A review by typewriter
Passionate Minds by David Bodanis

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.