Review by Booklist Review
Everyone--even those who aren't scientifically inclined--knows the name Einstein, and it's likely that most can even name one of the things he's credited with. But how many actually know about the man himself? Ottaviani and Dye come together with this graphic biography to help fill in gaps on one of science's most famous individuals. Ottaviani is perhaps the name in comics biographies today, and his expertise is on full display here. Charting, as he notes in the time line at the end of the book, "a story that treats the arrow of time as an option to choose," he takes a semilinear path through Einstein's life, from childhood to death. But because of the creative use of the comics medium (and the relativity of time), readers get to see interactions that would otherwise be impossible--a scene in which Einstein helps Newton come to terms with the overturning of the mechanistic clockwork conception of the universe is a thrill to behold. Dye's engaging artwork provides the perfect medium to emphasize that Einstein's brilliance wasn't strictly logical; it was imaginative, intuitive, and artful. By melding the high-level mathematics of physics with Einstein's musical mind, Dye breaks down the false divide between science and art. Compelling and certain to appeal to casual and dedicated readers of physics alike. For those left wanting more, a complete bibliography is provided.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Science comics veteran Ottaviani (Hawking) partners with Dye (Pigs Might Fly) on an inventive graphic biography of Albert Einstein (1879--1955) that effectively employs the comics medium to demonstrate the scientist's hallmark nonlinear perspectives of space and time. The narrative follows the beats of Einstein's life: his silent youth, his aptitude for mathematics and science, the Annus Mirabilis that introduced E=mc2 to the masses, his relationships with his wives (first wife fractious, second wife steady), colleagues (competitively genial), and admirers (bemusing), and his final years at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Emulating theories of relativity, the scenes expand or contract, with time represented across shorter or longer panel lengths, or characters who converse across points of time across panels. Other clever visual devices include having a young Einstein dream up theories imagining his older Einstein self walking on a beam of light. The creators do an admirable job accentuating Einstein's intellectual feats while giving equal time to his human foibles, faithfully depicting someone who is a "lover of humanity, but detached from his environment and the people in it." This tension forms the heart of the book. It's an artful play on the "distinction between past, present, and future" and how these elements are only a "stubbornly persistent illusion." (Nov.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
This thoroughly researched comic-format account of the world's most well-known physicist is described by its author as "not so much a biography of Albert Einstein as it is a story about him." Storytelling liberties such as a nonlinear narrative, invented dialogue, fourth wallbreaking asides (identified by square word balloons), and scenes of a teenage Einstein visualizing his quintessential white-haired self as running along a beam of light are engagingly theatrical. Complicated scientific concepts, including relativity and space time, are imaginatively portrayed at length through a blend of words and pictures. Einstein's multifaceted personal life is equally examined -- including his involvement in geopolitics, experiences of antisemitic attacks, and numerous affairs. Relationships and rivalries with a large cast of world-renowned scientists, from Planck to Curie to Bohr, serve as a constant through line, underscoring the collaborative and competitive nature of early-twentieth-century scientific discourse. Strong cartooning across consistent three-tier page layouts is clear and effective. The hand-inked illustrations are rendered in an undulating black line and muted color palette, punctuated by ethereal blue thought bubbles and visual motifs representing Einstein's inner life. This nuanced portrayal of the individual behind many of the last century's greatest discoveries is complex and confounding, much like the man himself. Back matter includes a timeline and whimsical coda regarding Einstein's death. Patrick Gall November/December 2022 p.109(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
