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The Tenth Muse
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
20 posts | 15 read | 41 to read
The first thing I remember being said of me with any consistency was that I was intelligent - and I recognized even then that it was a comment leveled at me with as much disapproval as admiration. Still, I never tried to hide or suppress my mind as some girls do, and thank god, because that would have been the beginning of the end. From childhood, Katherine knows she is different, and that her parents are not who they seem to be. But in becoming a mathematician, she faces the most human of problems - who is she? What is the cost of love, and what is the cost of ambition? On her quest to conquer the Riemann Hypothesis, the greatest unsolved mathematical problem of her time, she turns to a theorem with a mysterious history that holds both the lock and key to her identity, and to secrets long buried during World War II. Forced to confront some of the biggest events of the twentieth century and rethink everything she knows of herself, Katherine strives to take her place in the world of higher mathematics, reclaiming the voices of the women who came before her whose love of the language of numbers connects them across generations. The Tenth Muse is a brilliant, involving novel asking questions about who gets to tell the story of intellectual endeavour, and those who lost everything during World War II. Praise for The Tenth Muse 'Arresting in scope and its treatment of time, its prose at turns crystalline and richly balletic, this story pulls puzzle from puzzle - human, historical and all too contemporary' Helen Oyeyemi
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ChaoticMissAdventures
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
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#curiouscovers #multicolored
I loved this book about history, friendship, heartbreak, and math (but not in a you need a calculator math way!) The writing is excellent - clear voice that doesn't get bogged down with complex ideas while being believable about a math genius.
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Eggs Well done 👍🏼📚👏🏻 3y
20 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Scochrane26
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
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1. When I was able to attend my library‘s book club regularly, I read several books I enjoyed that I prob wouldn‘t have picked up otherwise. The tagged and Light from Other Stars come to mind.
2. Any book that has several themes usually makes a good discussion. Transcendent Kingdom was an interesting one.
#two4tuesday @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 🤩 3y
27 likes1 comment
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BkClubCare
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
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Road Trip! Inspired by my favorite judgment in #TOB21, I picked this up at the library. Somewhere in Illinois West 336

25 likes1 stack add
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Soubhiville
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
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Pickpick

This was my book club‘s selected book for the month. I wasn‘t sure I would like it, as the main character is a mathematician, but when it talked about math it was in broad unspecific ways. More in focus were Catherine‘s relationships with her family and the men in her life. The writing is beautiful and emotional. I‘d like to read more by the author.

Lots of trigger warnings though!

67 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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BookishMarginalia
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
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#CurrentlyListening to this novel of a woman mathematician growing up in the aftermath of World War II in Michigan.

Crazeedi This sounds really interesting 5y
JSW I loved this book. 5y
88 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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Joreads
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
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Pickpick

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The struggle of self and a place in the world really rang true. The characters were well rounded and I felt very believable. The sprinkling of math through the book really delighted me.

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JenniferP
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
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Pickpick

I loved this book about a woman mathematician, the sexism she faced, and her own growth and discovery of her past. I haven‘t seen it on many “best of 2019” lists, but I think it should be!

BarbaraBB It sounds real good indeed! 5y
23 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Soubhiville
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
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This was an interesting panel about mathematics and women. I‘m interested in the tagged book.
#TXBookFest2019

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JSW
Tenth Muse | Catherine Chung
Pickpick

Really, really, really, really good. But my god, I haven‘t been so aggravated by characters in a long time. The academic professional experiences of Katherine will be recognized by so many hetero, partnered women of a certain age in academia - the push/pull of identity, agency, authenticity, relationship, patriarchy, and institutionalized sexism. This book is about who we are, what defines us, betrayal, longing, and so much more.

JSW The academic in me absolutely cringes at the relationship between faculty mentor/student. And parts of me died to see Katherine‘s work and intellectual potential stolen by trusted mentors. ARGH. 5y
Christine Oh man, this was already on my radar but definitely needs to be stacked after this review! 5y
17 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Scochrane26
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
Pickpick

I finished this for book club. It has a lot of math & science in it (not actual problems but a lot of theories, mathematicians), so that was hard for me. Confession: the last math & science classes I took besides statistics were about 20 yrs ago.
This is about a young woman who is coping w/ family issues, including what happened to her parents in WW2. She‘s also one of the only women in math & deals w/ betrayals by men. 3.5/5 ⭐️

Scochrane26 My favorite character is her father. Several ethics issues that are fall outs from the betrayals. There were parts of the book I like more than others. 5y
RaimeyGallant This sounds like a book I'd like to attempt someday. Not today, though! I don't think I could focus especially well at the moment. 5y
Scochrane26 @RaimeyGallant it‘s not a very difficult book. When you have some focus, you should def get around to it. 5y
16 likes3 comments
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Scochrane26
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
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I love when my cat cuddles while I‘m on the couch. He enjoys laying on my arm usually, but I often forget to get my book before he gets comfortable. #catsoflitsy

brit91 Awwwww soooo cute!!😻😻😻 5y
Scochrane26 @brit91 he is cute, & he‘s already left me to go find a better napping spot. So, I‘m going finish my book. 5y
18 likes2 comments
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Scochrane26
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
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I guess I‘ve been reading a lot of women authors lately, and I appreciate the feminism they slip into their books.
“...., I couldn‘t help but wonder why so many intelligent men aren‘t more embarrassed to speak on topics they know nothing about...”
The character is asked to give a speech about women in science after the pres of Harvard said women lacked the “science gene.” This also reminds me of this Big Bang Theory ep, a favorite. Season 6,ep 18

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Scochrane26
The Tenth Muse | CATHERINE. CHUNG
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Going to start this one for library book club. It involves math, which is not my strength, so I‘m not sure about it. Then again, I‘ve liked several science-heavy books lately, which is also not a strength.

9 likes1 stack add
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Becker
Tenth Muse | Catherine Chung
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Pickpick

I thought there was a good story here but there was something about the writing style that didn‘t suit me. It wasn‘t poor writing at all but there was something clinical or sterile about it that really prevented me from caring for the characters. I would still say it was a good book, just not a memorable one for me.

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Pedrocamacho
Tenth Muse | Catherine Chung
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Pickpick

This is a wonderful book of self-discovery. With a few twists included, Chung manages to range from mathematics to family to love with deftness.

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Susanita
Tenth Muse | Catherine Chung
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Kat was born in the #1940s to a mixed race couple, and she spends much of her life unsure of her identity and heritage, for reasons that are spoilers. She builds a successful career in mathematics, which was completely over my head but didn‘t affect my appreciation of the story. It drags a little in places, but overall I enjoyed it. There‘s a nice interview with the author in a recent Reading Women podcast. #letstraveljuly

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 💗📚💗 5y
OriginalCyn620 ❤️❤️❤️ 5y
46 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Lillie
Tenth Muse | Catherine Chung
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Pickpick

Started off strong with her childhood & the discrimination that she faced growing up due to her mathematical ability as well as the fact that she's mixed race. Absolutely loved the book until it took a left, not a sharp one but one nonetheless, about halfway through. Stuck with it although I was annoyed at the author when Katherine started acting out of character because of Chung's beautiful writing. Where did her strength go? Still 🌟🌟🌟1/2

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Liberty
Tenth Muse | Catherine Chung
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🎉IT‘S NEW BOOK DAY!🎉 Here are some of today‘s new books! There are several more out today that I am excited about, including Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, A Philosophy of Ruin by Nicholas Mancusi, The Poison Thread by Laura Purcell, and Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh. What are you excited to read? 📚❤️📚

annahenke How‘s the new Kate Mosse? 5y
Clwojick Ugh! So much #CoverLove! 5y
Liberty @annahenke I haven‘t read it. 5y
ralexist I just added Conviction to my never-ending TBR pile the other day 🙂 5y
cathipink I'm on my library's hold list for The Tenth Muse after reading Roxane Gay's synopsis and recommendation. 5y
116 likes5 comments