[Edited 4/7/23]

This is a great fictionalized biography of the German astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630). I read it as a buddy-read with my good friend Ebba Simone and I appreciate her many insights that have informed this review.



Banville is truly able to get into the mind of a great scientist – the obsessive nature of the workings of their minds and the way breakthrough insights casually come after years of thinking about a problem - rising from bed or taking a shower - whatever - and it comes in a flash. (Did people take showers in those days? Lol)

The author shows us what a lonely and thankless task Kepler was engaged in. How many astronomers could there have been working at that time? We read about perhaps a dozen or so scientists he meets with or corresponds with and a few knowledgeable local rulers who occasionally throw money his way as a sponsor. Kepler corresponded with Galileo, his contemporary in Italy, and made improvements to telescopes of the time.

The Danish astronomer Tycho Brae was the primary astronomer Kepler worked directly with. Kepler and his family lived with Brae at his chaotic home for a time. We could say they were ‘frenemies.’ (I hate that word but it’s appropriate.) Brae treated Kepler for a long time as an 'apprentice.' Brae wouldn’t share his observation data of Mars’ orbit with Kepler – although he did so eventually. These data were crucial to Kepler’s theories. Brae was afraid Kepler would disprove his theories about planetary orbits (which Kepler eventually did).



The mindset of the onward and upward pursuit of scientific knowledge as we think of it today was not in place then. Banville shows us that many people at the time, even some scientists, and at one point his former teacher, didn't really care. While Kepler is spending years (decades actually) making calculations to end up proving that the planets have elliptical, not circular orbits, he often met with an attitude of "Who cares? Why does it matter? What difference does it make?"

Kepler had a difficult personal life. At times his personal life was chaotic – a theme that the author stresses to contrast with Kepler’s intellectual pursuit of ‘order and harmony' in the universe. This was particularly true in the time that Kepler and his family lived with Tycho Brae whose household always seemed to be in chaos.

Kepler had difficult relationships with his wives. Infants and favorite children died. At times he was persecuted or driven out of town by the Catholic hierarchy because of his Lutheran religion. He even had to help defend his mother from charges of witchcraft!

In Kepler’s time, astronomy and astrology were intertwined. Kepler was fundamentally a skeptic about the latter but he was not above creating horoscopes for wealthy patrons when he needed cash to put food on the table.

The book is not a comprehensive survey of Kepler’s life and times. It focuses on a few key periods of his life. He traveled around Europe, mainly to Prague and to Graz and Linz in what is now Austria. One section is comprised of fictional letters written by Kepler.

Here is a passage I liked: “I do not speak like I write, I do not write like I think, I do not think like I ought to think, and so everything goes on in deepest darkness."

Banville is known for his rich prose, almost lush writing at times. I picked a couple of passages to illustrate his writing style that may interest you in reading the book:

“…Tycho gave a banquet, music and manic revels and the fatted calf hissing on a spit. The noise in the dining hall was a steady roar punctuated by the crimson crash of a dropped platter or the shriek of a tickled serving girl. The spring storm that had threatened all day blundered suddenly against the windows, shivering the reflected candlelight. Tycho was in capital form, shouting and swilling and banging his tankard, nose aglitter and the tips of his straw-colored mustaches dripping. To his left Tengnagel sat with a proprietary arm about the waste of the Dane’s daughter Elizabeth, a rabbity girl with close-cropped ashen hair and pink nostrils. Her mother, Mistress Christine, was a fat fussy woman whose twenty years of concubinage to the Dane no longer outraged anyone save her.”

“Kepler suddenly recalled a sunny Easter Sunday long ago, when his grandfather was still alive, one of those days that had lodged itself in his memory not because of any particular event, but because all the aimless parts of it, the brilliant light, the scratchy feel of a new coat, the sound of bells, lofty and mad, had made together an almost palpable shape, a great air sign, like a cloud or a wind or a shower of rain, that was beyond interpreting and yet rich with significance and promise. Was that... happiness?”



I consider the book a great read – a work of ‘faction.’ The book is the middle work of Banville’s “The Revolutions Trilogy.” The other two are Doctor Copernicus (which I am reading with Ebba) and The Newton Letter.

Top photo of Kepler on an Austrian stamp from stampio.org
Kepler’s house in Prague, now a museum, from Wikipedia
The author from irishtimes.com

A fictional biography of Johannes Kepler written in Banville's lyrical prose. Kepler was depicted as a very neurotic, paranoid and self-absorbed individual who was a brilliant mathematician in service to some very eccentric patrons. He was in a disastrous marriage to a woman who hated him but still managed to have several children, most of whom died in infancy. The story takes place in the early 1600's during a time of war, disease and religious turmoil. Banville made Kepler appear almost as a cartoon character, at times, in his behavior but, at the same time, showed his brilliance as a mathematician. The story was entertaining but Banville's prose was the true star of the book, as much of the book read almost like poetry.

Šta donosi istup iz ugla Keplerove svakidašnjice s kraja 17. i prve polovine 18. veka? Po mom sudu, jednu ne toliko dobrostojeću istoričnost ulegnutu u osećaj (koji bi se mogao primerovati tekstom) da se auktorijalni glas, ali i Keplerov, ispušta iz današnjeg doba (a to ne valja jer implicitni impuls to neće), da su oba jedan drugom preblizu i da Banvil, ako bi ga samo priupitali da upripoveda ili iskaže još nešto o epohi, ne bi mogao da pruži bog zna koliko više od ovoga što je pružio (što je i subjektivna orijentacija spomoću komparativnog kompasa baždarenog prema Margarit Jursenar, ali, recimo, i manjak jednosmerne prepiske).

Banvilovski koncept genija, reljefnije je klišetiziran - i dalje sam ambivalentan po ovom pitanju - pa tako kalkuliše i sa plebejičnim bekgraundom, stalnim novčanim nedaćama, odsečnim a nepopularnim konfesionalnim opredeljenjem (eh, "Crna meno"), osobenim porodičnim miljeom (na momente vuče i na vajb "Boljeg života"), društvenom šeprtljavošću (kako to obično ide uz tip naučenjaka), naučnom sujetnošću i rivalitetima iz dvouglova, neposrednog s Braheom i epistolarnog s Galilejem (bilo je trenutaka kada me se povlačilo ka Formanovom "Amadeusu"), zatajniji stepdaddy seksualni impuls itd, na fonu sveopšteg meteža, dok se maštā o tome da se apsolutnom geometrijskom pravilnošću - Bog je geometrija! - prepokrije mondijalna uneređenost.

Dokaz o harmoniji svemira (i sveta), do koga Kepler jedino, pošavši od haotičnosti istorije i svakodnevnog rusvaja, može stići kroz nauku - Banvil potcrtava ovaj kontrast - suštinski je iluzorni konstrukt, napor da se drugom naučnom dogmom razbiju viševekovne naučne dogme. Kalup se razbija, ali ne na onaj sveravnjajući probitačni način koji naučnik priželjkuje. Rešenje odudara od teorijskog predumišljaja o savršenom poretku.* Baš to saznajno trenje postaje stalnim Keplerovim egzistencijalnim problemom. Odustajanjem od zadrtosti nametnutog principa Kepler će izistinski zasijati. Kasnije će se samo, uz sporadične probljeske - tako nam je bar pripovedno dato - ulovljavati u pseudonaučni kalup koji je samom sebi nametnuo, i to već nalikuje na psihološko ograničenje.

*Kompozicioni premeti koje prevejani čitalac prozre nakon prve deonice, ponovljeni u još tri segmenta, mogli bi biti vid elipsoidnih zakrivljenja žuđene pravilnosti poretka. I vidno drugačiji epistolarni segment povinovaće se unatraškosti pripovedanja. A pravilnost podrazumeva pet savršenih geometrijskih tela za pet planeta za pet deonica nazvanih po pet Keplerovih dela.

Život i stvarnost će se, međutim, i nakon Keplerovog otkrovenja nastaviti, kao da se ništa nije dogodilo, jer ko za ime sveta u tom vremenu (osim par izuzetaka) to može i da pojmi. Potrebno je vreme da otkrovenje postane čeona paradigma. Upravo ovaj efekat zanemarivanja ili da(v)našnjeg uzimanja proboja zdravo za gotovo - eheee a gde je bio točak! - koga ne bi bilo da se nije stojalo na leđima divova i naslanjalo na drugoga (ovde, primerice, Keplera na Brahea), pored svesnog iskoračenja iz vlastitih okvira, nekolicina je pripovednih dogledanjâ koja bih najradije poneo iz presahnulog čitalačkog izbivanja u "Kepleru" po Banvilu.

Johanes Kepler je jedna markantna figura 17 stoljeća, nemački astronom i matematičar poznat po Keplerovim zakonima o kretanju planeta oko Sunca.
Ova knjiga počinje sa Keplerovim dolaskom u Prag 1600 godine, nakon što ga je pozvao danski astoronom Tiho Brahe. Kroz njegova razmišljanja saznajemo ukratko što se pre toga događalo, uglavnom oko njegove ženidbe, oko njegovih interesovanja za astronomiju i heliocentričnom Kopernikusovom sistemu,kako je na osnovu toga 1596 g. objavio prvu knjigu Mysterium Cosmographicum (Svemirska tajna). U toj knjizi je došao do veličanstvene ideje da bi svako od pet Platonovih tijela moglo biti jedinstveno umetnuto u sferu, grupiranjem tih tijela, svako obloženo sferom, jedno unutar drugog bi proizvelo šest slojeva, koji odgovaraju šest poznatih planeta (Merkur, Venera, Zemlja, Mars, Jupiter i Saturn). Keplerov model Sunčevog sistema možete vidjete na https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johanne.... Posle smrti Tiha Brahe, 1601 g., Kepler koristi njegova posmatranja i mjerenja i posvećuje se Marsu, pa tako dolazi i do svojih poznatih zakona, koje je objavio u knjizi Astronomia Nova. Tada postaje carski matematičar Rudolfa II, a zbog svoje reputacije, pre svega kao carskog astrologa, nije progonjen zbog svoje protestantske vjere od koje se nije htio odreći. Bavi se i optikom. Međutim, dolaskom Matije na presto 1612, on je izgubio svoje privilegije pa je prognan iz Linza. U međuvrijemenu je njegov život bio tužan, izgubio je mnogo od svoje djece, posle i svoju ženu Barbaru i njenu ćerku iz prošlog braka Reginu koju je mnogo volio. 1613 g. se ponovo ženi 24 godišnjom Suzanom i taj je brak bio sretniji no prvi. Suočava se sa inkvizicijom koja goni njegovu majku zbog vještičarenja. Knjiga završava tačno dan-dva prije njegove smrti 1630 kad je krenuo da od cara naplati dug od 12000 forinti da bi mogao pečatiti Rudolfove tablice koje računaju detaljno kretanje planeta tokom godine, ali ga je smrt sprečila u tome.
Opet fini stil i književni izraz, ali zbog nelinearne radnje i navraćanja na određena dešavanja, pomalo naporno za čitanje u smislu da je potrebno da se posvetite knjizi kompletno.

Una scrittura intensa e precisa che mi ha fatto percepire come reali voci, odori e colori di un'epoca e di una vita intera: il personaggio di Keplero mi ha impressionato per la sua vividezza e mi ha fatto riflettere su quanto la scienza e l'arte del passato siano state in balìa dei capricci del destino e dei potenti, su quanto la vita fosse fragile e minacciata in ogni momento, su come un tempo fosse difficile avere il controllo sulle proprie volontà ed aspirazioni, su come fosse complicato comunicare e conoscere.
Quanta pioggia, quanta fatica, quanta rassegnazione e quanta assoluta, indomita volontà...

Two down now, as I attempt to get through "The Revolutions Trilogy" by Banville. Next up will be the Copernicus book I have been waiting for on hold. I have not read a book by Banville that I did not like. This book was difficult for me for a couple of reasons: the hardback from Vintage International was published in a very small font. That added to my frown lines as I had to look up various geographical locations and scientific terms to fully digest the material. It is not a book for leisure reading, but if one takes the extra time to understand the societal pressures as well as the development of scientific thought during his lifetime the reward is greater.
Fortunately Banville has that gift of conveying events in the very best and most efficient phrasing to allow understanding.
"Astronomy at first had been a pastime merely, an extension of the mathematical games he had liked to play as a student at Tubingen. As time went on, and his hopes for his new life in Graz turned sour, this exalted playing more and more obsessed him. It was a thing apart, a realm of order to set against the ramshackle real world in which he was imprisoned. For Graz was a kind of prison." Here he taught at the age of 23 and hated the vocation. After succeeding in drawing up an astrological calendar that accurately predicted weather he felt free to work on the mysteries of the solar system. Kepler's journey of discovery is beautifully told by Banville.
His life challenges, however, were portrayed vividly. It was not an easy road but makes for interesting historical fiction. A very good read.

Library Loan

Andrew Miller's top 10 historical novels

Surprisingly entertaining and informative about the difficult life of an odd, lonely and unacknowledged genius.

Cursed with poor eyesight, yet thriving under his Emperor patron in Prague, Kepler garners renown amidst his vast network of scholars. This book mainly simulates what it would have been like to be an intellectual in the time of Johannes Kepler, who started from humble beginnings, and was for his whole life, suspect for not adhering to doctrinal sects of Christianity at the time.

In a time of poor medical facilities, we see Kepler grapple with a trying family life, with several of his children succumbing to disease, and ultimately his first wife dying after a period of hysteria and neurosis. Through all this Kepler maintains his strength of character and thirst for scientific inquiry. What is most amazing is his upheaval of accepted standards in science in favor of a heliocentric view of the heavens, pioneered by Copernicus.

This book is exemplary of the relative immunity that intellectuals, scientists, artists, politicians enjoy during tumultuous political climates. There's not much insight into the man's actual discoveries, or contributions. Think of this account as more of a simulation of what it'd be like to chance upon the deep revelations Kepler experienced, and how they arose. There is some mention of Copernican theories and Kepler's endorsement of them. Some talk of his exacting patrons, and his encouraging mentors. Some cross-references to his contemporary, Galileo, and his secretive nature. Interestingly, highlights a mutual respect, acknowledged by Kepler, in this work, even in absence of a friendship.

Kepler's intellectual life is starkly contrasted with his family life, where he's occasionally accused of being negligent. Today, this may not occur, since so many more people are understanding of higher education, and even encouraging, whether it's parents, or a partner. The intellectual's life is akin to that of a hermit's, where some steady paying job is foregone today, for greater mental and spiritual fulfillment tomorrow, where carnal pleasures are traded off for cerebral pursuits. I found this an inspiring bridge between wikipedia's biographical facts, and Kepler's actual work. I don't think I'll ever take up his works. Of what little I know, his greatest contribution was to orbital theory, among others.

(complaint: the part with the letters was a bit tough to get through. clunky. served the same purpose as parallel plots, but jumping back and forth in time, etc. didn't flow, and frankly, lost me for a while.)

tuebl

"Com'era innocente, com'era inutilmente amabile la superficie del mondo! Il mistero delle cose semplici lo assali'. Una festiva rondine sfreccio' attraverso una scompigliante folata di fumo di lavanda. Avrebbe piovuto di nuovo. gli giunse il suono di una corda pizzicata. Sorrise, in ascolto: era forse la musica delle sfere?" (p. 71)

"Cosa aveva guidato suo padre? Quali voglie impossibili si erano agitate e avevan dato calci dentro di lui? E che cosa? Il pestare di piedi durante le marce? il puzzo penetrante della paura e dell'attesa sul campo di battaglia, all'alba? il calore bruto e il delirio di qualche locanda lungo la strada? Era possibile amare la mera azione, il brivido di un fare incessante? Dinanzi ai suoi occhi tristemente meditativi ricomparve la finestra. Questo era il mondo: quel giardino, i suoi figli, quei papaveri. Sono una piccola creatura, il mio orizzonte e' ristretto. Allora, come una improvvisa inondazione di gelida acqua, venne il pensiero della morte, essa stringeva in pugno un mondo di spada arrugginita." (p. 108)

"Il cerchio e' il portatore delle armonie pure, le pure armonie sono innate nell'anima, e cosi' anima e cerchio sono una cosa sola.
Che semplicita', che bellezza." (p. 192)

"La ragione per cui certi rapporti producono un accordo ed altri una dissonanza non e' comunque da ricercarsi nella aritmetica, bensi' nella geometria ..." (p. 193)

Die physikalischen Entdeckungen Keplers interessieren mich kaum und ich würde sie sicher nicht ansatzweise begreifen. Aber Kepler wird hier auch in erster Linie als Mensch gezeigt: Einerseits sich seiner Theorien allzu gewiss, dann auch arrogant und selbstgerecht; außerdem wenig kompromissbereit und die Etikette höherer Kreise mißachtend; andererseits ist er auch ein Waschlappen: Seine Frau wird ihm fast gegen seinen Willen angeheiratet und er wehrt sich kaum, leidet aber ständig unter ihr. Da er arm ist, muss er dann doch immer wieder sich den Mächtigen anbiedern: Landesherrn, Baronen, Rudolf II in Prag; andererseits büßt er im Laufe seines Lebens mehr als eine Stellung ein, weil er nicht bereit ist, seine Religionszugehörigkeit zu wechseln nur weil es ihm von Vorteil sein könnte. Im Ganzen wirkt er doch oft eher hilflos und lächerlich.
Dann ist der Roman auch eine interessante Beschreibung gesellschaftlich-politischer Umstände, unter denen Wissenschaft betrieben wird: Man muss sich dem anpassen, was den Mächtigen (sei es der Herzog oder der erste Mathematiker des Hofes in Prag) an wissenschaftlichen Ergebnissen erwarten. Vielleicht auch eine Analogie zu heute?
Anstrengend ist allerdings der Abschnitt, der aus Briefen zusammengesetzt ist, deren Reihenfolge nicht chronologisch angeordnet ist (evtl. aufsteigend und dann wieder absteigend, also vielleicht zentrisch oder elliptisch wie die von Kepler beobachteten Planetenbahnen?). Das macht es schwer, der Handlung zu folgen.