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3.13 AVERAGE
3.13 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I took up this book because I've been obsessed with André Weil (yes, I know it's an odd obsession xD). Besides, I really, really liked Sylvie Weil's latest book Selfies, which, despite not being my kind of book, still managed to become one of my favorites and I'll probably re-read it eventually.
This one wasn't as interesting, though, but it was still very much worth it :)
What I liked:
This one wasn't as interesting, though, but it was still very much worth it :)
What I liked:
- The author is socially and emotionally perceptive enough to offer a lot of compelling insights about her family, and she has a quirky, witty sense of humor that makes the narrative very pleasant to read. In my opinion, the best example of this is the chapter in which Sylvie conjures up a picture of her family (her aunt Simone, her mom Eveline, and her grandparents Selma and Bernard) based on a short letter the four of them wrote to André while he was in prison for draft-dodging.
- Sylvie is very open and honest about the mixed feelings she has for her aunt, Simone's unintentional family legacy and the fact that she's treated like a saint's tibia. This treatment made me sympathize with the author a lot, to the point where I'm impressed that she's not as bitter and resentful as I would've been in her place. Like she said, it's one thing to be related to a singer, a Hollywood actress or a famous scientist... but being a relative of a saint is a whole other issue. On the other hand, it reinforced an impression I had while reading Selfies: that she tends to be a bit competitive towards other women, which in my opinion also affected her perception of Simone.
- I loved getting to know more about André and Simone's parents, especially Bernard, who are very remarkable people in themselves. It was terribly sad reading about how such a close, loving family became haunted by Simone's ghost to the point of breaking apart and tainting Sylvie's childhood memories. I had no idea that there was such a long, nasty fight over Simone's writings.
What I disliked:
- It's not exactly a biography, which I knew beforehand, but I still got bored and impatient when the author spent so many pages rambling about Judaism and the distant relatives of the Weil siblings. Had it been a longer book with a lot more information about them, maybe I wouldn't have mind it so much, but it felt like a long digression that broke the flow of the narrative. Although some of it was interesting and helped me understand more about the Weils, I wish most of it had been left out and replaced by more interesting anecdotes and reflections about them, especially André (but this is a personal, unpopular preference, since I bet that most people who picked up this book were interested in Simone).
Random thoughts:
- Reading Selfies, especially the final chapter, before reading At Home With André and Simone Weil made me see some of the things described in the later with a new light. Both books complement each other well, but I still wish she would write another one (Selfies Volume II?).
- I wouldn't recommend this to someone who is looking for a proper biography. It's more a collection of stories and anecdotes and some reflections the author has made about growing up in the shadow of a saint and a genius.
- I wish there were more things about André. I thought he was more interesting than his sister, even though his work is only understood and appreciated by a small % of people. But as a character, he's fascinating! Sylvie doesn't shy away from exposing her family's less flattering side, but based on what I've read about her father in other places, I think he still came off fairly well (or at least better than in other sources).
- I kind of wondered why Sylvie doesn't mention her half-brother Alain and barely mentions her sister Nicolette.
- This book only reinforces my perception that very few famous scientists seem to have been kind people and good/dedicated family men. Luckily, Sylvie seems like a strong person who knows how to see things with a sense of humor (I know I would've handled it much worse, if I had been in her place). I thought it's admirable and it made me more curious to know more about her too.
"For an intelligent person to make good use of the intelligence which she has, it is highly useful for her to have a certain amount of self-confidence. Now, success (which at your age means academic success) helps a good deal in building self-confidence, which is what makes it advantageous."
André Weil to Simone
André Weil to Simone