A review by pfwhitman
When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut

dark informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

After having read The Maniac, I ran to get his first novel. I can't really explain what it is about Labatut's prose that makes it so enthralling. Most likely it's his choices of historical figures and their difficulty with the pursuit of knowledge that make it so interesting. This book is 4 chapters concentrating on scientific geniuses and their mental struggles as they pursue the unknown in atomic physics and the unseeable math that controls everything we do. A final chapter that threads them all together is the perfect end.