The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I was given this ARC by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I was really looking forward to reading this fictionalized story about Einstein’s first wife and probably the driving force of the genius we now celebrate. Unfortunately, this story did not work at all for me.
The main character felt emotionally unavailable, even though the story is mostly narrated by her. I can understand that the circumstances that surrounded her upbringing may have had an influence on her ability to interact in social situations, but the more I read the more I felt like she did not want to participate in life and only report on the passing events. The secondary character and her love interest, the famous Albert Einstein, was completely impossible to relate to and gave off the impression of someone unkempt and very sloppy.
The plot was interesting enough; depicting the life and events of Einstein’s first wife. There was nothing special or spellbinding.
The writing left the reader wanting for more. As a love story there wasn’t much romance that came across and no heart warming butterflies could be felt as the romance between those two lovers and geniuses unfolded. The entire story felt like a very thought out and detailed depiction of events without much emotion, which made it difficult to get through it.
Overall, I felt let down by this story and I had hoped for a bit more closeness to the main character. It is very difficult for a reader to find interest in a main character that is being kept at arms’ length.
