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The Irrationalist: A Review 9/2/2017 4:53:35 AM
Andrew Pessin's The Irrationalist is both historical fiction and a mystery into the death of the father of modern philosophy--Rene Descartes. Rene Descartes (1596-1650) is known as the father of modern philosophy in part for his Discourse on Method (1637), in which the famous statement ‘I think therefore I am’ can be found. As such, he has been the subject of numerous philsophical and biographical texts, but never (to my knowledge) until now the subject of a novel. Novels require a problem and the problem that compelled Andrew Pessin, professor of philosophy at Connecticut College, to fictionalize Descartes’ life is his death.
Descartes died shortly after his arrival in Stockholm, Sweden having been enticed by young Queen Christina to tutor her and help her launch a new scientific academy. Some despute the reported lung infection as the cause of death and a recent study suggests he was poisoned by those who feared his influence on the Queen. That is the problem Pessin set out to exploit.
Readers need not fear their lack of knowledge of Descartes’ philosophy or of 17th century Europe might interfere with their enjoyment of The Irrationalist. The novel is at its core a mystery, and like all good mysteries, the author metes out important details in a manner that keeps the reader turning the pages. In addition to telling a good story, Pessin has so mastered the details of the world Descartes inhabited that the reader never feels confused or lost.
Surprisingly, the protagonist of The Irrrationalist is not Rene Descartes, but rather a man sent to Sweden to represent his religious order and the school that Descartes attended from age 11. Adrien Baillet is an orphan who suffers from a lack of knowledge of his origins as well as a lack of confidence. When he arrives in Stockholm shortly after Descartes’ death, he is assigned the task of investigating the cause, or rather confirming that the cause was natural. His stubborn desire to discover the truth, however, an attitude which echoes Descartes’ approach to knowledge, puts Baillet in conflict with just about everyone he encouters, including Christina’s top advisor.
Interposing fictional characters with the real, Pessin skillfully interweaves chapters focusing on Baillet’s attempts to discover the true cause of Descartes’ demise with chapters on Descartes’ life. The result is a first class historical novel.
I do have a quibble, actually two. I find fault with the novel’s title on two counts. The word “irrationalist” is so obscure a reference I’m afraid I have no idea to what or whom it is refering. Further, doesn’t the subtitle, “The Tragic Murder of Rene Descartes,” give away the story? One might even question whether Descartes’ death was tragic. But don’t let those issues deter you from a very enjoyable read.
