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teapup 's review for:
Stella Maris
by Cormac McCarthy
Just shy of 200 pages of an interview between a therapist and a young woman (Alicia Western) touted as a mathematical genius. As often as not, their conversation is about math and philosophy and the atomic bomb - I'd generally expect a conversation with a therapist to have more about the character's life. But then, this is Cormac McCarthy's version of a therapy session, not a true therapy session.
As for the conversation, Alicia is indeed believably brilliant. And by and large believable, or at least well-developed. At times the book made me feel more excited about reading math papers than I'd felt since my college years. Such is the power of this writing.
On the negative side (minor spoilers), the book has two or three pages of a detailed suicide fantasy, and two or three pages of an incest fantasy. And McCarthy continues to write about worlds whose god is purely evil. After reading this viewpoint multiple times in his books, it's difficult not to take this view as his own. The point is there is some remarkable bleakness and some edginess here that aren't exactly my favorite parts of this book. But also that as a whole the book was a very positive experience.
As for the conversation, Alicia is indeed believably brilliant. And by and large believable, or at least well-developed. At times the book made me feel more excited about reading math papers than I'd felt since my college years. Such is the power of this writing.
On the negative side (minor spoilers), the book has two or three pages of a detailed suicide fantasy, and two or three pages of an incest fantasy. And McCarthy continues to write about worlds whose god is purely evil. After reading this viewpoint multiple times in his books, it's difficult not to take this view as his own. The point is there is some remarkable bleakness and some edginess here that aren't exactly my favorite parts of this book. But also that as a whole the book was a very positive experience.