I confess to opening this book expecting some schlock,
Frankenstein ripoff. And while any story about man creating
life - albeit mechanical life in this case - owes some debt
to Shelley's classic, THE CLOCKWORK MAN is a
remarkably original tale. Filled with pathos, insight and
intrigue, I was surprised to find myself unable to put the
book down, and devoured it in one late night session.
THE CLOCKWORK MAN is written ostensibly as the journal of
Ernst, an entirely mechanical man created by a master
clockmaker towards the end of the 19th century. It is
divided into roughly two parts, the first corresponding to
his "youth" in Germany, where he becomes part of his maker's
family. The latter half is in present day Milwaukee, where
Ernst finds himself after
nearly a century of inactivation. To describe the story in
much detail will spoil the fun, but almost misses the point.
The real joy of the book is in the characters.
Ernst is a fully realized narrator, both profoundly human
and distinctly alien in nature at the same time. It's a
delicate trick to pull off, and I'm frankly mystified as to
how the author managed it. The other characters are
delightfully human as well, from his master's family to
the homeless vagrants he befriends in the alleys of
Milwaukee. The author also does a masterful job
constructing the world around Ernst - our world,
but with Ernst's existence making it's mark, and the events
of the world marking Ernst in return. The only weakness I
can name is that the forward is both superfluous and so
poorly realized that I almost failed to turn the
page. Luckily for me, I persevered, and was richly rewarded
for it. Skip the forward, or save it for the end, and
you'll find yourself much happier.
In all, this was a delightful book - part fable, part
morality play, part character study. I can find few ways
better to endorse a book other than to say that once you
start, don't plan on putting it down. I hereby put this
book in the "don't make any plans," category.
Ernst, the first man made of clockwork, is hailed as a
marvel of late 19th-century automation and gains endless
admirers, but when his love for the daughter of his creator
is abruptly cut short, his serene existence is shattered.
Forlorn, he allows himself to wind down in a willful act of
defiant suicide. Now, more than 100 years later, he awakens
to a new world and mentor—a well-meaning, if slightly
unstable, homeless man. Attempting to piece together the
events that brought him to this new home, Ernst tries to let
go of the century-old tragedy that still haunts him. This
story of science fiction realism delves into the thoughts,
feelings, and desires of a character who must deal with the
poignant social repercussions of having been built, rather
than born.
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