In The Escapement by Lavie Tidhar the Stranger is searching for the Flower of Heartbeat in a land of clowns… and people.
Location: parallel reality
The Escapement Synopsis
Into the Escapement rides the Stranger, a lone gunman on a quest to rescue his son in a strange parallel reality. But it is easy to lose one’s way on an endlessly shifting, unpredictable landscape. Especially in a place full of dangerous mirror-images of a child’s beloved things: lawless heroes, giants made of stone, downtrodden clowns, spectacular symbol storms, and an endless war between gods and shadowy beings.
As the Stranger has learned, the Escapement is a dreamscape of deep mysteries, unlikely allies, and unwinnable battles. Yet the flower the he seeks still lies beyond the Mountains of Darkness. Time is running out as the Stranger journeys deeper into the secret heart of an unimaginable world.
In his most compelling work to date, Lavie Tidhar has delivered a multicolored tapestry of dazzling imagery. The Escapement is an epic, wildly original chronicle of the extraordinary lengths to which one will go for love.
Book Review
In The Escapement, a father with a sick child becomes the Stranger in a parallel reality. The Escapement reminds him of that time he took his child to see the clowns. And just like in the real world, not everyone likes clowns….
Escaping reality
The Stranger tries to escape reality as the health of his terminally ill child deteriorates. The places he encounters on his journey resemble the phases he goes through while dealing with his son’s illness. The connections to The Waiting Place and The Hole are most obvious, but let’s not discount the journey, the catastrophes and the encounters with certain people. All that untapped time – a huge silence waiting under the ground – and the time loops are a great contrast to the time slipping by in the hospital room.
The worldbuilding is outstanding. Lavie Tidhar drew inspiration from fairy tales, the Epic of Gilgamesh and many other sources for the Flower of Heartbeat, locations and characters.
Narrative
The events of the Stranger’s journey are told in a very factual and rational way rather than an emotional one. I was expecting and hoping for more mystery and wonder in the early chapters. Instead, the setting is clearly explained, too clearly for my taste. The Stranger understands the inner workings of the world, with its mazes, shifting geographical patterns, and curved roads too easily.
Many other characters tell their stories, taking time away from the Stranger’s story. He does not seem focused on his goal of finding the flower that will heal his child, although he thinks about it from time to time.
I understand the parallels that are drawn, but I do not feel emotionally involved in the father’s story. I feel sadder for the slaughtered and enslaved clowns. The father seems distant, which is understandable because his journey – both in the hospital and the Escapement – has been long. I still don’t know if I find the blending of realities too subtle or not subtle enough.
Conclusion
The Escapement did not impress me. I enjoyed reading about the world and imaginary locations, but the story of the father/Stranger just didn’t work for me. I can’t feel the father’s struggle and his son remains faceless. This book doesn’t feel like the subtle blend of realities or the deep contemplation of running away from grief and reality that I expected before I started this book. I miss the mystery and excitement of not knowing something and figuring it out. I was hoping for something different and I’m still hoping for another story set in this interesting place called the Escapement. It ended up being a fascinating world with no compelling characters, more of a showcase than a story.
Interested?
Get your copy of The Escapement from Amazon (available 21 September 2021).
Book details
Title: The Escapement
Author: Lavie Tidhar
Language: English
Publisher: Tachyon Publications
Pages: 256
ISBN (13): 9781616963279
Publication date: 21 September 2021
About the Author
Lavie Tidhar (The Bookman; Unholy Land; A Man Lies Dreaming) is the author of the breakout Campbell and Neukom award-winning novel Central Station, which has been translated into ten languages. He has also received the British Science Fiction, Neukom Literary, and World Fantasy awards. Tidhar was born in Israel, grew up on a kibbutz, has lived in South Africa, Laos, and Vanuatu, and currently resides in London.
Many thanks to Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
