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Title: Einsteins Dreams by Alan P. Lightman ISBN: 5-553-84710-9 Publisher: Books on Tape Pub. Date: April, 1994 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 3 List Price(USD): $18.00

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Average Customer Rating: 4.41 (167 reviews)

Rating: 5
Summary: Brevity and Genius for the Busy
Comment: Lightman constructs an illusory world, wherein Einstein is forced into surreal daydreams by the tedium of his work in the Swiss patent office. Einstein plays a rather bit part for his namesake having graced the cover; however, the thematic quality this lends is profound: Lightman through this particular construction is given the opportunity to explore the philosophical possibilities of time, whether it is circular, running reverse or merely amok. It is as if one were able to examine the possibilities of time through a kaleidoscope and inspect each fragment in detail; questioning the curious affects individually, as they impact the human experience - both emotive and physical.
I highly recommend the text, because if brevity truly is the brother of beauty, Lightman certainly has an undervalued talent for beauty, in presentation as well as prose. At 179 pages of broad and readable print on extremely small pages, you will be re-reading in under an hour.
By the twenty-fifth page however, I was beginning to feel that Lightman's construction and structure were reminiscent of something I had previously read: it was Italo Calvino's Cosmicomics, which is longer, and perhaps even stranger, yet ultimately lacks Lightman's brevity or authority. I highly recommend this novel to anyone, but especially those whose minds are open and wanting, yet stubbornly persist in their claim that they do not have the time - you have the time for this!

Rating: 5
Summary: Expand the way you view the world!
Comment: Einstein's Dreams was a required reading book for my high-school physics class. Since reading this insightful book, I have recommended it to almost everyone I know. Alan Lightman has done an amazing job of questioning and challenging the average mind on complex ideas and theories of physics. Lightman uses Einstein's Dreams to show mystical and impractical ideas of time and space. This witty novel takes place in Berne, Switzerland in 1905. Einstein's journal is a phantasmagoria of dreams that take place from April 14 to June 28. Among twenty-some short and unrelated stories or theories of time, there are a few scattered interludes about Einstein and Besso (his close friend). These short stories explain the idea of parallel universes and the theory of relativity, which Einstein dreams about so vividly. He says, "I want to understand time because I want to get close to The Old One."

On the night of May 14th in Einstein's dreams time has an origin. This center point on Earth is where time is dispersed, it sprawls out and speeds up from here. At the center time stands still, people remain doing what they are doing forever, their simple motions may take decades or centuries in this slowly moving place of time. "...one sees parents clutching their children, in a frozen embrace that will never let go." Out of this center of time, things move at a much quicker pace. On the night of June 17th, Einstein dreams of a world in which time is not continuous. Much like a scratched CD skips, time would cut in and out leaving its victims paralyzed for the time being. "Nerve action flows through one segment of time, abruptly stops, pauses, leaps through a vacuum, and resumes in the neighboring segment." If one were to analyze time here, they would find that it is only paused for an instant, everything still appears and looks the same. But every so often a confusion or vagueness can fall over someone when this pause of skip in time occurs, it can be catastrophic.

In this small book there is no real plot, it is more of a collection of creative vignettes. The five carefully arranged interludes tell the sad and lonely story of Albert Einstein. All the interludes separate themselves by about eight chapters. The first chapter is titled Prologue; it introduces Einstein and his growing interest in time. "For the past several months, since the middle of April, he has dreamed many dreams about time. His dreams have taken hold of his research. His dreams have worn him out, exhausted him so he sometimes cannot tell whether he is awake or asleep." Einstein's small interest has begun to transform into an obsession. In the next Interlude Lightman introduces Einstein's friend Besso. Besso's character is concerned for Einstein's well-being. Einstein continues to ramble about his interest in time. Einstein seems to distance himself from his wife, Mileva. Besso is confused on why they were ever married, and Einstein is unsure himself.

The third interlude is uncomforting. Einstein has begun to look ill and sickly. Besso asked if he was ok; Einstein replied with he was making process. Einstein tells Besso that he feels very close to the truth. The fourth interlude tells of Einstein's inner struggles and how he wishes he could share them with Besso. Besso ensures Einstein that he believes in him. In the fifth, and last chapter of the novel titled Epilogue; Einstein realizes that his life is incomplete and lonely. "He feels empty. He has no interest in reviewing patents or talking to Besso or thinking of physics. He feels empty, and he stares without interest at the tiny black speck and the Alps."

The first and last chapters represent a parallel in this novel, both speak about the clock tower. The time tower represents the idea that time is universal and continuous. The Prologue starts with the idea of time and how it keeps the world we live in together. Einstein introduces many bizarre concepts of how time could be distorted in parallel universe. In the Epilogue Lightman displays, that Einstein is still held captive by time. Lightman has used this powerful yet petite novel to show how the everyday realities of our lives could be drastically different.

Rating: 5
Summary: Sensuous
Comment: I Love LOVE LOVED this book and it was over too quickly. I could have kept going with even more stories of different worlds with different types of time. It was just the most sensuous retelling of the Theory of Relativity.