers and parents clinging to their children. In another, time is a nightingale, sometimes trapped by a bell jar.

Now translated into thirty languages, Einstein's Dreams has inspired playwrights, dancers, musicians, and painters all over the world. In poetic vignettes, it explores the connections between science and art, the process of creativity, and ultimately the fragility of human existence.

Review:

"Alan Lightman uses varying concepts of time as a thread to hold together a set of short sketches which are meant to be fictional dreams Einstein has while he is working on his theory of relativity. He dreams worlds in which time runs backwards, or is circular, or is different for each person. Time is a malleable substance in Mr. Lightman's hands which he molds into many tiny statuettes for our study and delight. A beautifully written and thoughtprovoking book." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)

Review:

"Endlessly fascinating. A beguiling inquiry into the not-at-all theoretical, utterly time-tangled, tragic and sublime nature of human life." The Boston Globe

Review:

"Lightman is an artist who paints with the notion of time." Los Angeles Times
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 3 comments:
mcoester, January 20, 2010 (view all comments by mcoester)
An intriguing look into the sleeping mind of Einstein - what might the father of the theory of relativity dream of in the months prior to the publication of his work? Time and time again. But not as we know it. A short and entirely engaging reading that you'll find hard to put down and very easy to recommend to others.
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Lyndsay, January 3, 2009 (view all comments by Lyndsay)
Whimsical, mystical, subtle and gorgeous. Each chapter is a story all on its own. Combined, the reader gets a floating notion of time and space centered around Bern Switzerland. The words evoke a a constant stream of images. This book is less a story than series of beautiful dreams that leave the reader in a peaceful state of wonderment. I love every word.
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Marie Angell, October 27, 2007 (view all comments by Marie Angell)
This book presents a dilemma for this reader. It has a sweetness about it, it's a clever idea, it's well-crafted, but I just didn't find it as compelling as I thought I should.

I suspect that this book would strike someone differently who has largely confined their reading to literary works. In my case, I read quite a bit of imaginative fiction and so these speculative concepts were not as awe-inspiring as they could have been to someone with less mileage on her.

Truth be told, I was a disappointed that the book didn't tie together the dreams in some way, giving them a little more zip. At the conclusion, when I expected a little jolt, it merely ended.

There's not a thing wrong with this book if you're satisfied with merely reading about "Einstein's dreams".
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780446670111
Subtitle:
A Novel
Author:
Lightman, Alan
Publisher:
Warner Books
Location:
New York :
Subject:
General
Subject:
Literary
Subject:
Fiction
Subject:
Dreams
Subject:
Physicists
Subject:
Psychological
Subject:
Time
Subject:
Biographical fiction
Subject:
Time -- Fiction.
Copyright:
1993
Series Volume:
no. 8, 12, 16
Publication Date:
February 1994
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
179
Dimensions:
6.40x4.62x.64 in. .39 lbs.
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Einstein's Dreams: A Novel Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$6.95 In Stock
Product details 179 pages Warner Books - English 9780446670111 Reviews:
"Review" by , "Endlessly fascinating. A beguiling inquiry into the not-at-all theoretical, utterly time-tangled, tragic and sublime nature of human life."
"Review" by , "Lightman is an artist who paints with the notion of time."
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