Cox - or, The Course of Time

More about the book

The world’s most powerful man, Qiánlóng, the emperor of China, invites renowned eighteenth-century clockmaker Alister Cox to his court in Beijing. In the heart of the Forbidden City, Cox and his assistants are tasked with building machines that reflect the passage of time as experienced by both a child and a condemned man, capturing the myriad emotions tied to that journey. Navigating the complexities of a rigidly hierarchical society ruled by an almost god-like figure, Cox employs his expertise to fulfill the emperor’s desires. Ultimately, Qiánlóng, known as the Lord of Time, commissions a clock that measures eternity—a perpetuum mobile. Driven by the desire to honor his late daughter and aware of the daunting nature of the task, Cox begins his work. Meanwhile, the court, trapped in an endless summer, is rife with sinister gossip about the foreigners’ creation. The Englishmen grapple with their confinement in this gilded cage. Richly imagined and vividly recounted, this narrative showcases Christoph Ransmayr’s ability to weave a captivating tale infused with metaphorical and metaphysical depth. It transcends the mere meeting of two men—one isolated by power, the other by grief—offering profound insights into mortality and the power of storytelling to conquer time.