Rate this book

La Chica Einstein (2010)

by Philip Sington(Favorite Author)

3.39 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Alfaguara

review 1: I was very eager to read this book - maybe too eager. The bits about science (physicsmainly) and about psychological research in early 1930s were very enjoyable and absolutely a big plus (and a reason to give this book 2 stars) but (and this is a BUT in capital letters) I really dislike historical characters becoming fictional characters. And for some reason I have a giant problem with rape and abuse. All in all I'm just disappointed with a story that promised so much - and then turned out to be either silly or troubling for me.
review 2: Wow!I really enjoyed this story set in an around Berlin in the dark and foreboding 1930's as Germany was embracing fascism and Europe was slouching toward war.The premise builds from a bit of mystery surrounding the mad son an... mored ostensibly deceased daughter of Einstein's first marriage. Madness, both individual and societal is a key theme of this rich and evocative story. The protagonist is a surgeon-turned-psychiatrist who lived through and witnessed the horrors of WWI. Psychiatry is in its infancy, and the institute is a dark place where the troubled doctor runs afoul of his superiors for attempting to turn the art of psychiatry into a science. He makes what seems like an accidental, but Faustian deal with an influential politician who views on mental illness turn out to be aligned with the emerging Nazi scourge.The doctor is about to marry a well-connected society girl when a young and mysterious woman with amnesia is brought to the asylum where he works. The patient is known as "The Einstein Girl" because she was found in the woods near the great scientist's retreat. True to the title, Einstein figures into the story. The occasional literary tangents into his theory of special relativity are philosophical and rewarding even if they tend to distract a bit from the central story. My take-away from this was how brilliance and darkness can co-exist in the same place.The Brown Shirts massing in the background provide a sense of doom and rising tension as the psychiatrist struggles to unravel the mystery surrounding his patient.The writing is lush and the story is presented as fragments, letters, and narratives from multiple points of view. It's challenging at times and ultimately very rewarding with a great twist at the end. If you like a deep, dark, and thought provoking fiction set in accurate and well-researched historical settings, this is a great read. less

Download links for: La chica Einstein

Advertising