Review by alyssajanel13 -- Timewise by Robert Leet
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Review by alyssajanel13 -- Timewise by Robert Leet
[Following is a volunteer review of "Timewise" by Robert Leet.]
Modern anthropological myth tells us that humans are right or left-brained— that we are poets or scientists, painter or mathematicians. In Timewise by Robert Leet, we meet characters who are equal parts poker hustler, wordsmith and numbers enthusiast.
The story begins with a young Ron, an orphan with remarkable gifts. A modern Oliver Twist, ducking and weaving through east coast colleges and math labs instead of London sewers. The reader immediately falls for this young boy because he is so earnest and genuine. Some authors build these downtrodden kids with unreasonable skills and prodigious gifts. And Ron has a few of these. But he also screws up, which make him all the more endearing. He has the perfect amount of talent and moxie.
As many young men before him, Ron is infatuated with the dazzling professor Regina Russo. She is a decades-older woman who captures his pubescent chess fantasy and later his young man ambitions. Ron matures and learns, and watches this mentor go from teacher and employer who pays for A’s, to something much more uncertain. The story winds and weaves as Regina slowly unravels and Ron watches in fear, anger and frustration. Eventually, he lands in the life of another math goddess, Sheila, who again captures his heart. I, for one, was tickled by all these impressive female scientists on display. Watching Rom navigate his path to adulthood, fighting the battles of love and loss was a treat.
The descriptions and prose of the book were definite strengths. Phrases such as “filaments riding a barely perceptible breeze” when the author is showing us flowing clouds, shows that a mathematics brain and absolutely survive with the soul of an artist. Leet gives us just as much beautiful language when describing the math. “To me mathematics is a vast array of interconnected mental bridges and tunnels and caverns and castles illuminated by the signposts of mathematical symbols.” This man is masterful with words and his love for math and its mysteries is clear.
Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed what the realistic entanglements of the relationships. Sometimes, sex does not equal love. Sometimes, we can love the wrong person. Sometimes we can think we love two people at once. Leet keeps the characters fully rooted in the frail reality of human emotions and those imperfections.
A challenging aspect of the book for me was, sadly, also the math. Reading the overview and premise, I knew that complex math was integral to the story. I was not prepared for detailed conversations about physics between two character at a diner that lasted upwards of 6 pages. And then, these exchanges took place multiple times. The goal was to show the characters learning from and challenging each other, but for someone unfamiliar with physics tenants, I was completely lost and that pulled me away from any narrative. I admit I was reduced to skimming, because I have no idea what wave particles, wave experiments, two-slit experiments or Plank units. To pull from the author himself, it all became “fuzzy science” to me and I detached.
From a pragmatic perspective, the book was edited with precision as expected. The journey was well -paced and never dull (math dragging aside) from an action and plot standpoint. I may not have been the perfect audience, that there was much to enjoy here and the book is still a still 3 out of 4 star read.
******
Timewise
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Modern anthropological myth tells us that humans are right or left-brained— that we are poets or scientists, painter or mathematicians. In Timewise by Robert Leet, we meet characters who are equal parts poker hustler, wordsmith and numbers enthusiast.
The story begins with a young Ron, an orphan with remarkable gifts. A modern Oliver Twist, ducking and weaving through east coast colleges and math labs instead of London sewers. The reader immediately falls for this young boy because he is so earnest and genuine. Some authors build these downtrodden kids with unreasonable skills and prodigious gifts. And Ron has a few of these. But he also screws up, which make him all the more endearing. He has the perfect amount of talent and moxie.
As many young men before him, Ron is infatuated with the dazzling professor Regina Russo. She is a decades-older woman who captures his pubescent chess fantasy and later his young man ambitions. Ron matures and learns, and watches this mentor go from teacher and employer who pays for A’s, to something much more uncertain. The story winds and weaves as Regina slowly unravels and Ron watches in fear, anger and frustration. Eventually, he lands in the life of another math goddess, Sheila, who again captures his heart. I, for one, was tickled by all these impressive female scientists on display. Watching Rom navigate his path to adulthood, fighting the battles of love and loss was a treat.
The descriptions and prose of the book were definite strengths. Phrases such as “filaments riding a barely perceptible breeze” when the author is showing us flowing clouds, shows that a mathematics brain and absolutely survive with the soul of an artist. Leet gives us just as much beautiful language when describing the math. “To me mathematics is a vast array of interconnected mental bridges and tunnels and caverns and castles illuminated by the signposts of mathematical symbols.” This man is masterful with words and his love for math and its mysteries is clear.
Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed what the realistic entanglements of the relationships. Sometimes, sex does not equal love. Sometimes, we can love the wrong person. Sometimes we can think we love two people at once. Leet keeps the characters fully rooted in the frail reality of human emotions and those imperfections.
A challenging aspect of the book for me was, sadly, also the math. Reading the overview and premise, I knew that complex math was integral to the story. I was not prepared for detailed conversations about physics between two character at a diner that lasted upwards of 6 pages. And then, these exchanges took place multiple times. The goal was to show the characters learning from and challenging each other, but for someone unfamiliar with physics tenants, I was completely lost and that pulled me away from any narrative. I admit I was reduced to skimming, because I have no idea what wave particles, wave experiments, two-slit experiments or Plank units. To pull from the author himself, it all became “fuzzy science” to me and I detached.
From a pragmatic perspective, the book was edited with precision as expected. The journey was well -paced and never dull (math dragging aside) from an action and plot standpoint. I may not have been the perfect audience, that there was much to enjoy here and the book is still a still 3 out of 4 star read.
******
Timewise
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas
