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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
reflective
medium-paced
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Все три истории были по-своему интересны. Мне понравилось, как представлены каждый из героев.
Provocative and gripping
Never thought I'd be unable to put down a book about numbers, but here we are. Labatut weaves together the mathematical, the mechanical, and the humane to awe-inspiring (and often discomfiting) effect. I was also impressed with the different voices and styles of prose he developed for the numerous narrators over the course of the book. Just excellent.
Never thought I'd be unable to put down a book about numbers, but here we are. Labatut weaves together the mathematical, the mechanical, and the humane to awe-inspiring (and often discomfiting) effect. I was also impressed with the different voices and styles of prose he developed for the numerous narrators over the course of the book. Just excellent.
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Maniac was compelling up until its final third, dealing with AlphaGo and AI. That could and should be the topic of another Labatut book but tacked onto the end of this book, I found it less interesting. To transition topics from man to machine so abruptly, however sensibly, stifled my interest and made me forget about von Neumann himself. How unfortunate.
Although this is a fictionalization of the lives of John von Neumann and his contemporary mathematicians and scientists, I feel like I learned a lot and was completely compelled by the theoretical discussions of the possibilities of computers and AI. I also loved the back fifth of the book, tying some of the theories covered directly to real world events sixty years later that were so dramatic and exciting I literally gasped at one point. Excellent writing, and makes me want to learn more.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Labatut, the author of the acclaimed When We Cease to Understand the World, re-creates the magic with Maniac. This is a mesmerizing exploration of the fine line between genius and madness, focusing heavily on the life of John von Neumann. Much like his earlier work, Labatut masterfully blends fact and fiction to craft a narrative that feels both historically grounded and hauntingly surreal.
For those unfamiliar, John von Neumann was a polymathic mathematician whose groundbreaking contributions to quantum mechanics, game theory, and the atomic bomb reshaped the modern scientific landscape.
Labatut’s pacing is sharp, and his evocative, philosophical prose weaves historical facts seamlessly with fictional introspection. While the fragmented structure might not appeal to all, it serves the book’s thematic depth and logic well.
Read it if you enjoy science, philosophy, and the intersection of history and fiction. Skip it if fragmented narratives aren’t your style.
For those unfamiliar, John von Neumann was a polymathic mathematician whose groundbreaking contributions to quantum mechanics, game theory, and the atomic bomb reshaped the modern scientific landscape.
Labatut’s pacing is sharp, and his evocative, philosophical prose weaves historical facts seamlessly with fictional introspection. While the fragmented structure might not appeal to all, it serves the book’s thematic depth and logic well.
Read it if you enjoy science, philosophy, and the intersection of history and fiction. Skip it if fragmented narratives aren’t your style.