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The Other Einstein: A Novel
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One of PopSugar's "25 Books You're Going to Curl Up with this Fall."
"The Other Einstein takes you into Mileva's heart, mind, and study as she tries to forge a place for herself in a scientific world dominated by men."-Bustle
In the tradition of The Paris Wife and Mrs. Poe, The Other Einstein offers us a window into a brilliant, fascinating woman whose light was lost in Einstein's enormous shadow. It is the story of Einstein's wife, a brilliant physicist in her own right, whose contribution to the special theory of relativity is hotly debated and may have been inspired by her own profound and very personal insight.
Mitza Maric has always been a little different from other girls. Most twenty-year-olds are wives by now, not studying physics at an elite Zurich university with only male students trying to outdo her clever calculations. But Mitza is smart enough to know that, for her, math is an easier path than marriage. And then fellow student Albert Einstein takes an interest in her, and the world turns sideways. Theirs becomes a partnership of the mind and of the heart, but there might not be room for more than one genius in a marriage.
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Historical fiction about Mileva Marić, Albert Einstein's first wife, a physicist in her own right, who made numerous sacrifices to further his career at the expense of her own, and was not credited for her collaborations with him. After reading of his poor treatment of his wife, I lost a lot of respect for Albert Einstein.
Admittedly, I had no idea who Miss Maric was before reading this book. In fact, many of the details in the novel that pulled from facts of history I did not know. To me, Albert Einstein was a mere scientist. I feel as if novels of under-famed wives of famous husbands is somewhat of a craze now, and I admit that I have eaten up these novels with fervent desire to know what happens next. However, I felt that The Other Einstein was distinctly different from previous novels that I have read. I felt like I was there with the characters at every step. I could picture the apartments and the children vividly. I really felt like I was walking amongst the physicists, and I loved that.
Interesting story of Mileva's view point. The struggles of having trouble walking with a foot deformity, being extremely intelligent in a man's world of science. She was wooed by a fellow student and I couldn't help but say, no, don't do it Mileva! Don't sacrifice your future. But that's all hindsight of course. Perhaps in a parallel universe she didn't succumb to Einstein's charm and forged her course in science and became known for her mathematics and theories. If, they were in fact hers. There are documentaries that show she was the mathematician behind Einstein's work.
This book portrays Einstein as a thief, a narcissist, and a wife abuser; verbally, mentally and at least once, physically.
His teachers said he was a dreamer and some said lazy. What if he were both and he did steal Mileva's theories and her math to back it up?
I think it's well known he was a cheat and not a very good husband or father. These are reasons alone why I've never cared for Einstein the man. This book was very good though. I listened to the audio and it was well done. All of the comments in foreign languages would have interrupted my reading rhythm.
This book portrays Einstein as a thief, a narcissist, and a wife abuser; verbally, mentally and at least once, physically.
His teachers said he was a dreamer and some said lazy. What if he were both and he did steal Mileva's theories and her math to back it up?
I think it's well known he was a cheat and not a very good husband or father. These are reasons alone why I've never cared for Einstein the man. This book was very good though. I listened to the audio and it was well done. All of the comments in foreign languages would have interrupted my reading rhythm.
I was given a free galley of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a telling of the story of Mileva “Mitza” Marić, Albert Einstein's first wife. While it does touch on her possible role in Einstein's early work, it is more the tale of a highly educated woman who fell in love and sacrificed a large portion of her life for love and family. Benedict paints a vibrant picture of a young woman convinced she would never be loved, only to find love for a man at the sacrifice of her love for science and discovery. Mileva was a captivating woman and if she was half the woman described here, she would be well worth meeting.
This is a telling of the story of Mileva “Mitza” Marić, Albert Einstein's first wife. While it does touch on her possible role in Einstein's early work, it is more the tale of a highly educated woman who fell in love and sacrificed a large portion of her life for love and family. Benedict paints a vibrant picture of a young woman convinced she would never be loved, only to find love for a man at the sacrifice of her love for science and discovery. Mileva was a captivating woman and if she was half the woman described here, she would be well worth meeting.
Author Marie Benedict tells the story of Mileva Maric, Albert Einstein's first wife. Most people would not recognize her name, despite the fact that she was a brilliant mathematician and scientist in her own right, and was married to him and was the mother of his 3 children. This story, though fictionalized, is the story of another woman lost to history, swept up by events of the time, out of her control. I appreciated the author notes at the end, telling how she herself had never heard of Mileva until her son was doing a project where her name came up, and how she chose to write her story as a fiction so that she could flesh out what was known and imagine the *between the lines* aspects of her life based on the facts that are known. I liked how Benedict listed her sources and the research she did, and recommended several further readings to learn more about Mileva, including websites.And by the way, Einstein was not a very nice man. Not at all.
Not my favorite author. Her subjects are interesting, but her writing is lacking. This one challenges credibility with conversations that seem too modern day and stretches with the definite facts. Although...there is debate among scholars as to who authored the paper in relativity. And Albert probably was a narcissist. Each of us at book club used this book as a springboard to do a little further research about Mileva and/ or Albert. Extending the book is always a good thing.
I read this book for the Overdrive Big Read.I found the book to be 'easy reading,' definitely reading like 'romance' or 'women's fiction.' The story of Mileva Einstein could be used to raise feminist issues on how women have been and are marginalized in the male-dominated science and academia. Whether Mrs. Einstein was the author of ideas that made her husband famous actually happened is unimportant; Mrs. Einstein is historical fiction and the author has imagined characters and events to tell a good story.The issue, then, is this a good story? I felt a need to have a better understanding of how Mileva went from wanting to be a scientist, to agreeing to a 'bohemian' life with Albert as joint researchers in physics, to a woman who stays in a loveless marriage because of societal judgement of divorcees. Also, Albert's motivation in pursuing their relationship and his behavior during their marriage is not explored. We only see him through Mileva's eyes as he first seduces her, beds her, then passes off her ideas and research as his own. Albert's actions become more abusive and mean.I am not sure if we are to think that Albert actually cared for Mileva and then became selfish and mean, or if he had manipulated her from the beginning because she offered something he did not have: a capacity for mathematics. The structure for a better novel is all here, and it spurs me to want to find out more about the historical Mileva. But I was left feeling conflicted and unsatisfied.
Very interesting read - a fictional account based on real life evidence concerning the input of Einstein's first wife to his work.
THE OTHER EINSTEINMARIE BENEDICTMY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️PUBLISHERSourceBooks LandmarkPUBLISHEDOctober 18, 2016An intriguing fictional account of the revolutionary and tumultuous times between Albert Einstein and his brilliant first wife, Mileva.SUMMARYThe gifted Mileva Maric was from a wealthy Serbian family, whose father encouraged her to be bold, and “go get your due”. She was the only woman among her six classmates at Zurich’s Swiss Federal Polytechnic. Soon after beginning classes she and Albert Einstein became friends. He continually pursued her. She was terrified of getting involved with him, her work was the most important thing in her life. But, as they spent more and more time together, her fondness for him increased. “Miss Maric, I am madly in love with you. I promise that my love will never impede your profession. In fact, my love will only propel you forward in your work. Together, we will become the ideal bohemian couple—equal in love and work,”With these words and promises she was lost. He was giving her everything she had ever dreamed of. Albert believed that together they could solve the major scientific riddles of their time. Mileva and Albert collaborated on research and papers eschewing archaic complicated ideas. But as the papers and articles they co-authored starting gaining recognition things began to changed. As Albert’s fame increases, Mileva is somehow standing deep in his shadow. REVIEWTHE OTHER EINSTEIN is a fascinating read about the gifted female physicist, who was smart enough to cross barriers and enter the all male physics and mathematics classroom in 1896. This book is a work of fiction, but the author MARIE BENEDICT provides several websites that contain the papers and letters that were used in formulating the book.The story is well written and a quick read. If you enjoyed Loving Frank, Mrs. Poe or The Paris Wife you will like this book as well. A discussion guide is included in the back of the book making it ideal for book clubs.I read this book free as part of the Big Library Read facilitated by Overdrive. It's a reading program through your local library that connects millions of readers around the world with the same e-book at the same time. It's a worldwide digital book club. The Big Read website includes a interview with Marie Benedict and a discussion forum. The Other Einstein is available on Overdrive June 12 to June 26, 2017.
Great story of female struggle to fit into society that is not accepting of woman's intelligence. Insightful in telling of how relationships shift and the challenges that females have to face around relationships, children, careers and friendships.
Started out promisingly enough, with Mitza just getting to university in Switzerland to study in the Physics program. But as soon as she started spending time with Albert, the whole thing came apart in my opinion. She went from being a capable individual to a doormat, complete with ridiculous baby-ish nicknames. I tried to push through, but about halfway through the book we came to the two of them running away together for an intimate pre-wedding honeymoon at Lake Como in flagrant contravention of her family's advice and personal best interests, with the predictable "it's-the-late-19th-century-and-nobody-uses-birth-control" outcome, I nearly threw the book at the wall. Could not finish, would not recommend.
Being Serbian myself and knowing about this woman from an early age, I just couldn't pass on reading this story. I feel that I must say this before I review it. This is not a biography but a fiction. That said, I just loved this story.
Mileva “Mitza” Marić, is someone we should all get to know. She was a trail blazer and a strong woman who had courage and convictions. The author delves into her childhood, her school years and her marriage to Albert Einstein.
Reading her story one can't but be in awe of this woman. The story had a steady pace and plenty of in-depth details that were very familiar to me. I was literally transported back in time of the old Europe.
Highly recommended!
Melanie for b2b
Complimentary copy provided by the publisher
Mileva “Mitza” Marić, is someone we should all get to know. She was a trail blazer and a strong woman who had courage and convictions. The author delves into her childhood, her school years and her marriage to Albert Einstein.
Reading her story one can't but be in awe of this woman. The story had a steady pace and plenty of in-depth details that were very familiar to me. I was literally transported back in time of the old Europe.
Highly recommended!
Melanie for b2b
Complimentary copy provided by the publisher
A fictionalized historical novel is always problematic. In this case it is about Albert Einstein and his first wife. She is portrayed in the novel as almost an equal to Einstein and a major contributor to the theory of relativity. Historically, this is not known. The book does a good job of depicting how difficult it was for women trying to carve a professional life in Europe at the turn of the 20th century. The story kept me engaged and made me want to learn more about Einstein and his first wife Mileva.
This book was a big surprise. It is historical fiction, but is based on the lives of Einstein and his first wife. I loved the first half of the book with her going to university and meeting him. She had an uphill battle in her education and life in general as a young person. The last part of the book was difficult for me in its portrayal of Einstein. There seems to be some basis for believing the essence of the story of their marriage. I can't fault the author in that it is fiction after all. I do think the writing was much better at the beginning. Perhaps I was just more interested in the locations and the activities of that part of her life. I felt the last part of the book was rather drawn out, but that could be that I grew tired of her hanging on to such an existence even though this was not modern times that were being discussed. I so don't want to believe that Einstein was really that man, so I'll just keep this in my mind as mostly fiction used to give a possibility for what happened to their marriage. The book did give me insight into both her and Marie Curie. It was worth the read for sure.
Now, I don't know how much of the story is true. I don't know if Mileva was really treated as badly as she is by Albert. I don't know how much of her contributions actually went into Einstein's work. What I do know is that this story is well-written and portrays the struggles of women in science in an apt manner. The story itself pulls you in, and the changes in the relationship of Albert and Mileva is interesting to view. This is not a story for those who like in-depth scientific theory; the author does not go into a great deal of detail regarding scientific breakthroughs and the thought process behind them. But that doesn't mean that this novel isn't good. It is meant to portray a hidden side to the life of Albert Einstein and bring his wife to the forefront. And this novel does a fantastic job with that!
The Other Einstein by Marie BenedictSource: NetgalleyMy Rating: 4/5 starsMy Review: "I want to know God's thoughts, the rest are details.”-Albert EinsteinIf the research is to be believed, it wasn’t Albert Einstein at all who was interested in God’s thoughts, but his wife, Mitza certainly was. In fact, Mitza was certain that within the male-dominated world of physics, she would not only produce ground-breaking research but discover God’s thoughts. So, why in the world do we still know Einstein’s name and know virtually nothing about Mitza?By 1896, Mitza Marić was yet again an oddity. What is known about Mitza (and there is very little known) is that she was and incredibly bright child whose father encouraged her education at every turn. Because Mitza was a woman, she and her father spent a great deal of time and effort lobbying for her inclusion into higher education institutions. When Mitza met Albert Einstein, she had already accomplished more than most women anywhere the world could ever dream of accomplishing. She was a new student in the physics program at Zürich, an outcast among her classmates except for Einstein who saw her for what she was, a brilliant mind with insights and knowledge that should not be ignored. Over the course of their long and incredibly troubled courtship and then marriage, Mitza and Einstein constantly found solace in their work. When physics and mathematics were the topics of conversation, the bond between them strengthened. However, when the topic of conversation was their lives together as a couple, things became far more strained. Though Einstein apparently wanted Mitza in his life, he only wanted her when it was a convenience to him or they were working on a new project. For Mitza’s part, Einstein and their growing family eventually become her whole world and she did most anything to ensure her husband’s happiness. What most anything entails are some of the saddest moments of Mitza’s life. The Bottom Line: While The Other Einstein is slow starter, I found it to be well worth the wait. What one must remember when diving into this read is that it is historical fiction and there is no way to prove or disprove the theories posited by Benedict. With that being said, what Benedict does posit is absolutely intriguing and wrapped in a story that is ultimately about loss. Quite literally from birth, Mitza Marić was at a distinct disadvantage that never, ever left her. Over the course of her life, she experienced only a few moments of true happiness and those were always overshadowed by long spans of extreme unhappiness, tragedy, and loss. There never seems to be a moment when Mitza isn’t dealing with some sort of turmoil in either her personal and/or professional life. Unfortunately, a fair number of those incidents involved the man she loved beyond reason, Albert Einstein. Benedict’s story does not paint Einstein in a positive light at all yet pulls from the reader a great sense of sympathy for his long-suffering first wife. In the end, The Other Einstein is the story of one woman’s loss of her sense of self, loss of love, love of the little independence she was allowed, loss of her family, and loss of the little control she had over her life. For the modern world, the loss may be just as profound if you consider the loss of a brilliant mind who may have been just as integral to our understanding of physics as Albert Einstein certainly was.
In the tradition of The Paris Wife and Mrs. Poe, The Other Einstein offers us a window into a brilliant, fascinating woman whose light was lost in Einstein's enormous shadow. This is the story of Einstein's wife, a brilliant physicist in her own right, whose contribution to the special theory of relativity is hotly debated and may have been inspired by her own profound and very personal insight.Mitza Maric has always been a little different from other girls. Most twenty-year-olds are wives by now, not studying physics at an elite Zurich university with only male students trying to outdo her clever calculations. But Mitza is smart enough to know that, for her, math is an easier path than marriage. And then fellow student Albert Einstein takes an interest in her, and the world turns sideways. Theirs becomes a partnership of the mind and of the heart, but there might not be room for more than one genius in a marriage.
I would like to thank Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.Can I just say how much I loved this book. This is definitely one of my favorite books of 2016.The Other Einstein is, obviously, more about Albert Einstein’s first wife, Mileva “Mitza” Maric, more than it is about Albert. But, it was also shed rather a lot of light about what life must have been like with this famous man.First off, let me say that while this book was clearly meticulously researched, it is still fiction, and some of the gaps were filled in with fictional details. I was drawn right into the pages of this book, though, and I felt like I was there with them, watching them become friends and lovers and then husband and wife.I found Mitza to be absolutely wonderful. She was VERY human, and I found myself wondering how differently things could have looked for her, if things had just worked out differently along the way.As for Albert, I find myself rather less star-struck now than I have been for a long time by him. I think that the goal of humanizing him in this book was definitely successful, because he feels more like a human being than just a great genius who is sort of untouchable. He had flaws, and he had these moments where he was not nice. Moments where I absolutely hated him. And even though I finished the book a couple of days ago, I find I’m still thinking about the book, and still processing my feelings about Mitza and Albert.I really enjoyed my time reading this book, and I had a really hard time putting the book down. I am not normally that into historical fiction, either, so I feel like this book has great appeal across the board.I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I am never compensated for my reviews.
I was inspired to start this book from an episode of Legends of Tomorrow where Mileva plays a central role. I had never heard of this woman before and was fascinated to learn that she might have played such a central role in Einstein's theories and fame. Books about obscure historical figures, especially female ones, always interest me. I was excited to start this one.The heart of this novel is this amazing woman who had so much potential yet got lost to history. I feel she's a prime example of how women have gotten lost in the shuffle of possible famous historical figures, smothered in the achievements of the men in their lives. She had so much to give and unfortunately was not given the credit she was due.Yet part of the problem I feel was her. I don't know if historically her personality had any basis in fact. However as portrayed in this work, I can see why history forgot her. She started out strong, with dreams as large as the world and the guts to pursue those dreams with all of her being. She faced down family condemnation, societal blocks, and physical limitations to pursue a degree and a dream of making a name for herself in the intellectual world.Once she hooked up with Albert romantically however, it seems like her dreams, personality, and needs became subsumed by his. It didn't happen all at once but gradually. By the time we approached the end of the book, she finally drew the line in the sand and struck out on her own. However, the journey to that decision was painful. I watched this woman I had grown to admire make herself subservient and a second-class citizen to her own husband. She put his needs above her own so many times that she lost track of what she actually wanted. She put her trust in him again and again, never learning the lesson once he betrayed her over and over. At least by the end, she found her spine and stood up to Albert once his demands reached a certain unbelievable level. By the books send, I admired her again.Now Albert... that's a figure that's interesting in this book, whether it's in the fashion of an admirable figure in science or a douche bag on the level of Hitler is up to the individual reader. If even a quarter of what he did in this book really happened, I have to question the level of admiration given to him by history.I do know for a fact that the list presented to Mileva at the end of the book did happen; that alone makes me distain him as a human being. But throughout the entire book he treats Mileva horribly. He steals her ideas, cheats on her, physically and emotionally abuses her, and threaten the lives of her and his children for his ego. At least I can say the author shows her skill at characterization by making such an icon of scientific history so ultimately flawed as a human.I think that’s what can be taken away from this book and what makes it such a gem. The author’s skill at making her characters so flawed and unlikable yet making us root for them all the same takes serious characterization chops. Even though I hate Albert as a person, his brilliance and charisma still stand out. And Mileva… the crap that woman went through, partly what she allowed herself to go through, shaped her into a person that at the end I could admire and root for. The character journeys portrayed in this book are its heart and soul. To me, this book was about Mileva as a person and historical figure. I feel the world lost out on a treasure once she hooked up with Mr. Douche-bag. The author takes the reader on emotional character journeys that leave you gasping and heart-wrenched. Whether you grow to love or hate Mileva and Albert, at least through this work, they still touch you in a deeply emotional way, right to your soul. I highly recommend this work to anyone looking for an incredible character journey or who enjoy obscure historical figures.
There's a lot to like about this book and I am glad that I read it. You never, or at least, I never thought about Einstein's first wife or any of his family, for that matter. Mileva was a brilliant student studying physics at an elite Zurich university with only male students. Then fellow student Albert Einstein takes an interest in her. There has been a debate as to how much she added to Einstein's Theory of Relativity and this book goes into that thoroughly. While this book is Historical Fiction, the research that went into it was incredible. It also makes you think a lot differently about Albert Einstein.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark Publishing for the ARC of "The Other Einstein" by Marie Benedict. I enjoyed this historical fiction novel and found Marie Benedict's perspective of the lives of Albert Einstein and Mileva, "Mitza" Maric intriguing. Marie Benedict is writing about the character of Mileva Maric Einstein, a brilliant Mathematician and physicist who helped make contributions to Albert Einstein's "theory of relativity". In this "WHAT IF" scenario, is it possible Mileva helped co-author theories with Albert Einstein without the acknowlegement due her. The couple's relationship is complicated , and in several instances, Albert is shown to be an abusive, demanding,selfish husband that betrays Mileva's trust. In my opinion, the author is writing about intelligent women fighting for the recognition and respect due them. The burdens of family and career are harder to balance if you are a woman. After reading this novel, I would like to learn more about "The Other Einstein." (
Albert Einstein is well-known for the theory of relativity, but his first wife is much less so. I was fascinated to learn she came from Eastern Europe, was one of only a handful of women to study physics in Switzerland during the period, and speculation exists about what her contributions to Albert's work might have been. I do feel that the author's theory that Mileva Einstein came up with relativity and that her name was removed from the essential article published in 1905 might be stretching things a bit too far - Albert was clearly brilliant in his own right and certainly capable. Still, this is a fascinating read which brings a lesser known woman into the light.
I honestly don't know too much about Einstein other than his theory on relativity, from Physics in HS. I definitely knew nothing about who he was as a man, as a husband, a friend, or a student. This book really opened my eyes into the possibility of what a complete selfish jerk (being political here) he was. I very much enjoyed this book. Marie Benedict told this story in such a beautiful and believable way. I really hope he wasn't like this... If you liked Mrs Poe, Alice I Have been, or any of this similar stories I would highly recommend this book
On paper this is exactly my kind of a novel. A strong female protagonist pushing against convention in the late nineteen hundreds by travelling far away from home to study, having to prove her worth in a male dominated environment and building her first real female friendships sounded like a really good basis for a novel. Add into it the challenges of marrying a genius in your own scholarly field and the issues facing a woman trying to make her own place in that field whilst managing married life and motherhood and it has all the signs of good conflict. If this had been that novel I think I might have enjoyed it a great deal more than I did. I warmed almost immediately to Mitza. Her backstory was well positioned and the support and encouragement she received from her father was refreshing and heart-warming. The early university years were well written and I really enjoyed watching her thrive. She makes her first female friends, grows rapidly in confidence, and starts to imagine the place she wants in the scientific world. One of her fellow students takes an interest in her. Initially warm and friendly he enables Mitza to open more doors – becoming more comfortable interacting with the rest of their peers and gaining knowledge and further self-assurance. They work together scientifically and appear to be on the path to greatness. So far so good. Except the other student is Einstein, a man I confess to knowing not a great deal about. Nevertheless I was really uncomfortable with the way his character develops – from warm and caring he quickly becomes selfish, aloof and intransigent. His treatment of his Mitza, both in terms of emotional and physical support is appalling and she shrinks becoming a shadow of the girl we first met. This may well be an accurate portrayal of their relationship but being in the such recent past I was not comfortable reading about it fictionalised in this way. I think Benedict has set out with great intentions. History is still too often told with a heavily male slant and understanding the impact of women like Mitza is important as well as endlessly fascinating. However I think I would have preferred an entirely fictional tale or perhaps Mitza’s pre Einstein story.
According to this fictionalized account of Albert Einstein's first marriage, his Serbian wife Mitza was just as brilliant as he was. Her contributions to his revolutionary theories went unrecognized due to the famous scientist's refusal to give her any credit. This is the sad story of Mitza's frustrated hopes and ambitions, and the blame for her unhappiness is laid squarely at Einstein's feet. Beneath his carefully cultivated eccentric genius persona, he was an over-the-top jerk, yet the narrative never delves into why he was this way. Still I enjoyed this book and read it in two days. Recommended.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot more than I thought I would. It was very interesting learning about the life of the woman behind Einstein. This story is about Mileva Maria's life from an unconventional childhood of schooling though her marriage and family life with Einstein. The saying, behind every great man is a great woman, couldn't be any more fitting. The ending had me wanting to punch a character or two in the throat though.
This was not a quick read but Mileva's story captivated me from the very first page.
I don’t know much about scientist Albert Einstein except that he won a Nobel Prize for his Theory of Relativity. I even read, some time ago, Driving Mr. Albert: A Road Trip Across America with Einstein’s Brain by Michael Paterniti. All that I remember from that nonfiction piece is that Paterniti, along with the man who performed the autopsy, drove from New Jersey to California with Einstein’s brain to give to Einstein’s granddaughter. It was rather silly, if memory serves me correctly.So one might wonder why I would be interested in this piece of historical fiction. Basically, I really, really, really enjoy the women-behind-the-men genre that is so popular right now. Other books in this genre that reads might find fascinating are The Paris Wife and The Aviator’s Wife.In this work, we get to meet Mileva “Mitza” Maric. She is a brilliant woman, studying to be a physicist in the early 20th century. All her life, her parents have encouraged Mitza to pursue a life of the mind. Not only did they recognize her intelligence, but she had a physical deformity that they believed deemed her unmarriageable. The story opens in 1896 as Mitza and her father are walking through the humid, “foggy, Zurich streets to the Swiss Federal Polytechnic campus.” She is the only female enrolled to study physics. There are five men in her class, one of whom is Albert Einstein.The first 100 pages of the novel drag. It seems most of the scenes are repetitive and the science gets in the way. They are about science, Mitza’s determination and brilliance, and the two’s attraction toward each other. When Mitza and Albert go on a romantic getaway to Lake Como in Italy, the novel takes off. Albert comes off as a royal a**hole. I wonder how much of that is really true. But, this is biographical fiction. The Other Einstein receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
Though this is a work of fiction, it may nevertheless alter your concept of Albert Einstein. He was a great scientist, but certainly less than wonderful when dealing with people, espcecially with his first wife and his children. Mileva was sought out by Albert, badgered and wooed by him, and then, after giving in to him, gradually dismissed and discarded. In this book, the reader is introduced to a wife who is brilliant in her her right, but whose insights were incorporated into her husband’s work without acknowledgement. We see a public Albert who is quite a bit different from the private one. And we begin to understand the shock and disappointment that Meleva comes to accept when she realizes that Albert has, in essence, not only lied to her about what their lives would be like, but also betrayed her when he was unfaithful. Well-written and fascinating, this is novel is more than just a rendition of the lives of the Einsteins: it is a cautionary tale of what sometimes happens when two brilliant people become involved and one is not trustworthy.
Admittedly, I had no idea who Miss Maric was before reading this book. In fact, many of the details in the novel that pulled from facts of history I did not know. To me, Albert Einstein was a mere scientist. I feel as if novels of under-famed wives of famous husbands is somewhat of a craze now, and I admit that I have eaten up these novels with fervent desire to know what happens next. However, I felt that The Other Einstein was distinctly different from previous novels that I have read. I felt like I was there with the characters at every step. I could picture the apartments and the children vividly. I really felt like I was walking amongst the physicists, and I loved that.