⇒ PDF Free The Irrationalist The Tragic Murder of René Descartes Andrew Pessin 9780998427447 Books

The Irrationalist The Tragic Murder of René Descartes Andrew Pessin 9780998427447 Books

Download As PDF : The Irrationalist The Tragic Murder of René Descartes Andrew Pessin 9780998427447 Books

The Irrationalist The Tragic Murder of René Descartes Andrew Pessin 9780998427447 Books

I read The Irrationalist at the recommendation of a friend. I usually prefer non-fiction and science books, but thought that learning about Descartes and European history in a novel might be a pleasant break. The book starts out as a dark murder mystery, and quickly turns into a delightfully humorous page-turner, interspersed with bits of history, philosophy, and an overview of the ideological and religious conflicts that embattled 1600's Europe. Pessin manages to create a suspenseful thriller with a light touch. He plays with the language so that I felt compelled to keep reading, and often giggled at the puns and the character descriptions. Each of the names of characters refers to a real historical name of the period, although I discovered that some of the names were pseudonyms created by people connected to Descartes in that era. I would take breaks in the reading to look up the names on the internet to learn a little more about the characters and times. The central character in the book, Adrien Baillet, was a French scholar who wrote a biography of Descartes. This is fiction, so the characters are not always true to the history connected with their names. Baillet, for example, is portrayed as a contemporary of Descartes, but Baillet was born less than a year before Descartes died. It is apparent the author was more interested in creating a great read with historical references, rather than a precise history. I enjoyed this immensely, and highly recommend it.


Tags : The Irrationalist: The Tragic Murder of René Descartes [Andrew Pessin] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>An historical murder mystery based on real events.</b> Who would want to murder the world’s most famous philosopher? Turns out: nearly everyone. In 1649,Andrew Pessin,The Irrationalist: The Tragic Murder of René Descartes,Open Books,0998427446,Descartes, Renae,Detective and mystery fiction,Historical fiction,Philosophers,FICTION Historical General,FICTION Historical

The Irrationalist The Tragic Murder of René Descartes Andrew Pessin 9780998427447 Books Reviews

I am amazed that a philosophy professor would write such an entertaining and compelling book. I understand that there was enormous poetic license but I felt that the general drift of Descartes' life was close and it was very interesting. I majored in philosophy in college and I don't remember any philosophers that were really "fun" to read. The author marries fact and fiction in a compelling and delightful way. Couldn't put it down.
To be 100% honest, The Irrationalist is not a book I would've picked up to read. I'm not a fan of period fiction (certainly not 17th century Europe), I don't typically like to read mysteries, and frankly, Descartes is possibly my least favorite Western philosopher (with all due respect). But, a friend convinced me so I took a shot, and I am REALLY glad I did. The Irrationalist is brilliant and probably the best fiction work I've read in the last 5 plus years. Pessin is a gifted story teller, balancing a cast of characters (real, fictional, & semi-fictional) across two time spans, deftly switching between the life & death of Descartes, all while weaving an intriguing story in page turning fashion. The book calls up the full range of emotions while not being cliche or pandering, which is not an easy task. I loved it, had a hard time putting it down, and it passed my ultimate test with flying colors - I was bummed out when I finished it and it's staying in my head. I even learned a few things I truly didn't care about, but now kind of do. This book needs to be a movie, but you need to read it first. You'll be glad you did.
Rene Descartes (1596-1650) is known as the father of modern philosophy in part for his Discourse on Method (1637), in which the famous statement ‘I think therefore I am’ can be found. As such, he has been the subject of numerous philsophical and biographical texts, but never (to my knowledge) until now the subject of a novel. Novels require a problem and the problem that compelled Andrew Pessin, professor of philosophy at Connecticut College, to fictionalize Descartes’ life is his death.

Descartes died shortly after his arrival in Stockholm, Sweden having been enticed by Queen Christina to tutor her and help her launch a new scientific academy. Some despute a lung infection as the cause of death and a recent study suggests he was poisoned by those who feared his influence on the Queen. That is the problem Pessin set out to exploit.

Readers need not fear their lack of knowledge of Descartes’ works or of 17th century Europe might interfere with their enjoyment of The Irrationalist. The novel is at its core a mystery, and like all good mysteries, the author metes out important details in a manner that keeps the reader turning the pages. In addition to telling a good story, Pessin has so mastered the details of the world Descartes inhabited that the reader never feels confused or lost.

Surprisingly, the protagonist of The Irrrationalist is not Rene Descartes, but rather a man sent to Sweden to represent his religious order and the school that Descartes attended from age 11. Adrien Baillet is an orphan who suffers from a lack of knowledge of his origins as well as a lack of confidence. When he arrives shortly after Descartes’ death, he is assigned the task of investigating the cause, or rather confirming that the cause was natural. His stubborn desire to discover the truth, an attitude which echoes Descartes’ approach to all knowledge, puts Baillet in conflict with just about everyone he encouters, including Christina’s top advisor.

Interposing fictional characters with the real, Pessin skillfully interweaves chapters focusing on Baillet’s attempts to discover the true cause of Descartes’ demise with chapters on Descartes’ life. The result is a first class historical novel.

I do have a quibble, actually two. I find fault with the novel’s title on two counts. The word “irrationalist” is so obscure a reference I’m afraid I have no idea to what or whom Pessin is refering. Further, doesn’t the subtitle, “The Tragic Murder of Rene Descartes,” give away the story? One might even question whether Descartes’ death was tragic. But don’t let those issues deter you from a very enjoyable read.
This is a really well-done historical mystery. Pessin takes as a starting point the mysterious death of philosopher Rene Descartes in Sweden in 1650, and builds a compelling, suspenseful tale around it. There are plenty of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing right up to the end. The book is full of historical details, from the differences between Catholics, Protestants, and Calvinists, to torture devices, to the remedies used to deliver a child. The investigator is a sympathetic young man, way out of his element, but grows into his abilities and discovers the truth about Descartes. There is also lots of humor, with puns and funny observations from the narrator that help to lighten some of the darkness of the story. With elements of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose and Dan Brown's thrillers, this novel is a page turner that gives drama to the death and life of one of the world's greatest philosophers and mathematicians.
I read The Irrationalist at the recommendation of a friend. I usually prefer non-fiction and science books, but thought that learning about Descartes and European history in a novel might be a pleasant break. The book starts out as a dark murder mystery, and quickly turns into a delightfully humorous page-turner, interspersed with bits of history, philosophy, and an overview of the ideological and religious conflicts that embattled 1600's Europe. Pessin manages to create a suspenseful thriller with a light touch. He plays with the language so that I felt compelled to keep reading, and often giggled at the puns and the character descriptions. Each of the names of characters refers to a real historical name of the period, although I discovered that some of the names were pseudonyms created by people connected to Descartes in that era. I would take breaks in the reading to look up the names on the internet to learn a little more about the characters and times. The central character in the book, Adrien Baillet, was a French scholar who wrote a biography of Descartes. This is fiction, so the characters are not always true to the history connected with their names. Baillet, for example, is portrayed as a contemporary of Descartes, but Baillet was born less than a year before Descartes died. It is apparent the author was more interested in creating a great read with historical references, rather than a precise history. I enjoyed this immensely, and highly recommend it.