This is a short, fictional story from the perspective of an Australian girl called Catherine, in the format of a diary. Each entry is addressed to Feynman in one way or another, occasionally avoiding using his name out of fear of being socially persecuted, and once or twice out of spite.
I picked this book up shortly after high school, and enjoyed it a lot more then, than I did rereading it now. It's possibly the difference between being 18 and reading about a 15-year-old, compared to being eight years older.
I found the protagonist extremely self-centered, immature, snobbish and elitist for most of the book. It is true that she grows beyond this, to some extent, but I felt the change started to happen too late for me to ever find her relatable.
However, sometimes her naivety is fresh, such as the way she approaches certain deeds that Feynman took part in, whether it is the Atomic bomb, or his approach to certain women.
This isn't the greatest introductory book to Feynman if you're an adult, but it certainly is a nice "gateway" book for kids under 16, as there are a lot of factual anecdotes between these pages. On the other hand, if you're an adult who is regretting no longer being a teenager and wanting some of that "woe is me" kind of writing, check this one out.
It's not Penny Tangey's greatest work, but it fits into the nice little niche of fiction meets fact. And let's face it... What geeky girl hasn't pondered more than just Feynman's work?
No comments:
Post a Comment