German Session - September 2008
The Book:
The narrative in Daniel Kehlmann’s highly entertaining fifth novel alternates between fictionalized biographies of two late-18th century German geniuses: Renaissance man and world traveler Alexander von Humboldt and mathematician and astronomer Carl Friedrich Gauss. Kehlmann’s talent lies in seamlessly interweaving short, compact anecdotes about both men into a cohesive whole, with a healthy dose of sly humor for good measure. Although both historical figures seemingly have nothing in common – Humboldt literally traveled until the end of the world in the name of science while Gauss hardly left the comfort of his familiar Hanover surroundings – they nevertheless both contributed enormously to the science of ‘measuring the world’. Liesl Schillinger of the New York Times, describes it as an "admirable" work of historical fiction, "wryly observed and often droll."
DANIEL KEHLMANN, born in Munich in 1975, lives in Vienna, where he studied philosophy and literature. His debut novel, Beerholms Vorstellung (1997), earned him the Förderpreis des Kulturkreises der deutschen Wirtschaft (1998). A story collection, Unter der Sonne (1998), also was highly praised by critics. In 2001, the author held the guest lectureship for poetics at the University of Mainz.