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nooneyouknow's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty impressive. This book seems to create the impression of people, places, ideas and feelings by talking around (or near) those things without describing them directly. You get the sense of the subject matter through the juxtaposition of what I came to think of as many sets of fuzzy foci that blur towards each other - rational and irrational, France and Germany, WWI and WWII, man and woman, right and wrong, math and humanities. Not an easy read (and I know that I missed most of the stylistic tricks and treasures in this first read-through), but for all the intimidating literary background, this was still a really compelling and engaging, and occasionally devastating, experience. Recommended to anyone willing to put in a little work.
bookwormmelissa's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This was such an amazing book, really difficult to put down. Makes me really want to read Calvino now...
Second read was just as amazing...
Second read was just as amazing...
johnbradley2's review against another edition
5.0
Clever concept with surprising emotional heft and depth.
littletaiko's review against another edition
4.0
I can safely say this was unlike any other book I've read. Each chapter is told different, whether as a fairy tale, research notes, a list of numbers, etc...The author is a member of Oulipo which was not a group I was familiar with until now. I should have been since Italo Calvino is also a member and I'm a big fan of his work. I gather that their goal is to set certain writing constraints for their stories which leads to some really creative writing. If someone has more knowledge on the group, please feel to share and educate me. Audin is also a mathematician and uses that knowledge to good effect here. She weaves a story about several mathematicians, their families, work and lives during WWI and WWII. Not too much math for those who don't enjoy it but enough to give it a solid background.
lizaroo71's review against another edition
4.0
I called Deep Vellum in Dallas and said, "Tell me what to read." This was one of the recommendations. Incredible. This is a translated work and one that I imagine would have been difficult to work with given the various formats in which the story is told.
This follows various mathematicians in France during both world wars. We begin the story with one young man in Africa that ventures to Europe to study. This man, M, becomes the apex of the stories that then unfold.
We get journal entries, descriptions of the contents of an envelope and even one chapter that is told with numbers and their significance. It is a brilliant way to read through the lives of people so affected by the work these men completed.
I would have appreciated some kind of diagram with a list of the mathematicians (I found I had to return to previous chapters to keep the narrative straight), but that is just a simple wish. This is an interesting way to tell a story and one that I really enjoyed. I'm always in awe of authors that can put something so complex together and make it seem so simple.
Thanks to Deep Vellum for publishing and recommending.
This follows various mathematicians in France during both world wars. We begin the story with one young man in Africa that ventures to Europe to study. This man, M, becomes the apex of the stories that then unfold.
We get journal entries, descriptions of the contents of an envelope and even one chapter that is told with numbers and their significance. It is a brilliant way to read through the lives of people so affected by the work these men completed.
I would have appreciated some kind of diagram with a list of the mathematicians (I found I had to return to previous chapters to keep the narrative straight), but that is just a simple wish. This is an interesting way to tell a story and one that I really enjoyed. I'm always in awe of authors that can put something so complex together and make it seem so simple.
Thanks to Deep Vellum for publishing and recommending.
jvillanueva8's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the structural variations in this book. The author executed so many different styles yet made the book feel cohesive. I would say that the structure hindered the character depth, but the craft itself was impressive enough to make this a joy to read.
miekookeim's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
I wish I were perceptive enough to understand more of the structure and constraints of this book! Very impressive translation considering the format. Despite feeling that the fine details of the structure eluded me, I found the book and its organization charming and quite interesting.
mazza57's review against another edition
1.0
odd, starts off well but rambles into nonsense in my opinion
jasonfurman's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful novel about several generations of French mathematicians, centered around World War I and World War II, part of the Ouilipo school that use formal constraints on writing, but the constraints are worn relatively lightly and it is a highly readable with every chapter in a different style (Kipling, diary, interview, photo captions, a list of places, etc.). Most of them work quite well, with one chapter consisting entirely of a series of numbers in ascending order each followed by a short phrase of explanation being particularly powerful. Two of the main character mathematicians are jews, one who dies in the holocaust, while the third mathematician gets disfigured fighting in World War II and turns increasingly angry, anti-semetic, and during World War II collaborationist. Well worth reading.