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stephaniesteen73's review against another edition
3.0
The theoretical math was way above my head, and I didn't spend a lot of time trying to understand it. At times it really bogged down the story. However, the tragic story of obsessive pursuits and how they cause rifts within families for generations was very compelling.
peaknit's review against another edition
4.0
The math genius of this book was at times over my head, but that said, it was a rich story. I enjoyed the heart felt moments that were so well described. I also loved the complicated characters, even the ones that weren't likable. Being inventive is a psychosis, I can agree with that nugget. Thank you to the author:)
hopereads1017's review against another edition
4.0
Great book with one too many chapters at the end.
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
2.0
So very hard going. The opening when Milo is discovering his talents is compelling enough, but once he starts his endless thoughtless womanizing, the book bogs down and it was impossible for me to keep on. This is a long book, which is usually a good thing for me, but I could not struggle through. Stultifying.
maa_pix's review against another edition
5.0
The mathematics of the story both attracted me and turned me away. The attraction was based on my own STEM background which endeared me to the mathematical metaphors the author used throughout the book. But the implications of the high level mathematical concepts and proofs that Milo pursues were lost to me. For all I knew at the time the Malosz conjecture, the Abendroth conjecture, the Goldbach conjecture, the Kurtman Hypothesis, might as well have been fictional constructs. But the author, through his narrator, states outright that only a handful of people would ever be able to follow the level of math that Milo employs, so I suppose the average reader shouldn’t be put off by it. In the end, an understanding of math will enhance ones appreciation of the book, but is not a requirement.
The second half of the book, where the narrative shifts, I found to be more interesting due to the expanded scope, which began to cover three generations of Milo’s family as opposed to just his own mathematical pursuits. A family of probable geniuses, if not savants, math still was the centerline of the story throughout. Or perhaps just the main metaphor of the work.
The second half of the book, where the narrative shifts, I found to be more interesting due to the expanded scope, which began to cover three generations of Milo’s family as opposed to just his own mathematical pursuits. A family of probable geniuses, if not savants, math still was the centerline of the story throughout. Or perhaps just the main metaphor of the work.
thebobsphere's review against another edition
5.0
Milo Andret is a mathematician whose only goal is to uncover mathematical secrets, throughout his life he manages this once (sort of) however his constant search affects his family, especially his son, who wonders if the crazy maths gene is hereditary and is scared that it has affected his children.
Canin's family saga is brilliant. The destructive father, the strong wife, the equally impulsive children. Despite that these have been present in this type of genre, Canin gives it an fresh twist. All the characters are fully realised. The plot offers a couple of unexpected twists and then Canin's writing is beautiful. I have never read a family saga this good. It's also my first introduction to Canin (other than one short story) so I will hunt down more of his books in the future.
Canin's family saga is brilliant. The destructive father, the strong wife, the equally impulsive children. Despite that these have been present in this type of genre, Canin gives it an fresh twist. All the characters are fully realised. The plot offers a couple of unexpected twists and then Canin's writing is beautiful. I have never read a family saga this good. It's also my first introduction to Canin (other than one short story) so I will hunt down more of his books in the future.
erboe501's review against another edition
3.0
I don't think this book quite earned its 500+ page count. There were sections that were quite absorbing and beautiful, but others dragged. I'm not one for reading paragraphs and paragraphs of poetic phrases about nature, and there was a lot of that. A lot of dramatic pronouncements about the human condition too. What I most enjoyed were the sections describing the children and their talents. The paternal pride and wonder at what your kids were capable of was something I haven't read a lot of. So much of the math went right over my head, but it was fun to read, and made a pretty convincing argument for how mathematics is a sort of poetry.
A sort of unusual book with a very dysfunctional family. I can't forgive the protagonist for his behavior and didn't enjoy the story as much because of his cruelty, but others might.
A sort of unusual book with a very dysfunctional family. I can't forgive the protagonist for his behavior and didn't enjoy the story as much because of his cruelty, but others might.
rmarcin's review against another edition
2.0
A story of a brilliant mathematician/topologist and his family. Milo is a brilliant mind, but he is haunted by his own demons. This book was 550 pages, and I think that was 300 pages too long.
bookishgeordie's review against another edition
3.0
I found this novel hard going. I thoroughly disliked the protagonist, Milo Andret, and toward the end of the novel I couldn't have cared what happened to him just so long as it happened quickly. I found many of the female characters underdeveloped and weak. The novel was well written and it had an interesting premise about the interplay between genius and the havoc it can wreak on families, but in the end I just didn't like or care about the characters in the story.