Review
Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth by Apostolos Doxiadis, Christos Papadimitriou
Inventive, with both subtle and overt narrative techniques, the comic form organizes the complex ideas into a simpler system, combining to form a smart and engaging journey through the ambiguity of truth. g All rights reserved.. The fear of madness haunts Russell because of childhood trauma, as he neurotically pushes himself toward what he conceives of as its opposite, a system for certainty. One of the most prominent themes is the conflict and symbiosis between madness and logic. Russell's story is framed within a speech he gave on the brink of America's entry into WWII, in which he expounds his life and philosophical journey. Russell's story is also framed by the creators working in Greece, as they discuss and mold his life into a narrative structure. The panels that follow greimagine the life of a brilliant young man with a passion for mathematics. Starred Review. This exceptional graphic novel recounts the spiritual odyssey of philosopher Bertrand Russell. Through love and hate, peace and war, Russell persists in the dogged mission that threatens to claim both his career and his personal happiness, finally driving him to the brink of insanity.The creators of Logicomix introduce us to Bertrand Russell in 1939 during one of his public lectures. In his agonized search for absolute truth, Russell crosses paths with legendary thinkers like Gottlob Frege, David Hilbert, and Kurt Gdel, and finds a passionate student in the great Ludwig Wittgenstein. But his most ambitious goal--to establish unshakable logical foundations of mathematics--continues to loom before him. While a comic about the quest for the foundations of mathematics may seem arduous, it is engrossing on many levels; the story moves, despite heavy philosophical and technical information, as the images, dialogue and narration play off each other. Russell explores the question, "What is logic?" by telling the story of "one of [logics] most ardent fans"--himself.