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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
At the start of this book, Katherine is a young girl, half Chinese, half American, growing up in the midwest, during the 1950s. Her life is shaped by the mistreatment she received from her peers and teachers, and her mother's abandonment. Katherine becomes a mathematician, but this comes at no easy price.
This book is beautifully written and well researched. Chung challenges readers to think of identity, legacy, and love in unforgettable ways.
This book is beautifully written and well researched. Chung challenges readers to think of identity, legacy, and love in unforgettable ways.
Read in a day.
Woven here is a tale of family, love, mystery and math.
Katherine, discovered to be a math wiz in primary school, dreams to one day solve a challenging math equation/prove a proof. Only later on does she discover that the most important puzzle she will ever unravel is that of her true family she had no knowledge of.
Woven here is a tale of family, love, mystery and math.
Katherine, discovered to be a math wiz in primary school, dreams to one day solve a challenging math equation/prove a proof. Only later on does she discover that the most important puzzle she will ever unravel is that of her true family she had no knowledge of.
A poignant, beautifully written, and many-layered novel about belonging, identity, the impact of secrets and war, and being a woman in a field often closed to women.
Well written. First 2/3 very interesting, but protagonist realllllly started to annoy me before the end. She’s just way too mopey, always victimized by everyone around her, especially men. The description made me think this was going to be about female empowerment, but, alas, no. Plot twists at end so predictable I kept rolling my eyes.
Catherine Chung's (Forgotten Country) novel The Tenth Muse champions female intellectual independence while uncovering sacrifices made to acquire it. Episodic chapters allow Katherine, a celebrated mathematician, to organize her memories, which she says have "never seemed very straightforward to me."
Katherine's early life is fraught, and her loving but distant mother ultimately abandons the family. Escaping a tense home and proving herself in a university mathematics program--unusual for women in the 1950s--becomes her raison d'être. She remembers wanting to "ground myself in science, with its fixed rules that never changed and never lied." Her genius for mathematics is apparent, even as her place in the program isn't: "I was always watched, as a symbol of something--an outsider who'd somehow made it in." Throughout her life, Katherine's friends and lovers take advantage of her talents, causing extraordinary personal and professional loss. Yet she reflects that she's proof that mathematics--"the divine language"--is not the provenance of the "world of men" only.
The titular 10th muse was Zeus's youngest daughter, who sang her own songs, not those of men, and whose transfiguration into a mortal was her punishment. Women in the sciences who also charted their own course, independent of men, encourage Katherine throughout her life. Even readers who don't recall their own math classes will get the mathematical references woven seamlessly into Katherine's emotional memories. "Numbers blink in and out, glowing like fairy lights." Readers who enjoyed The Only Woman in the Room will appreciate this intelligent novel.
-reviewed for Shelf Awareness 6-25-19
Katherine's early life is fraught, and her loving but distant mother ultimately abandons the family. Escaping a tense home and proving herself in a university mathematics program--unusual for women in the 1950s--becomes her raison d'être. She remembers wanting to "ground myself in science, with its fixed rules that never changed and never lied." Her genius for mathematics is apparent, even as her place in the program isn't: "I was always watched, as a symbol of something--an outsider who'd somehow made it in." Throughout her life, Katherine's friends and lovers take advantage of her talents, causing extraordinary personal and professional loss. Yet she reflects that she's proof that mathematics--"the divine language"--is not the provenance of the "world of men" only.
The titular 10th muse was Zeus's youngest daughter, who sang her own songs, not those of men, and whose transfiguration into a mortal was her punishment. Women in the sciences who also charted their own course, independent of men, encourage Katherine throughout her life. Even readers who don't recall their own math classes will get the mathematical references woven seamlessly into Katherine's emotional memories. "Numbers blink in and out, glowing like fairy lights." Readers who enjoyed The Only Woman in the Room will appreciate this intelligent novel.
-reviewed for Shelf Awareness 6-25-19
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
I never imagined I would be interested in a story about mathematical theorems, but my goodness did I love this book! There’s a little bit of everything packed into this novel - historical fiction, mystery, family drama, and love.
As the only biracial (Chinese and white) student in her school growing up, Katherine always felt different. When she later became the only female student in a male-dominated field, Katherine was faced with even more obstacles. Her story is one that is filled with female empowerment as she refused to be dismissed solely for her gender. While she was often underestimated by the men in her field, Katherine held her own and made a name for herself.
For a story chock-full with feminism, I was disappointed to see how Katherine consistently let herself be fooled by men in her personal life. There seemed to be a bit of disconnect in her character development for me - she was such a badass in the mathematical world, but lacked judgment in her personal life.
I flew through this one in less than two days and would definitely recommend both the print and audio. If you are interested in three audiobooks for the price of one with @librofm (the only audiobook service that lets you support indie bookstores!), use code ACEOFPAGES!
As the only biracial (Chinese and white) student in her school growing up, Katherine always felt different. When she later became the only female student in a male-dominated field, Katherine was faced with even more obstacles. Her story is one that is filled with female empowerment as she refused to be dismissed solely for her gender. While she was often underestimated by the men in her field, Katherine held her own and made a name for herself.
For a story chock-full with feminism, I was disappointed to see how Katherine consistently let herself be fooled by men in her personal life. There seemed to be a bit of disconnect in her character development for me - she was such a badass in the mathematical world, but lacked judgment in her personal life.
I flew through this one in less than two days and would definitely recommend both the print and audio. If you are interested in three audiobooks for the price of one with @librofm (the only audiobook service that lets you support indie bookstores!), use code ACEOFPAGES!
emotional
informative
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really enjoyed it, it struck an absolute chord with me on several notes, but I felt the ending let it down somewhat. It wasn't the route the narrative ended on that disappointed, but it didn't fit stylistically with the rest of the novel. Sometimes you read a memoir written by someone that had an extremely interesting period in their life and then the final chapter is 'What has Happened Since the Interesting Thing'. The ending of this book had something of that tone about it.
I absolutely loved this book. You don't have to be a "math person" to enjoy this book or to get a flavor for the mathematics worked on in this book. As someone who majored in math, there were very specific things that made me laugh. I felt very seen by certain parts of this book. It is beautifully written.