Benjamín Labatut Will Not Be Profiled | Hacker News Reader

Benjamín Labatut Will Not Be Profiled

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53 pointsanarbadalov19 comments

I don't get tired of recommending "When we cease to understand the world" (though I read it in its original Spanish). But no one seems to listen to me.

It was my favorite book I read in 2023. I would say.

I read "When we cease to understand the world" a few weeks ago. I absolutely loved it. I am eager to read his next book now.

I read it on a recommendation from readers of McCarthy's last works "The Passenger" and "Stella Maris". Loved it! I've picked up Lebatut's latest, 'The MANIAC' and I'm not enjoying it as much (though, I will note that the first chapter is riveting).

I thought "The MANIAC" was electrifying, particularly that final section on Lee Sedol, and now I'm even more excited to pick up "When We Cease to Understand the World."

I really disliked the book. Probably one of the worst books I’ve ever read.

Some times HN shows well-written and researched blog pieces about events or characters in scientific history. This book felt like the author read a bunch of these and put them together in a book. Then the reality-fantasy aspect of it makes no sense to me.

Why did you like it?

The reality-fantasy aspect turned me off too. Majorly. On the other hand the writing is pretty terrific. The similies are especially evocative.

> like deducing all the rules of Wimbledon from the few balls that flew out of the stadium, without ever having witnessed what takes place on the court

How do you feel about borges?

The speed of the narration is intense. How it weaves one story to another, feels like you're going into a fractal.

> But no one seems to listen to me.

just buy it and give it to people.. that's how i came across this book & already i bought a copy for a friend.

I don’t know what this webpage is doing, but it is completely unusable on my four year old iPad. Scrolling at all causes multi-second waits for the newly visible page area to render. It’s truly painful.

See: https://imgur.com/FZ40Kmg

"When we cease to understand the world" is phenomenal. With that out of the way, I got a kick out of this not-a-profile-profile piece. A little bit of mystery and intrigue is healthy, and it certainly works for his writing style. I'm also totally fascinated by authors who are totally bilingual. Even in translation, "When we cease to understand the world" became one of my instant favorites, which adds even more excitement to The MANIAC. I've never read anything like "When we cease..." that blends science, biography, fiction so seamlessly into something bedazzling. Highly recommended for anyone perusing these forums.

Thanks for sharing this. On a related theme I highly recommend "the making of the atomic bomb" (this is a narrative history, not an Ikiru-like summoning of a life by different narrators).

Yes. One of my favorites and regularly shows up on lists of the best non-fiction of the 20th century. Great combo of history and science, compelling, and a great background for the movie Oppenheimer. I couldn’t take the Labatut book seriously after reading “Making of the Atomic Bomb”. The true story is a lot more interesting than his fantasies.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts---I'll give the Labatut book a try but disappointing to hear that it pales in comparison to the real history masterfully told by Rhodes...

> In Chile,” Labatut told me of Después de la luz, “critics compared me to the people I hate the most. Spiritual charlatans or just people who are high on their own supply, enamored of their own bullshit.”

> Is depersonalizing a profile a way of controlling it?

What an interesting thought! Spinning around the idea where a gifted person might (self-)sabotage things that magnify the self, framing it in terms of control exerted on the world.

> and I didn’t want to write a hit piece, the lazy writer’s friend

Great to hear that other people see it that way.

> … I cannot help but see that when we look down at our phones, it’s prayer.

Really superb writing and cool ideas.

One of the most enjoyable, stimulating and profound authors I stumbled across in 2023, thanks!

I’m Chilean and this is the first time I’ve heard of him. Thanks for the link!

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