Letters from Zedelghem - Part 1
Letters from Zedelghem are a collection of letters written by Robert Frobisher to his lover, Rufus Sixsmith in the 1930’s. Robert is an ambitious young composer who was expelled from Caius College and disowned by his parents. The section begins with Frobisher recounting his experience from a hotel room in London to a bedroom in Chateau Zedelghem. The reason for his travel to Belgium is for him to meet the revered but reclusive composer, Vyvyan Ayrs. Frobisher offered himself as Vyvyan’s amanuensis to help the sickly man once again create great music, as well as to learn how to better his own work. Arys agreed and allowed Robert to move into his home with him, his wife Jocasta Crommelynck, and their daughter Eva.
Aiding the demanding Vyvyan was difficult for Frobisher. Although he strongly disliked Eva, Robert grew very fond of Jocasta and eventually they had sexual relations. Once, Vyvyan visited Frobisher in the middle of the night. Unbeknownst to Vyvyan, his wife laid with Robert in the bed before him. Ayrs recounted a dream, saying “I dreamt of a…nightmarish cafe, brilliantly lit, but underground, with no way out. I’d been dead a long, long time. The waitresses all had the same face. The food was soap, the only drink was cups of lather. The music in the cafe was…this.” Afterwards, he asked Robert if Jocasta had come on to him, in which Frobisher denied. When Sir Edward Elgar visited the Chateau, Vyvyan showcased his new symphony and took all of the credit. This upset Frobisher to a great extent. Threatening to leave, Vyvyan begged him to stay.
Aiding the demanding Vyvyan was difficult for Frobisher. Although he strongly disliked Eva, Robert grew very fond of Jocasta and eventually they had sexual relations. Once, Vyvyan visited Frobisher in the middle of the night. Unbeknownst to Vyvyan, his wife laid with Robert in the bed before him. Ayrs recounted a dream, saying “I dreamt of a…nightmarish cafe, brilliantly lit, but underground, with no way out. I’d been dead a long, long time. The waitresses all had the same face. The food was soap, the only drink was cups of lather. The music in the cafe was…this.” Afterwards, he asked Robert if Jocasta had come on to him, in which Frobisher denied. When Sir Edward Elgar visited the Chateau, Vyvyan showcased his new symphony and took all of the credit. This upset Frobisher to a great extent. Threatening to leave, Vyvyan begged him to stay.
Letters from Zedelghem - Part 2
With Vyvyan being sick and unfit to work with him, Frobisher decided to visit a graveyard in Zonnebeke. This is where Frobisher believed his brother Adrian was buried after the war. Unable to find his brother's grave, Frobisher left flowers on another soldier's headstone. He went to pay his respects despite being constantly compared to his brother and living in Adrian's shadow all of his life.
Frobisher describes his current piece by telling Sixsmith that the six solos in the first half of the symphony is interrupted halfway through by the next, and then picks up again in the second, which is much like the book itself. When Arys was well enough to work again, it was revealed to Frobisher that he had incorporated some of Frobisher's own work into his piece. This outraged Robert. He confronted Arys but Arys told him that he could leave if he wanted to. Jocasta begged him to stay and, although he was still upset, Frobisher conceded.
Eva returns from Switzerland and Frobisher discovers that he fancies her. He dines with Eva and the Van De Veldes, the family that houses Eva while she attends school. Robert does not like them. By the end of the night, Frobisher and Eva find themselves atop the Bruges Belfry Clock Tower and Eva confesses that she has fallen in love with a musical man, whom she missed while she was away. Frobisher was shocked but elated, believing the man to by himself. Furthermore, it is clear that Frobisher had become concupiscent of young Eva. While he copulated with Jocasta, he imagined she was Eva.
The next letter is addressed from a hotel in Bruges. Arys had asked Frobisher to compose a piece for him to polish up and pass off as his own. This infuriated Frobisher and he refused. Arys revealed that he knew about Frobisher's affair all along and that if he were to refuse, Arys would besmirch Robert's name so that he could never become a famous composer. He also told Robert that it was his idea for Jocasta to come onto him. That night, Frobisher steals Vyvyans gun and bullets and attempts himself to kill Vyvyan, but decides against it. Before he fled to a hotel, Frobisher left a note for Eva in her room and discovered the second half of the Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing.
Throughout his next few letters Robert only does two things: work on his sextet and stalk Eva. Eventually he crashes a party at the Van De Veldes and approaches Eva. She was repulsed and pointed out his haggard reflection in a mirror. Eva then told Frobisher that she was not referring to him when she told him that she had fallen in love with a musical man, but instead a man named Grigoire. Robert then attacked Grigoire and the two brawled until they were both injured. Frobisher was then visited by a policeman that he had previously became acquainted with. The man tells him that Grigoire comes from a wealthy family and they are looking to punish him. Frobisher tells him that he will leave Bruges once his nearly completed sextet is finished.
His final letter begins with “Shot myself through the roof of the mouth at 5 a.m. this morning with V.A.’s Luger.” Previously that week he had seen Sixsmith on top of the clock tower looking to find and console him. Frobisher fled the tower before he could be confronted. Finally finishing his sextet and reading Ewing's journal, he believed he had nothing left to live for. Frobisher tells Sixsmith that Eva was just a silly infatuation and that the true love of his life was him, and that she was not the reason he for his suicide. He asks Sixsmith to publish his Cloud Atlas Sextet and reassures him that they will meet again in another life. Frobisher then lays in his hotel bathtub, places the gun in his mouth, and pulls the trigger.
Frobisher describes his current piece by telling Sixsmith that the six solos in the first half of the symphony is interrupted halfway through by the next, and then picks up again in the second, which is much like the book itself. When Arys was well enough to work again, it was revealed to Frobisher that he had incorporated some of Frobisher's own work into his piece. This outraged Robert. He confronted Arys but Arys told him that he could leave if he wanted to. Jocasta begged him to stay and, although he was still upset, Frobisher conceded.
Eva returns from Switzerland and Frobisher discovers that he fancies her. He dines with Eva and the Van De Veldes, the family that houses Eva while she attends school. Robert does not like them. By the end of the night, Frobisher and Eva find themselves atop the Bruges Belfry Clock Tower and Eva confesses that she has fallen in love with a musical man, whom she missed while she was away. Frobisher was shocked but elated, believing the man to by himself. Furthermore, it is clear that Frobisher had become concupiscent of young Eva. While he copulated with Jocasta, he imagined she was Eva.
The next letter is addressed from a hotel in Bruges. Arys had asked Frobisher to compose a piece for him to polish up and pass off as his own. This infuriated Frobisher and he refused. Arys revealed that he knew about Frobisher's affair all along and that if he were to refuse, Arys would besmirch Robert's name so that he could never become a famous composer. He also told Robert that it was his idea for Jocasta to come onto him. That night, Frobisher steals Vyvyans gun and bullets and attempts himself to kill Vyvyan, but decides against it. Before he fled to a hotel, Frobisher left a note for Eva in her room and discovered the second half of the Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing.
Throughout his next few letters Robert only does two things: work on his sextet and stalk Eva. Eventually he crashes a party at the Van De Veldes and approaches Eva. She was repulsed and pointed out his haggard reflection in a mirror. Eva then told Frobisher that she was not referring to him when she told him that she had fallen in love with a musical man, but instead a man named Grigoire. Robert then attacked Grigoire and the two brawled until they were both injured. Frobisher was then visited by a policeman that he had previously became acquainted with. The man tells him that Grigoire comes from a wealthy family and they are looking to punish him. Frobisher tells him that he will leave Bruges once his nearly completed sextet is finished.
His final letter begins with “Shot myself through the roof of the mouth at 5 a.m. this morning with V.A.’s Luger.” Previously that week he had seen Sixsmith on top of the clock tower looking to find and console him. Frobisher fled the tower before he could be confronted. Finally finishing his sextet and reading Ewing's journal, he believed he had nothing left to live for. Frobisher tells Sixsmith that Eva was just a silly infatuation and that the true love of his life was him, and that she was not the reason he for his suicide. He asks Sixsmith to publish his Cloud Atlas Sextet and reassures him that they will meet again in another life. Frobisher then lays in his hotel bathtub, places the gun in his mouth, and pulls the trigger.