Susan's Reviews > The Other Einstein
The Other Einstein
by
by
I didn't like this book at all. I hate books that have potentially interesting stories to tell and then just wreck them. It could have been quite edifying as Mileva Maric was Albert Einstein's first wife and a noted scientist in her own right. She was the only female student at an elite university in Zurich in 1896. She lives in a pension with other bright female students. It must have been exciting to be on your own for the first time and discovering there are other people like yourself who like to learn.
So we discover any of this? No. The four females are jealous of each other when one of them dates. Are there wonderful conversations between Einstein and Maric? There were but there were so many more talks where he thinks up pet names like Dollie, ragamuffin, beloved sorceress, little escapee. Gag me with a stick. This is nothing more than a glorified romance novel.
There are claims that Maric is responsible for some of Einstein's work. It fits into a new theory going around that women were responsible for everything. I think she had input into his work but she was certainly no Marie Curie. As the book goes along she becomes more and more subservient. I found this difficult to believe that a well educated woman would suddenly change to this degree. Also, she had a limp. I think the first 9000 times this was mentioned was sufficient for me to understand that she had a limp that she blamed everything in her life on. Put please quit hitting me over the head with it.
I have to admit my bias here. I had just finished a wonderful book that shook me, moved me and made me think. It was a historical fiction too but on such a different level that it was like comparing Charles Dickens to a children's book. But then I'd have to call it historical fiction instead of what it is, a badly written romance novel.
There are so many great books and so little time, why would you waste a second on this drivel?
So we discover any of this? No. The four females are jealous of each other when one of them dates. Are there wonderful conversations between Einstein and Maric? There were but there were so many more talks where he thinks up pet names like Dollie, ragamuffin, beloved sorceress, little escapee. Gag me with a stick. This is nothing more than a glorified romance novel.
There are claims that Maric is responsible for some of Einstein's work. It fits into a new theory going around that women were responsible for everything. I think she had input into his work but she was certainly no Marie Curie. As the book goes along she becomes more and more subservient. I found this difficult to believe that a well educated woman would suddenly change to this degree. Also, she had a limp. I think the first 9000 times this was mentioned was sufficient for me to understand that she had a limp that she blamed everything in her life on. Put please quit hitting me over the head with it.
I have to admit my bias here. I had just finished a wonderful book that shook me, moved me and made me think. It was a historical fiction too but on such a different level that it was like comparing Charles Dickens to a children's book. But then I'd have to call it historical fiction instead of what it is, a badly written romance novel.
There are so many great books and so little time, why would you waste a second on this drivel?
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
The Other Einstein.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
October 7, 2016
–
Started Reading
October 7, 2016
– Shelved
October 8, 2016
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-16 of 16 (16 new)
date
newest »
message 1:
by
Dem
(new)
Oct 09, 2016 02:12AM
Thanks for the warning Susan.
reply
|
flag
Ironically in the last mid-century there were quite a few historical fiction of excellent degree disguised as romance stories (covers as well) and now it is exactly the opposing juxtaposition that is most common. I've hit 3 or 4 this year and I DNF.
Eileen, I really liked The Girl from Venice. On a personal level, a group of Irish friends and I read Return to Killybegs which was a very intense story of the IRA from "The Troubles" to the Peace. We just can't stop talking about it.
Thanks. Return to Killybegs was already on my to-read list, probably because of your review! I'll add the other one, and hope my library will respond to my purchase suggestions!
I'm reading it right now and am at about 50% of the way done. I'm having the exact same frustrations... only a little bit more to go!
Oh my goodness, I could not agree more! Rubbish like this can send you into a reading glut. I felt so liberated when I decided I didn’t need to persevere any more. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Totally agree with you. Great review.I don't normally care for historical fiction anyway because of the problem of what is true and which is poetic license.
I think the pet names come from the author's research being heavily influenced by the letters between the two Einsteins. She was trying to fit in this quirky information.
Oh my gosh, yes, exactly. So I'm dying of curiosity: WHAT is the wonderful book that shook you, moved you and made you think??? Please do tell!