William T Vollmann Central discussion

Uncentering the Earth: Copernicus and the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, part of the "Great Discoveries" series which also includes a book by DFW, is perhaps the most forgettable of Bill's books. Or maybe not.

A review of this, Bill's most unreadable* book ::

"The Center Did Not Hold" by Dava Sobel
NYT: February 26, 2006

"Vollmann's own darkness and self-abnegation seem to have made him forget that, whatever he may think of his hero — he criticizes him for laxity, lack of originality, "ghastly syntax" and "prose of incomparable dreariness" — Copernicus has hardly faded into oblivion. Yet, as Vollmann makes clear, non-mathematicians have good reason to avoid reading the actual text of the great man's admirable legacy"
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/26/boo...




*Clearly, the fault of the big C ; Bill did what he could I'm sure.....