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The Genius in my Basement
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Review
From the reviews of ‘Stuart: A Life Backwards’:
‘Unique and wonderful’ Daily Mail
‘This is a very rare and haunting book … A great first book’ Andrew O'Hagan
'Good books like this appear about once every five years. It's been years since I've been so delighted by a book and so surprised by it … When I'd finished I felt bereft, as if I'd lost an old friend' Zadie Smith
'I feel so strongly about this strange, funny, sad book that I hardly know where to begin … My enthusiasm feels almost limitless. A page-turner' Observer
'Funny and original, a startling book … By the end I was doubled up in tears, but throughout I was often doubled up with laughter. It is dazzling' Vogue
'A remarkable biography. Unforgettably moving. A gripping read' Tim Lott, Sunday Times
'With his first book, Alexander Masters … has achieved something remarkable. He has, without patronising, given a voice to the "underclass"; at the same time, without preaching, he shows us the value of even the most damaged of human lives … a powerful book, humane, instructive and entirely original' Sunday Telegraph
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Review
From the reviews of 'Stuart: A Life Backwards': 'Unique and wonderful' Daily Mail 'This is a very rare and haunting book ! A great first book' Andrew O'Hagan 'Good books like this appear about once every five years. It's been years since I've been so delighted by a book and so surprised by it ! When I'd finished I felt bereft, as if I'd lost an old friend' Zadie Smith 'I feel so strongly about this strange, funny, sad book that I hardly know where to begin ! My enthusiasm feels almost limitless. A page-turner' Observer 'Funny and original, a startling book ! By the end I was doubled up in tears, but throughout I was often doubled up with laughter. It is dazzling' Vogue 'A remarkable biography. Unforgettably moving. A gripping read' Tim Lott, Sunday Times 'With his first book, Alexander Masters ! has achieved something remarkable. He has, without patronising, given a voice to the "underclass"; at the same time, without preaching, he shows us the value of even the most damaged of human lives ! a powerful book, humane, instructive and entirely original' Sunday Telegraph
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I really think Alexander Masters has dropped the ball here. He has all the right elements for a great book, but somehow, (rather ironically given the main theme of the book), manages to put 2 and 2 together and come up with 5.
The book follows, Simon Norton, a mathematical genius, who comes across as an extremely likeable fellow if not a little bizarre (perhaps even with a touch of Asperger's?), but I can't help feel that this book has let him down massively.
After reading this, I am left with very little insight into the man and what makes him tick, and feel that Masters was trying to cajole his subject and make him out to be something he simply wasn't, whilst focussing on the things that 'he' wanted - not the things that mattered to Simon.
I think the book would have been much more interesting if it concentrated on Simon's life now, rather than what it once was. It seems Simon would agree, and he too it seems, constantly tried to point out to the author how irrelevant a lot of his questions were.
Instead, I got the feeling that I am left with no idea what makes this genius tick. It's like Master's observed Simon, but chose to ignore everything about this man.
The writing style too I found a little cumbersome. It jumped around and tried to be fun and creative, dropping in 'crazy' drawings - but I found this got slightly laboured and only made a (in a few places) confusingly written book, harder to follow.
It was quite funny in places, but this was more down to Simon's character than Alex's writing skills (although he did have his moments), and I just feel that if Alex had simply sat back and 'documented' Simon's present, rather than try to probe into his past, we would have had a much more interesting, enjoyable and perhaps even important book.
I finished The Genius In My Basement and put it down really liking Simon Norton and wanting to know all about him - but having just read a book about him, surely there is something bizarrely wrong about that.
The book follows, Simon Norton, a mathematical genius, who comes across as an extremely likeable fellow if not a little bizarre (perhaps even with a touch of Asperger's?), but I can't help feel that this book has let him down massively.
After reading this, I am left with very little insight into the man and what makes him tick, and feel that Masters was trying to cajole his subject and make him out to be something he simply wasn't, whilst focussing on the things that 'he' wanted - not the things that mattered to Simon.
I think the book would have been much more interesting if it concentrated on Simon's life now, rather than what it once was. It seems Simon would agree, and he too it seems, constantly tried to point out to the author how irrelevant a lot of his questions were.
Instead, I got the feeling that I am left with no idea what makes this genius tick. It's like Master's observed Simon, but chose to ignore everything about this man.
The writing style too I found a little cumbersome. It jumped around and tried to be fun and creative, dropping in 'crazy' drawings - but I found this got slightly laboured and only made a (in a few places) confusingly written book, harder to follow.
It was quite funny in places, but this was more down to Simon's character than Alex's writing skills (although he did have his moments), and I just feel that if Alex had simply sat back and 'documented' Simon's present, rather than try to probe into his past, we would have had a much more interesting, enjoyable and perhaps even important book.
I finished The Genius In My Basement and put it down really liking Simon Norton and wanting to know all about him - but having just read a book about him, surely there is something bizarrely wrong about that.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Dr Simon Philips Norton was a child maths prodigy who came top in international Mathematical Olympiads, earned a degree in maths whilst still at school and then went to Cambridge where he studied for his doctorate. Norton's particular expertise is in Group Theory and he's spent most of his life trying to understand what he calls The Monster, the most convoluted atom of symmetry, which is studied using a grid containing 808017424794512875886459904961710757005754368000000000 columns.
Supported by his family's wealth, Dr Norton owns a house in Cambridge (in which Masters rented a flat) and lives in the basement rooms (a shambles filled with bags of junk and with a toilet that's fallen through the floor). But Norton hasn't worked since Cambridge University's Maths Department opted not to renew his contract and he spends most of his time campaigning for public transport (for which he funds a £10,000 annual prize). In this book, Masters paints a portrait of how Norton came to be in his current position, why he failed to live up to his early promise, why he's so passionate about public transport, his relationship with The Monster and how come he seems so happy with his lot.
Having really enjoyed STUART: A LIFE BACKWARDS, I was looking forward to reading Masters' next book and THE GENIUS IN MY BASEMENT for the most part doesn't disappoint. Simon Norton is not a willing subject for an autobiography, offering his co-operation only in return for Masters' help in clearing his rooms and the promotion of his views on public transport. He frequently complains about the mistakes that Masters makes about both him and his work, and has a very poor memory for the basic facts of his life. Masters in turn is frustrated by the lack of co-operation from his subject and the way he fails to live up to Masters' own theories (in fact one of the things I love about the book is that Masters really isn't afraid to show himself as an irritating git).
I loved the drawings and doodles that pop up throughout the text (particularly those used to explain Group Theory works). However while there is a sense of who Simon is, the book doesn't really explain what happened to him or how he came to be who he is and while that didn't bother me as what there is is so entertaining, those seeking answers may be disappointed.
Supported by his family's wealth, Dr Norton owns a house in Cambridge (in which Masters rented a flat) and lives in the basement rooms (a shambles filled with bags of junk and with a toilet that's fallen through the floor). But Norton hasn't worked since Cambridge University's Maths Department opted not to renew his contract and he spends most of his time campaigning for public transport (for which he funds a £10,000 annual prize). In this book, Masters paints a portrait of how Norton came to be in his current position, why he failed to live up to his early promise, why he's so passionate about public transport, his relationship with The Monster and how come he seems so happy with his lot.
Having really enjoyed STUART: A LIFE BACKWARDS, I was looking forward to reading Masters' next book and THE GENIUS IN MY BASEMENT for the most part doesn't disappoint. Simon Norton is not a willing subject for an autobiography, offering his co-operation only in return for Masters' help in clearing his rooms and the promotion of his views on public transport. He frequently complains about the mistakes that Masters makes about both him and his work, and has a very poor memory for the basic facts of his life. Masters in turn is frustrated by the lack of co-operation from his subject and the way he fails to live up to Masters' own theories (in fact one of the things I love about the book is that Masters really isn't afraid to show himself as an irritating git).
I loved the drawings and doodles that pop up throughout the text (particularly those used to explain Group Theory works). However while there is a sense of who Simon is, the book doesn't really explain what happened to him or how he came to be who he is and while that didn't bother me as what there is is so entertaining, those seeking answers may be disappointed.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
The premise is interesting - though I did wonder whether we've overdone this theme: the secret genius - everyone seems to have one, or we call everyone a genius these days, I don't know -
The story is about a maths genius who lives in a lower flat and the writer above him. It's clear the writer was enthralled by the subject matter but there was something awkward about the book and the writing. It was as if the writer wanted to convey the mathematical genius and ended up trying to tell us something of mathematics - not sure that worked.
The narrative seemed weak. You know those books, the ones that seem interesting but when you start reading them you get mildly distracted by things around you, put the book down, promising to get back to it but never seem to rush back. When you do get back to it, it seems impossible to get stuck in and stay with it for too long before you start wandering off again....not a page turner, not really a riveting read.
It is now weeks into reading it and I suspect my feeling that there's no rush to finish it, I can dip in and out is a judgement on the power - or lack of it - of a forward driving story line....
I'll let you decide.
The story is about a maths genius who lives in a lower flat and the writer above him. It's clear the writer was enthralled by the subject matter but there was something awkward about the book and the writing. It was as if the writer wanted to convey the mathematical genius and ended up trying to tell us something of mathematics - not sure that worked.
The narrative seemed weak. You know those books, the ones that seem interesting but when you start reading them you get mildly distracted by things around you, put the book down, promising to get back to it but never seem to rush back. When you do get back to it, it seems impossible to get stuck in and stay with it for too long before you start wandering off again....not a page turner, not really a riveting read.
It is now weeks into reading it and I suspect my feeling that there's no rush to finish it, I can dip in and out is a judgement on the power - or lack of it - of a forward driving story line....
I'll let you decide.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Difficult to connect with
I loved Alex Masters previous book (Stuart - a life backwards)but just could not get to grips after 3 attempts with this book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by light
The Enigma in the Excavation?
As my star rating shows, I enjoyed this atypical biography. However, the title is misleading, as Masters himself doesn't seem to know if Norton IS a genius, WAS a genius - or never... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Steven Brake
Very enjoyable
Portrayal of a man who it would be easy to categorise as "eccentric", but who the author suggests is more a very intelligent person with an unusually clear idea about what makes... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Study Shortcuts and Exam Tips from Oxford Grads
That difficult second book (part46)
'Stuart, A Life Backwards' is a small classic of literary biography, but, sad to relate,I struggled to finish 'The Genius In My Basement'. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Bela Lugosi's Dad
Unique
This is a very unique book and maybe not my cuppa tea. However, it did intrigue me and I dipped in and out of it whenever I had a few moments to spare. Read more
Published 4 months ago by kehs
Absorbing and entertaining
What a very peculiar and individual person this book describes. At first read I thought no, this is not my cup of tea at ll but after a few pages I was hooked. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Buy-it-try-it
A gentle genius
Simon Norton was an infant prodigy who could speak the magical language of numbers from his earliest years. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Clive A. H. Still
The difficult second album
How do you follow a life altering bestseller like Stuart: A Life Backwards? With great difficulty that's how. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Withnail67
a genius of a writer
Alexander Masters is loved for his brutally honest writing full of sadness, life and hope. His first bestseller Stuart, A Life Backwards was exactly that. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Reader, I Read It
A Very Odd Biography
So, this is a book written by a man who used to live in rooms owned by the mad guy in the basement. However the guy upstairs is a successful writer, the guy downstairs a former... Read more
Published 7 months ago by robotfish
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