If you are, like me, sceptical about novels which meddle with historical settings, Daniel Kehlmann may manage to convert you. He describes the lives and works of two scientists, Gauß and Humboldt, two eccentric, highly contrasted archetypes of the "German Scientist": Gauß, the eerily gifted mathematician, represents the wacky Pen-and-Paper scientist. Humboldt, the dashing adventurer, on the other hand, is not particularly gifted, yet driven to extreme extents by ambition and competition.

It is first and foremost a novel about world views, and whether the miracles of nature are to be found in a dusty lab or an anonymous volcano in the rain forest. It is also about the virtues and vices of giftedness vs. ambition, fame vs. frugality, and of course, a portrait of the wacky, humourless German attitude towards science.

The historical background is mere façade and does not attempt any degree of accuracy. This allows the the book to be extremely witty and funny, and considering it's shortness, quite a deep, yet accessible read. Incredibly enjoyable.