MARIE CURIE

by Robin McKown ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 3, 1971

Competent, if reverent in portraying Marie in all her pristine dedication -- ""Her years as a governess had taught her that all the money in the world could not fill an empty mind""; ""Now she knew why she must be a scientist. Scientists had the duty and the glory of finding the reason and logic behind the creation of the world"" -- but considerably more demanding re her work with radioactivity and on the allied concepts of atom, element, isotope et al. than the look or the biographical parts of the book would suggest. Troubled in her youth over Russia's oppression of her native Poland, fiercely committed as an ascetic student at the Sorbonne, ""supremely happy"" in her tragically short-lived marriage, productive and honored but withdrawn throughout her later years, Mme. Curie invaded and succeeded in a man's world with little feminist fanfare. This is not a revolutionary appraisal: a reader will still have to wonder about her apparent indifference as a mother, for instance, and the anecdotes will be familiar; but Mrs. McKown, in her precise, formal way, sketches in enough detail to make Marie more than an inspirational automaton. Although the technical material may be discouragingly dense for the prescribed audience, curiosity will be satisfied and Mme. Curie better served than she's been hitherto at this level.

Pub Date: May 3, 1971

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1971

Categories: NONFICTION