Book Review ~~ Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! ~~

Recently, I read the book “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”, a humorous autobiography by Richard P. Feynman, a collection of anecdotes from the life of this physicist who won the Nobel Prize. Since he had a very unique mind, he didn’t always react the same way as everyone else—for example, even when he was awed by Bohr, a scientist who had achieved great things, he still pointed out flaws in Bohr’s work while they collaborated, while everyone else merely agreed with Bohr’s calculations as if he were infallible because of his previous work. Also, he was able to apply his knowledge to all kinds of situations, when other people had to relearn material presented in a different format. All of the stories were funny in a different way; in some, others acted impractically—in Who Stole the Door? Feynman admitted he had stolen the door, but because of the carefree way in which he’d said it, people assumed that he was joking, and when he explained what he had done days later, they accused him of lying, remembering only the spirit of the conversation, which was that, supposedly, no one had admitted to a crime. Others were funny because of Feynman, either because of his actions or simply because of some error he had made. All the stories were funny in one way or another, though, and I enjoyed reading almost all of them. Feynman was quite good at picking out details to create many funny stories and also a very good author, and despite the fact that I didn’t expect a well-known scientist to have been part of so many funny incidents or to enjoy joking so much, I liked his stories very much. I recommend this book to anyone who likes humor or science and would rate it 9.8/10.

Book Review ~~ The Importance of Being Earnest ~~

Recently I finished reading the play “The Importance of Being Earnest,” by Oscar Wilde. I found it very interesting and funny, though the characters got a little confusing and I mixed up the two main, male characters at the end. Though the play seemed unassuming in the beginning, it was very funny at the ending, with the main characters’ (Jack’s and Algernon’s) girlfriends fighting over something that turned out to be a lie. In the end, the main characters had been thoroughly ashamed, but special circumstances made Jack reconsider. The apparent ‘lie’ was actually truthful! I enjoyed learning about what had happened, especially when the two men fought over muffins and the two women simply irritating each other and being rather contrary. I also found the notion of a ‘Bunbury’ particularly amusing. It is set in England, when people were still supposed to be very ‘polite’ to each other. The entire play is based on the differences between the adjective ‘earnest,’ meaning sincere, and the name ‘Earnest.’ Often termed a “comedy of manners,” “The Importance of Being Earnest” is definitely an engaging play and a must-read. I would rate it 9.8/10 and recommend it for anyone in middle school or above.