Logicomix Book Review

Summary

Logicomix is a spectacular graphic novel which is based on the early life of the remarkable philosopher and logician, Bertrand Russell and his quest to pursue the truth behind life, logic, and mathematics. There is actually a story within a story as the authors, Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos Papadimitriou, along with their colleagues Alecos and Annie, attempt to come to a better understanding of Russell’s work and their “Quest for the Foundations of Mathematics.” Alecos and Annie are also the illustrators of the graphic novel. After a short presentation about the author’s and their quest, the story begins in September 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland and Russell was then known only as a “public thinker” whom was due to give a lecture at an American University on “the Role of Logic in Human Affairs” on September 4th just 3 days after Hitler’s invasion. Even though isolationist protesters attempted to prevent him from speaking and tried to persuade him to join the protest, they finally decided to join the Russell and have a chance to voice their opinions.

As he starts off with his story with quoting Aristotle, “in order to understand something you must go to its origins”, he begins with a tale of his childhood and growing up with his grandparents, former Prime Minister of Great Britain Lord John Russell and his ever-so-strict grandmother was known as “Lady John” (34). Not knowing why his mother left or where she went, and his father eventually disappearing, he was confronted with the “problematic nature of knowledge” (39) at a young age. When his grandfather brought him in his treasured library, he got even more inquisitive as to what was within the endless shelves of books, especially the ones behind lock and key that later reveals the truth about his parents, along with his uncle that lived deep within the mansion. This was discovered once Russell ended up breaking into the locked shelf in the library, shortly after his Grandfather passed away....