Official Review: The Life in Papers of Sofie K.
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RiMa_b7462
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Official Review: The Life in Papers of Sofie K.
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Life in Papers of Sofie K." by OctaviaCade.]
3 out of 4 stars
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3 out of 4 stars
The Life In Papers Of Sofie K. by Octavia Cade is a fictionalized biography of Sofia Kovalevskaya, a Russian mathematecian who is responsible for important original contributions to analysis, partial differential equations and mechanics. Back in those days in Russia, women were not allowed to go to universities and pursue higher education. This novel is basically "a literary/fantasy bio" where "maths meets magical realism" as quoted by the author herself.
The book follows Sofia's life from a childhood in which she was tormented by the grim stories told to her by her Nanny to a point when she realizes that the monsters who follow her are not enemies– they are her shadow-self. However her love for mathematics helps her overcome these issues. From childhood she has been in intimate contact with her subject, since her father's notes on calculus were put up on her walls as wallpapers. It was sort of an escapade from those clenched-toothed evil eyes she thought were following her when she was a kid.
In her childhood, she had to hide her love and interest in mathematics, only thing taught to her were the lady-like instincts which were a necessity in growing girls those days. She couldn't share her inner anguish with anyone but her elder sister Anuita. Crawled up and tugged in her bed, she used to ask her whether she could hear the hissing sound of an eight-headed snake. But Anuita never let go more of her than she wanted to reveal. Eventually Sofia learns that her monsters lie within. Having a tough childhood and weaving the path to freedom through her endearment for her subject, this engrossing tale is narrated in the book.
Octavia Cade is the author of many science-fiction tales. Having a PhD in science communication, she indulges in writing short stories depicting her vivid imagination. Her other stories like The Ghost Of Matter is also an interesting read.
This book is fascinating with some beautifully ornamented passages which illustrate her lucid yet ravishing style of writing, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Her grip of her language magically yields to the smooth completion of her novel.
However, I would have enjoyed it more had there been an appendix telling me which parts of the story were real and which were fictitious since Sofia seemed such an interesting and unusual woman. The book was more of a lyrical narrative that a biography. Keeping that aside, the book stands on its own as an analysis of how some people fabricate their way through the society's restrictions.
******
The Life in Papers of Sofie K.
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3 out of 4 stars
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3 out of 4 stars
The Life In Papers Of Sofie K. by Octavia Cade is a fictionalized biography of Sofia Kovalevskaya, a Russian mathematecian who is responsible for important original contributions to analysis, partial differential equations and mechanics. Back in those days in Russia, women were not allowed to go to universities and pursue higher education. This novel is basically "a literary/fantasy bio" where "maths meets magical realism" as quoted by the author herself.
The book follows Sofia's life from a childhood in which she was tormented by the grim stories told to her by her Nanny to a point when she realizes that the monsters who follow her are not enemies– they are her shadow-self. However her love for mathematics helps her overcome these issues. From childhood she has been in intimate contact with her subject, since her father's notes on calculus were put up on her walls as wallpapers. It was sort of an escapade from those clenched-toothed evil eyes she thought were following her when she was a kid.
In her childhood, she had to hide her love and interest in mathematics, only thing taught to her were the lady-like instincts which were a necessity in growing girls those days. She couldn't share her inner anguish with anyone but her elder sister Anuita. Crawled up and tugged in her bed, she used to ask her whether she could hear the hissing sound of an eight-headed snake. But Anuita never let go more of her than she wanted to reveal. Eventually Sofia learns that her monsters lie within. Having a tough childhood and weaving the path to freedom through her endearment for her subject, this engrossing tale is narrated in the book.
Octavia Cade is the author of many science-fiction tales. Having a PhD in science communication, she indulges in writing short stories depicting her vivid imagination. Her other stories like The Ghost Of Matter is also an interesting read.
This book is fascinating with some beautifully ornamented passages which illustrate her lucid yet ravishing style of writing, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Her grip of her language magically yields to the smooth completion of her novel.
However, I would have enjoyed it more had there been an appendix telling me which parts of the story were real and which were fictitious since Sofia seemed such an interesting and unusual woman. The book was more of a lyrical narrative that a biography. Keeping that aside, the book stands on its own as an analysis of how some people fabricate their way through the society's restrictions.
******
The Life in Papers of Sofie K.
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Like RiMa_b7462's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "The Life in Papers of Sofie K." by OctaviaCade
