Official Review: The Mathematician's Journey

[Libs_Books]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Mathematician's Journey" by Anthony Dalton.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Mathematician's Journey by Anthony Dalton follows the journeys and adventures of Thomas Woodhouse, a student of mathematics and would-be student of navigation, who set sail with Captain Henry Hudson, in 1610, on a voyage that was yet another attempt to find the north-west passage. There are several maps at the front of the book, which you may find helpful, even if you already know the relevant geography.

If you know your history, you will perhaps have already realised that this was Hudson's last voyage. It ended in a mutiny, and only a few stragglers returned on board the ship, Discovery in 1611. Thomas was not one of them. He is generally believed to have shared the grim fate of Hudson and his son, but this story is based on the notion that he somehow survived and was taken to live with a native tribe, the Omushkegowak.

You may think I'm giving away too many spoilers here, but, aside from the fact that some of this is a matter of historical record, the book itself gives away a few spoilers at the start. First of all, one of the 'Advance Praise' reviews quoted in the preliminaries talks about Thomas returning “to his family in the New World” at the end of the book. Following that, at the very start of his account, Thomas himself, our first-person narrator, now back in London in the year 1639, tells us about the many friends he has left behind, and the fact that he particularly misses his wife and son.

Before I go any further, let me say that this really is a good book. I don't usually like to put the rating too early in a review, but here it is: I give this a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. There. I have to say this now, because what comes next is going to sound a bit harsh.

The spoilers at the start are, I suppose, a calculated choice on the author's part. That's a misjudgement, in my view; others may differ. Sadly, though, it is by no means the biggest problem the reader encounters at the start of the book. The first few chapters are really pretty mediocre. Another of the reviewers mentioned above talks about the story being well-researched. Well, I would say the bit in England has been researched quite carefully, but not, alas, with sufficient thoroughness. However much he knows about ships and sailing, everyday land-based seventeenth-century English life is clearly not the author's strong suit. He appears to have confused the courtship rituals, in particular, with the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and as for the dialogue … well, no, let's just not go there. Furthermore, the research that has been done is not worn lightly. Our narrator feels the need to tell us what fashionable gentlemen typically wore during his boyhood; he also tells us about the gunpowder plot, gives us a quick history of Oxford University and recounts a visit to Stonehenge and Avebury. All that (well, OK, most of it) was accurate enough, but it was plodding and dull – and, more importantly, not in any way relevant.

However, things start to pick up pretty rapidly when Henry Hudson comes on the scene, and once we are on board ship, we are, almost literally, in a different world. The narrative becomes vivid, exciting and at times even poetic, but also displays a masterly grasp of technical and historic detail. Dalton's undoubted expertise here is worn very lightly – it informs the narrative, but does not weigh it down. Although I would say that character depictions aren't a strong point, the narrative has enough muscle to carry everything along beautifully. Once we get back to England we are again on dodgy ground, but happily not for long, and the book's Epilogue makes a fitting ending to what has been a lively and entertaining story.

This book would appeal to a wide variety of readers. It barely touches on Mathematics – you certainly don't need to know anything at all about Mathematics to understand or appreciate it. The text has been professionally edited; all in all, I spotted less than a handful of errors, and the quality of the writing is, at times, beautiful:

“Shrouded as she was in winter’s cold blanket, from a distance the ship began to look more and more like a ghostly sculpture from nature’s infinite repertoire of exotic designs.”

I rest my case. If you are fan of historical fiction, I'm confident you will enjoy this book, and it may also be enjoyed by people with an interest in the geography and history of North America or in the seventeenth-century voyages of discovery.

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The Mathematician's Journey
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Like Libs_Books's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Jaime Lync]

The title seems very deceptive now that I have read your review. I was not aware of this nugget of history and I am not particularly interested in getting acquainted with it now that I know this doesn't touch much on mathematics. I am actually doing a couple of undergrad math courses right now and was like- Hey, maths.
Nonetheless, great review. Thanks for sharing.

[revna01]

Henry Hudson brings the book to life-hip, hip! Hooray! I liked that you know the difference in the courting rituals of various periods in history; I can't say I would be as reliable a source on such matters. I really enjoy this genre and have no doubt this is a book for me, especially since the editing was quite thorough. Thanks so much for a marvelous review!

[Libs_Books]

The title seems very deceptive now that I have read your review. I was not aware of this nugget of history and I am not particularly interested in getting acquainted with it now that I know this doesn't touch much on mathematics. I am actually doing a couple of undergrad math courses right now and was like- Hey, maths.

Ha, ha! Sorry about that, Jaime. I was going to put the bit about it not being about maths at the top of the review – so glad I didn't do that, or you might not have read any further. Thanks for reading and for your encouraging comments.

Henry Hudson brings the book to life-hip, hip! Hooray! I liked that you know the difference in the courting rituals of various periods in history; I can't say I would be as reliable a source on such matters.

I'm not sure that I'm a reliable source, but I teach the literature of love through the ages so I recognise when someone's even less expert than I am. Thanks for your reading and for your kind comments.

[Joules just b]

I think this book will love by the mathematacians around the world..

[Kibet Hillary]

Seeing that there is alot of adventure in it, I hope that the style of writing has not reduced the overall taste of the book. I feel that the review somehow has made me feel that the book may sound a bit boring. Will read it soon though. Thanks.

[kandscreeley]

I agree about the title. I was thinking that it would definitely be over my head in mathematics. The author's choice of giving away the ending of the book is a bit unusual as well. It has to be a special book for me to read historical fiction, and I just don't think this one is my cup of tea. Still, I appreciate your information. Thanks!

[Cristina Chifane]

I would love to learn more about the seventeenth-century voyages of discovery. In this case, I am not so sure I would be thrilled about the author's writing style or the historical inaccuracies. I appreciate your honesty.

[Bianka Walter]

He appears to have confused the courtship rituals, in particular, with the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and as for the dialogue … well, no, let's just not go there. Furthermore, the research that has been done is not worn lightly. Our narrator feels the need to tell us what fashionable gentlemen typically wore during his boyhood; he also tells us about the gunpowder plot, gives us a quick history of Oxford University and recounts a visit to Stonehenge and Avebury. All that (well, OK, most of it) was accurate enough, but it was plodding and dull – and, more importantly, not in any way relevant.

This gave me a smile. I'm glad that (overall) you enjoyed the book. I find myself struggling to stay awake with certain historical fictions - so when you say these pieces were a bit dull... I would have been in dreamland a long time ago.
I thoroughly enjoyed your review, as always Thanks so much!

[Libs_Books]

Thanks, Blanka - I love historical fiction, particularly 16th and 17th century, so staying awake wasn't an issue for me - but I'm glad the review made you smile. Many thanks for dropping by and taking the trouble to comment.

[JuliaKay]

First of all, I must say that I really enjoyed reading this review because it is FULL of personality! I am trying to do a better job of that in my own reviews. It sounds like the author lacked research on topics that would have profited from it and was full of knowledge on information that readers probably will not care much about, at least not in great detail (fashion for boys in that time period). I think the premise for the story sounds very interesting, and even with the 3 stars, I think I would still want to read it out of curiosity. I absolutely love historical fiction. I probably will get distracted if the dialogue is wrong though; in my opinion, that is one of the most important aspects for the author to have perfect when writing historical fiction. I want to read a story that actually transports me to that time when I read what the characters are saying. I enjoyed this review, and I plan on reading the book...eventually!

[Laura Ungureanu]

I never heard of this part of history and it seems pretty interesting. I am sorry that the book is not that well searched into english culture at that time, but I am sure it is still good. I get why you would want a book like this to be very well documented. Thank you the review!

[Libs_Books]

Seeing that there is alot of adventure in it, I hope that the style of writing has not reduced the overall taste of the book. I feel that the review somehow has made me feel that the book may sound a bit boring..

The rather dull English history bits are relatively short - and the rest of it is worth the effort. Thanks for commenting!

It has to be a special book for me to read historical fiction, and I just don't think this one is my cup of tea.

Well, maybe you're right, but thanks for dropping by anyway, and for your feedback.

I would love to learn more about the seventeenth-century voyages of discovery. In this case, I am not so sure I would be thrilled about the author's writing style or the historical inaccuracies.

Oh dear! If you didn't like the poetic bit, I would say that he doesn't do that all the time. The writer may not br great on English social stuff, but he is a real expert on ships and sailing, and I would guess the native American stuff is also authentic. Thanks for reading, though, and for your comments.

[Libs_Books]

I think this book will loved by the mathemat[cians around the world..

Maybe! Though some might feel a bit let down, as there isn't a lot of math(s) here. Thanks for reading and commenting.

First of all, I must say that I really enjoyed reading this review because it is FULL of personality!

A bit too full in some respects, I've been told.

I think the premise for the story sounds very interesting, and even with the 3 stars, I think I would still want to read it out of curiosity. I absolutely love historical fiction. I probably will get distracted if the dialogue is wrong though; in my opinion, that is one of the most important aspects for the author to have perfect when writing historical fiction. I want to read a story that actually transports me to that time when I read what the characters are saying.

Well, its tricky with dialogue, isn't it? We don't really know how everyday people spoke in the seventeenth century. I would just say that once we're on board ship, and then with the tribe, the dialogue feels a lot more natural. Thanks for reading and commenting.

I never heard of this part of history and it seems pretty interesting. I am sorry that the book is not that well searched into english culture at that time, but I am sure it is still good.

Yes, it is an interesting time, and the book is still pretty good. Thanks for commenting!

[Jonida]

Interesting book and a good review. The historical facts make me want to read it.
It will definitively be in my shelves. Good job!