The Capital of Dreams by Heather O'Neill
The Capital of Dreams is one of those rare books that when finished leaves the reader both slightly mystified yet completely held in its thrall, dazzled by the imaginary world created by author Heather O’Neill. It defies standard genre classification as this novel-length fable blends magical realism with literary fiction in a dark dystopian setting.
Sofia is a sheltered 14-year-old only child whose mother, Clara Bottom, is recognized widely as the most brilliant thinker, philosopher and revered author of the tiny fictional European country of Elysia: a country so small and insignificant in world history as to be overlooked and ignored by the rest of the continent that scarcely seems to know of its existence.
Its exact location is not revealed but it seems to share a border with a nearby neutral country, possibly Switzerland. It has been a peaceful nation since the Great War (WWI) that supports artistic individuals and intellectuals in their expansive endeavors to foster creativity in the arts, literature and culture.
Family Tension and a Girl’s Love of Folklore
Sofia’s parents separated years ago when her father abdicated all responsibilities and moved permanently to New York. He seems disinterested in his daughter’s welfare even when Elysia is invaded by an enemy intent on annihilating the intelligentsia. Clara is a distracted, neglectful mother more intent on her writing and intellectual pursuits than child care. Sofia is fed, clothed and sent to school, but their relationship is distant and somewhat rocky.
Clara doesn’t understand her daughter’s love of folklore and fairy tales while exhibiting disinterest in academic study and deeper thought. Sofia struggles with her mother’s indifference and lack of love, longing to be hugged and accepted in the fashion she has only experienced from her grandmother who lives many hours distant.
When War Comes Knocking at Your Door
There were rumblings of fascistic dictatorships seizing power and waging war but rumors were ignored until the Capital (unidentified by any other name) is overrun by an army of soldiers intent on raping, looting, demoralizing and ultimately exterminating the populace.
The actions mirror what occurred after Hitler came to power, except this time, instead of expanding the Reich and murdering the Jews, the enemy is intent on killing cultured and learned citizens regardless of any religious affiliation. This is a deadly class war waged on the well-educated bourgeoisie and upper echelons.
A Daring Escape and a Magical Forest
When a plan is presented to rescue the children of the Capital by sending them out of the country via a Children’s Train, parents eagerly enroll their children. Sofia is a little older than most but Clara has tasked her with smuggling her latest manuscript to safety. It is a plea and clarion call for help made to the world outside of Elysia which, when published, would broadcast the evil intent of the invaders.
However, this “rescue train” proves to be a hoax when the train halts in the middle of a dense forest where trucks await the children to be offloaded. Sofia and a few others sense danger and run for their lives. Gunshots ring out and she witnesses the death of a boy from the same car. It is quickly apparent all the children have been selected for execution. During her harrowing dash for freedom, she loses her mother’s precious manuscript which then becomes her goal to find and reclaim. The trees in this forest are magical, housing fairies in their roots that may choose to protect or harm those seeking shelter there.
How Far Is She Willing to Go to Secure Her Future?
Throughout her efforts to remain among the living, details are fluid as narrator Sofia meanders in a dream-like state in ever-altering time, space and locations accompanied only by a large talking goose. She travels and encounters other lost souls; children who also escaped from the train, refugees and soldiers.
Her wanderings are similar to journeys depicted in the fairytales she loves to read. She must instinctually determine who can be trusted and which seemingly kind person will rob her or worse, turn her over to the enemy. Danger and uncertainty lurk everywhere and Sofia is often cold and hungry.
In The Capital of Dreams, struggling to find food and adequate clothing in the coming months and changing seasons is an almost insurmountable challenge for a city girl accustomed to abundant shops and a comfortable home. What might Sofia be willing to barter in her determination to save her own life?
She is determined to return to the Capital, seeking an almost mythical Black Market where she believes the manuscript would have been taken if found. Sofia becomes determined to leave the country to secure her future survival.
A Cunning Craftswoman of Dystopian Fiction
The Capital of Dreams leads the reader on a surreal journey into uncharted territory filled equally with terrors and enchantment.
Heather O’Neill is one of Canada’s leading writers of literary fiction. Her debut novel, Lullabies for Little Criminals, won the CBC Canada Reads competition in 2007 shortly after one of her short stories was made into a film. The novel became an enormous best-seller propelling her into the spotlight and garnering additional nominations for international prizes. Her compelling work invites favorable comparison with Emily St. John Mandel, Margaret Atwood, Kazuo Ishiguro, Suzanne Collins, George Orwell and other craftsmen of frightening dystopian worlds.
Heather O’Neill is a novelist, short-story writer and essayist. Her most recent novel is The Capital of Dreams. Her previous works include When We Lost Our Heads, which was a #1 national bestseller and a finalist for the Grand Prix du Livre de Montréal; The Lonely Hearts Hotel, which won the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and CBC’s Canada Reads; and Lullabies for Little Criminals, The Girl Who Was Saturday Night, and Daydreams of Angels, which were shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, the Orange Prize for Fiction, and the Scotiabank Giller Prize two years in a row. O’Neill has also won CBC’s Canada Reads and the Danuta Gleed Award. Born and raised in Montreal, she lives there today.
