Kepler

Johannes Kepler, born in 1571 in Swabia, south-west Germany, was one of the greatest mathematicians and astronomers of all time. Banville brings Kepler's life and struggle to live in vividly realized scenes whose visual detail is reminiscent of Old Master paintings. While Kepler works towards his famous discovery that the pattern of planetary motion is elliptical, the reader is entertained by an earthy account of the pains and humiliations of his everyday life with his sharp-tongued wife Barbara and his tyrannical, unpredictable patrons. The result is a novel which manages to be intellectually challenging while delivering an entertaining account of the trials of everyday life in the late 16th century. (Kirkus UK)