Finding Atlantis: A True Story Of Genius, Madness, And An Extraordinary Quest For A Lost World (2006) - Plot & Excerpts
I was astonished by how much I enjoyed this book, which I devoured in a single day. Olof Rudbeck was the discoverer of the lymph system, a keen astronomer, a composer, a singer, an instrumentalist, a top-flight architect -- in short, a sort of paradigm for Renaissance Man (the plant genus Rudbeckia was named in honour of him and his son, another Olof) -- yet he devoted most of his life to an attempt to prove first that Sweden was the land of the Hyperboreans and then that Atlantis was in fact Swden, with its capital at Old Uppsala. What was disconcerting for me was that, if we ignore those of his claims that were obviously just products of a fevered overenthusiasm, he actually made a pretty good case for his thesis, one that was hailed by, inter alia, the Royal Society and Sir Isaac Newton. The real reason his monumental book (or books, because the expansions in later editions far surpassed in extent the original version) has been forgotten is that, shortly after his death, Sweden stumbled from being a major power to humiliation as a conquered, looted nation.King's style is highly readable, on rare occasion verging, it has to be admitted, on the facile, and one or two interesting strands of background international politics seem to get forgotten before, chapters later, being rather summarily tied off; if I could give the book 4.8 or 4.9 stars rather than 5, I would. But overall? Highly recommended.
I took this book on an eight hour train ride, and it certainly got me through the first hour or two, but I found myself losing interest as King focused more and more on the politics at Uppsala University. Granted, these weren't irrelevant, as Olof Rudbeck's disagreements with his fellow professors made it increasingly more difficult for him to conduct his research and to publish his findings, but I can't say I found it terribly fascinating. I did, however, learn a fair amount about Swedish history, so it wasn't a total loss, although I doubt I'll be seeking out any of King's other books.
What do You think about Finding Atlantis: A True Story Of Genius, Madness, And An Extraordinary Quest For A Lost World (2006)?
This is a biography of Olof Rudbeck, a 17th century Swedish medical doctor, architect, professor, musician -- in short, a polymath -- who propounded the theory that Sweden was the site of the ancient kingdom of Atlantis, as well as the land of the Hyperboreans of Greek mythology. Whereas the book seems to assume that the theory is wrong, it sounds plausible to me, and I'd like to know more about it.Rudbeck himself was a very interesting character, and this book is very readable. But I wish there was more in it about his theory and his evidence for it. I will have to pursue that elsewhere. Rudbeck wrote a 4-volume work about his theory, but it was written is Swedish and Latin. I don't know if there in an English translation available.
—Kingpin543
Probably one of the best biographies I have ever had the pleasure to read, Finding Atlantis sparks many creative ideas and at the very least inspires intellectuals to pursue knowledge. Regardless of the truth of Rudbeck's ideas, his unquenchable lust for history and joy of learning truly made me admire him. Though I'm sure King did everything he could to make the reader sympathize with Rudbeck, it still seems like a wonderful tribute to a noble intellectual who stands mostly forgotten in the annals of history.
—Absinthe
