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A review by danchibnall
Angels and Ages: A Short Book about Darwin, Lincoln, and Modern Life by Adam Gopnik
4.0
I enjoy Adam Gopnik's writing style. It's clear and fun, like drinking a refreshing beverage. My first read of his, "Paris to the Moon", was a great recounting of his family's time in France. This book was also very well done, except the ending just kept going.
Gopnik attempts, with great success, to show how Lincoln and Darwin were linked together in history through their great accomplishments. The author does lavish quite a bit of praise on these men and they deserve it, but he does include a bit of the negative sides of their personalities and defeats. However, it's not the most balanced approach. I wasn't reading this thinking, "Man, I wish I knew more about the dark sides of these guys" but rather just wishing that he wasn't so gushing at times.
Despite that, his analysis of their lives was great. He showed how the deaths of their children affected them and how their personal quirks, hobbies, and desires made them the men they were. Darwin played his bassoon for earthworms to determine if they could hear, and Lincoln would walk around the Soldiers' Home reciting scenes from "Macbeth" and other Shakespeare favorites.
The last chapter has some more essential information about the two men, but Gopnik blows the dam wide open when he has trouble trying to find the end. It kind of reminded me of the end of the last "Lord of the Rings" movie when you think it's over, but it's really not. The writing is still high quality and the points he makes are not without their sound reason and logic, but he keeps going, and going, trying to not end the book. It was an odd, yet well-written ending.
Overall, I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn a little more about Lincoln and Darwin but doesn't want to read the thousands of volumes that have been written about them.
Gopnik attempts, with great success, to show how Lincoln and Darwin were linked together in history through their great accomplishments. The author does lavish quite a bit of praise on these men and they deserve it, but he does include a bit of the negative sides of their personalities and defeats. However, it's not the most balanced approach. I wasn't reading this thinking, "Man, I wish I knew more about the dark sides of these guys" but rather just wishing that he wasn't so gushing at times.
Despite that, his analysis of their lives was great. He showed how the deaths of their children affected them and how their personal quirks, hobbies, and desires made them the men they were. Darwin played his bassoon for earthworms to determine if they could hear, and Lincoln would walk around the Soldiers' Home reciting scenes from "Macbeth" and other Shakespeare favorites.
The last chapter has some more essential information about the two men, but Gopnik blows the dam wide open when he has trouble trying to find the end. It kind of reminded me of the end of the last "Lord of the Rings" movie when you think it's over, but it's really not. The writing is still high quality and the points he makes are not without their sound reason and logic, but he keeps going, and going, trying to not end the book. It was an odd, yet well-written ending.
Overall, I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn a little more about Lincoln and Darwin but doesn't want to read the thousands of volumes that have been written about them.