What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

I heard about What We Can Know by Ian McEwan on a recent episode of Sarah's Bookshelves. 

We have two timelines here. In 2014, poet Francis Blundy gifts his wife Vivien a poem for her birthday, a poem he read aloud at a dinner part. In 2119, we learn that most of the world has been submerged under water after a nuclear weapon occurrence (see my post on Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen for more on that!). Museums and libraries that still exist are on high land, are hard to get to, and travel is difficult in the best of times. A scholar of Francis Blundy is attempting to learn more about that poem from 2014 because it seems as if no copies remain. 

It's sort of an academic detective mystery with a hint of dystopia in it. 

Things I liked: The dystopian future setting was very interesting. I wanted to know more about how people lived in the figure. I also liked that academic setting - it's interesting to think about how higher education would evolve in a world like that.

Things I didn't like: The plot? Small spoilers, but this book was mostly about people cheating on one another in both time periods. I am not into that, to be honest. Also, the font was somewhat hard to read at times. 

Overall take: I don't know. I mostly wanted a different story in the future setting. 3/5 stars

Lines of note:

The humanities are always in crisis. I no longer believe this is an institutional matter - it's in the nature of intellectual life, or of thought itself. Thinking is always in crisis. (page 58)

Lolololz. *sob* *sigh* I am very concerned about AI. Out students have no critical thinking skills at all.

Most of our history and literature students care nothing for the past and are indifferent to the accretions of poetry and fiction that are our beautiful inheritance. They sign up to the humanities because they lack mathematical or technical talent. We are poor cousins and we don't get the smartest bunch. Our office are dilapidated. Many of them leak. (page 73)

This literally made me laugh because have we talked about how the building where I work has leaked from the roof for a decade. They actually redid the roof last year, BUT IT STILL LEAKS. Right into the political science department's offices. 

I felt, though I could never say, that I had made a sacrifice by marrying a man who had no taste for reading, who would rather fix the plumbing than talk about literature...(page 203)

I asked my husband if he wished he had married someone who read more than dragon books. He looked surprised and reminded me that I read Gone With the Wind and Moby-Dick this year. It's not just dragons. 

He seemed to disapprove of me on principle, but what that principle was, I never dared to ask. (page 279)

Doesn't everyone have someone like this in their life? 

Things I looked up:

Weil's disease (page 62) - Also known as Weil syndrome, a bacterial infection that is characterized by disfunction of the kidneys and liver. Most commonly caused by a bite from an infected animal, including rats, mice, cows, pigs, and dogs. (This seemed familiar to me, but it turns out that I looked it up when I read The Thorn Birds.) 

The Wanderer by Hans Thomas (page 78) - Hans Thoma (1839 – 1924) was a German painter. An alumnus and later professor of Karlsruhe Academy, he is known for his landscapes, portraits, and symbolic works rooted in German regional life and tradition.

secateurs (page 170) - a pair of pruning clippers for use with one hand

poitín (page 176) - rish moonshine, deeply rooted in the country's history and lore, is traditionally among the most potent alcoholic drinks on the planet

Hat mentions (why hats?): 

A gentleman with shoulder bag, straw hat and walking stick is strolling along...(page 78)

He removed his hat...(page 79)

I couldn't find a hat or gloves and I was in a hurry. (page 149)

I was given a yellow jacket and hard hat to wear and heavy boots...(page 243)

He was wearing globes and a black wide-brimmed hat I had never seen before. (page 260)

the wide-brimmed hat (page 263)

black hat (page 278)

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Have you read any good dystopian books recently?