(What we must ow by Ian McEwan, Jonathan Cape, London, September 2025)
In the
first part of this novel, Prof. Thomas Metcalfe, in the year 2119, pores over
the past while searching for the Corona or crown of sonnets written by Francis
Blundy, the famous poet of 21st century. His quotidian life and his
efforts tell us what has been lost in this century: huge loss of life due to
nuclear warfare, inundation of New York, Lagos, Glasgow and many parts of the
world, then a big drop in global temperature, untamed viruses, permanent loss
of much of flora and fauna, exhaustion of mineral deposits resulting in
stoppage of manufacturing making for a very poor quality of life. The digital
economy is what propels the world but a few committed intellectuals like Prof.
Metcalfe carry on their pursuits.
He
eventually finds a time capsule buried in the Barn, Francis Blundy’ cottage,
now submerged. However, it contains something other than the sonnet.
Part two of
the novel deals with the life of Vivien Blundy, dedicatee of the Corona and her
small, promiscuous circle of friends and relatives, just like the Bloomsbury
group of early 20th century. The Corona was read out over dinner in
the group and then it vanished. A crime lies behind its disappearance. Its
tangles are unpicked slowly but without loss of momentum.
McEwan has
described his latest novel as science fiction without science. However, it
shows a sure grasp of current science and also of course, of literature and
academic life. He moves back and forth over two centuries and his characters
leaving no loose ends.
A clever,
masterly creation. I read only a few pages at a time – sustained reading is not
possible now – but when I left, the novel was alive in my mind and I was
waiting to get back to it. Last time it happened was with Emma Donoghue’s ‘Room’,
a decade ago. The novel has made a deep impact on my mind.
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