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mysizereads's review
3.0
The love story of Voltaire and Emilie du Châtelet, both of whom were brilliant contributors to the age of Enlightenment. I especially loved getting to learn more about Emilie du Châtelet and her scientific discoveries in an era that did not promote women's education.
gregoreads's review against another edition
5.0
This was so good!! I was not expecting to love it so much. The mix of Emilie and Voltaire's crazy lives with David Bodanis' writing was perfect. It never felt like a chore to read and the characters were all so vivid. I can't believe this isn't a tv series, it would be perfect.
hinchemail's review
5.0
This book was fascinating from start to finish. Nonstop corruption, everyone has a mistress, write a bad word about somebody and go to jail, brand new ideas, parties with interesting people and more. If you are a fan of Voltaire, read this book but know it will mention the good, bad and the ugly about him such as his ego, hypocrisy, hypochondria, desire for fame, not being as smart as Emilie, etc. To top it off, Emilie shines as the ultimate feminist who many men run from because of their shame at not being anywhere near her equal. A real page turner and glimpse into this era.
mx_remy's review
3.0
Not a bad read, depending on what you're looking for. Given the very disparate natures of the two great personages this book chronicles, one might approach it from two main angles. Things look very different from Voltaire's eyes than from Émilie du Châtelet's, after all. By and large, the author does a very good job focusing on where the two converge. There are plenty of other interesting facets of 18th century France presented as well, of course.
As a Mathematics major, I was a little disappointed. I don't recall seeing any of Émilie's actual work in the book. In fact, just about the only numbers are dates. This is in stark contrast to Voltaire's work, whose excerpts are scattered all throughout. We're given to understand that Newton was a very brilliant and important person, and that Émilie, by understanding & improving upon his work so easily, was also such a person. Indubitably she was, but it would be nice to see for oneself.
As someone who very much enjoyed [b:Candide and Other Stories|19382|Candide and Other Stories (World's Classics)|Voltaire|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388239620s/19382.jpg|15207983], I was anything but disappointed with Voltaire's treatment. Rather, I felt enlightened. There were many such instances of sudden clarity, where I would have to stop and reflect back on one of his stories. The author makes it very clear just how close Voltaire's writing corresponded to the events of his life. I feel in retrospect that I should have known all this before reading his collected works in the first place; I may now have to read them again, for greater insight.
As a Mathematics major, I was a little disappointed. I don't recall seeing any of Émilie's actual work in the book. In fact, just about the only numbers are dates. This is in stark contrast to Voltaire's work, whose excerpts are scattered all throughout. We're given to understand that Newton was a very brilliant and important person, and that Émilie, by understanding & improving upon his work so easily, was also such a person. Indubitably she was, but it would be nice to see for oneself.
As someone who very much enjoyed [b:Candide and Other Stories|19382|Candide and Other Stories (World's Classics)|Voltaire|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388239620s/19382.jpg|15207983], I was anything but disappointed with Voltaire's treatment. Rather, I felt enlightened. There were many such instances of sudden clarity, where I would have to stop and reflect back on one of his stories. The author makes it very clear just how close Voltaire's writing corresponded to the events of his life. I feel in retrospect that I should have known all this before reading his collected works in the first place; I may now have to read them again, for greater insight.
skettska's review
4.0
Wow. An amazing book about an amazing woman. Emilie is a forgotten genius, without whom our understanding of science and mathematics would be crippled. Stunning.
typewriter's review
emotional
funny
informative
3.5
This book was very readable, and did a good job of taking the reader through the lives of Voltaire and Emilie, though Emilie's life was very much the focus. However, I was disturbed by the way almost every female historical figure who wasn't Emilie was dismissed as vapid and not worth talking about (the irony being that the same criticisms were applied to Emilie after her death). Just because the historical record is silent on their lives does not mean that these women were vain, empty creatures and lacked rich inner lives and struggles (such as that of simply existing as a woman in the 17th century). I was also annoyed by the author's sometimes casual tone, and the way he put forth assumptions on the nature of love and interpersonal relationships that did not seem grounded in any relevance to the subject matter.
Overall I still enjoyed my reading experience, as what this book does do well is highlight the absolutely ridiculous goings-on in the french court, though I would hesitate to use it as my only source for the above reasons.
Overall I still enjoyed my reading experience, as what this book does do well is highlight the absolutely ridiculous goings-on in the french court, though I would hesitate to use it as my only source for the above reasons.
ayetaebae's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
I didn’t know much about Voltaire and nothing at all about Emile. It was really interesting to read about their lives and the impact they have had on politics, science, and views on morality.
fallchicken's review against another edition
5.0
... hmm ... my brief review is lost. :-(
Even briefer: This is a *very* readable book about an extraordinary woman.
Even briefer: This is a *very* readable book about an extraordinary woman.