Daisy chain | Yttria A.

Posted by Yttria on Monday, June 03, 2019 // 01:10 // 0 comments (+)

Living in the twenty-first century, moreover with this era of digital, makes time feels running so fast. In a meantime, suddenly you feel old. You feel like you haven't done enough and experienced enough of a moment or of a place, because there is just not much time.

“The longer you live, the harder it becomes. To grab them. Each little moment as it arrives. To be living in something other than the past or the future. To be actually here.”

Upon looking at the book title and synopsis, I felt intrigued to read it. The story is about Tom Hazard, a guy who has an anageria syndrome and is 437 years old. Tom spends most of his centuries life time on a quest in search around the world of his and his love Rose's daughter named Marion, who inherited the same ageing syndrome. They were separated around 400 years ago, Tom believes that Marion is still alive and keeps looking for her.

After living life for centuries with difficulty due to people's judgement over the syndrome, Tom gets a help from Hendrich, the leader of Albatross Society, a secret society to protect the lives of albas. An alba - using the same name of a bird species who has longer life compare to most bird species - is a human species who has the anageria syndrome. Tom joins the society, which means he has to follow the rules: to change self identity and move out from a place every 8 years and to not fall in love. These rules are made in order to cover and protect himself and the members of the society. After the long search, Tom finally meets his daughter, but Hendrich - who is overly paranoid of possible threats to albas existence - betrays Tom, which later makes Tom realizes that what he always wanted to do is to live his life again; an ordinary life where he could be himself and fall in love.

The albas in the story have many identities throughout their life time, for instance during his 400 years time, Estienne Thomas Ambroise Hazard had been known as Tom Smith, Edward Cribb, Tom Winters, and the current one is Tom Hazard the history teacher. He had moved many times from one place to another. I like the idea of it, which must have made one feels almost like a nomad. And of course; the idea of being anonymous in public, while at the same time knowing about almost everything history wise. But having many self identities must really be exhausting for one in a long term. As a human, you have a tendency to be recognised as who you really are, can freely do what you want.

The interesting thing about the story is that it is told as a series of history flashbacks from centuries ago that feels almost like a time-travel. The character even had acquaintance with Scott Fitzgerald, worked together with Shakespeare, had a dinner with Charlie Chaplin, and even went on a voyage with captain James Cook.

Another interesting bit of the story is the society's rules. One of the rules is not to fall in love; which means not to have attachment. Love is what makes you want to stay and gives the possibility to settle. The context of love in the story is a human relationship kind of love, but in a wider term; it could always be something universal. A love of food, of a place, or simply a love of an air, and of a moment; can be a reason for you to want to be you and experience the love as yourself; not wanting to become someone else or go somewhere else. Love gives purpose or meaning to life, and therefore stops time.

“History was - is - a one-way street. You have to keep walking forwards. But you don't always need to look ahead. Sometimes you can just look around and be happy right where you are.”

Human tends to have fear of the future, therefore becoming anxious about the present and almost always constantly mourned about the past. You won't really experience and do your best while being yourself in the present, if you keep having a battle in your head about the stuffs that had gone and the things that are about to come. To be human means to be part of time and respect the time by living life; one that has a meaning and purpose.

Image was taken from Google Images.

Labels: book review

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Hello! My name is Yttria. Here's where I share some of my photoworks, sketches, stories and quick thoughts. Some are just doodles and mumbles. Hope you enjoy it.

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