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kdawn999's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars, really. This is an elegantly knit homage to the German scientist most remembered for his controversial theory of continental drift. But he was a larger character beyond that single discovery—an Arctic explorer, cross-disciplinary scientist, and survivor of WWI trenches—Wegener also had colorful family members and connections. The amount of research this author had to do to cover the details here is staggering. For all that I admire here on subject and style, I was unsatisfied emotionally—especial at the author’s choices when ending the story of Wegener’s epic life. I thought more critical tones might have helped the overall message and made sense of the character’s choices—like what we get from Miranda’s Hamilton musical on Hamilton’s hubris. Probably the biggest sin of this book as a work of art is also its animating engine: it’s tied to the truth of a real man’s life, and the author doesn’t seem comfortable wandering too far into supposition. I wish she had taken a heavier hand to bring the themes of this book together at the end, but I also like the ambitious dedication to making celebratory note of this notable scientist.
marilynsaul's review against another edition
2.0
I rarely quit a book when I am more than half-way through, but enough is enough. I am so bored with this egocentric character. I don't find him the least bit likable, and, frankly, I liked the dog much better. Now, if the author had stuck to the science and his forays into continental drift, I would have stuck with it.
giantarms's review against another edition
2.0
I've read it, but I don't remember much, except that the preface was beautiful.
survivalisinsufficient's review against another edition
5.0
Clare Dudman is an AMAZING writer, but you don't hear much about her. This book made me care about a meteorologist in the Arctic Circle around 1930 (Alfred Wegener, if you're better with science than I am), which is quite an accomplishment. The writing is beautiful, and the character is so real.
jar7709's review against another edition
3.0
A good book, a fictionalized account of Alfed Wegener's life. For the non-geologists, Wegener was the one who first popularized the theory of continental drift, which revolutionized the science. He faced a lot of scorn at the time and didn't really get much recognition until after his death. This story was good, much about his explorations in the arctic, written to make you feel very very cold. While there were some excellent passages, as a whole the author had to stick to Wegener's actual biography, so like most real people's lives, there are long periods of boredom interspersed with the interesting stuff. I'm glad I read it and may come back to it again someday to get more out of it. However, I think much of the detail in this book would be lost on someone who hasn't studied the history of geology or natural science in general.
stephybara's review against another edition
3.0
This is the fictionalized [auto]biography of an obscure German scientist who lived, studied, and explored remote areas of Greenland in the early 20th century. Certainly it is well-written and well-researched, but I never really connected with the characters or the story.
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