The Star Gazer

by Zsolt Harsányi, Paul Tabor (Translator)

This historical novel on the life of Gelileo Galilei. A well told story of a great life. The story provides one with a unique look of Italy in the early 1800's

Genres: Hungarian Literature, Historical

572 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1939

About the author

Harsányi Zsolt, also Zsolt von Harsanyi or de Harsanyi, was a prolific and renowned Hungarian author, dramatist, translator, and writer.

Born in Korompa, Upper Hungary (modern day Slovakia; Krompachy in Slovakian), Harsányi descended from a long line of Hungarian writers. At seventeen years of age, he received a student award from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. His long career produced hundreds of dramatic and literary works, including short and full-length plays, musical comedies, and historical fiction novels.

Reviews

[Andrew Levkoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in my early teens. I found a copy on eBay and will re-read it again when time permits. I was in love with it then, and hope to feel the same way again. I am sure it contributed to my love of all things scientific, not to mention my skepticism of the status quo.

[Harry Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book seemed to mock Galileo a bit for his excessive optimism in politicking (and in general). He thought that if he befriended the right influential people, then he would be able to publish anything. In fact (of course), the system was arbitrary and the egotistical Pope Urban took personally Galileo's satire, landing G. in the hands of the Inquisition.

[Pc MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is a work of fiction, I do believe that Harsányi has made every attempt to accurately portray life in the ~1600s +/- in Tuscany and Rome, Italy (separate nations, then!), and the dark and seriously underhanded dealings of The Church.

Gives me one more reason to not trust organized religion, as if I need another?

Awesome read. It was hard to put down to go out and do constructive things until the book was finished reading!

Four stars is high praise for me. I reserve five for exceptional work.

[Babooka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didnt like the book. Number one to much repetition. Number two one third off the book is about how physically sick he was at some points in his life and another third off the book is about all the court sitting he had to go through. I liked the parts about him inventing the telescope and showing it to the king of italy on a tower what the capabilities are. I also like the introduction of the book when he was very young and wanted to become a scientist. I did not get how he managed to help the Dutchies and german protestants while living in exile and in conquistador italy but the writer said they did not care that he sold them the idea of copernicus which is weird.
Also that Galileo suddenly did not care anymore about making money of protestants was weird i want to know more about this if somebody could explain that would help.
The pendelum clock was the first modern clock that he invented right before his death that has become very popular now worldwide compared to a an hourglas which predates the clock ofcourse. He also invented a new theory of motion which made motion design more about the buoyancy of things and scrapped the idea that everything moves by air as was proclaimed before by aristotle and the peripatetics the only scientist that was taken as factual was aristotle until Galileo was born.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move over Steven Hawking!
Here is a no holds barred life of radical scientific exploration.....

[HÜLYA · Rating 5 out of 5]

RAPSODİ / ZSOLT VON HARSANYİ / 1957

Bu kitabı okuayalı çok yıl oluyor..Franz Liszt'in sıra dışı hayatını konu alan bir kitapdı..Biyografik bir romandı ama gerçeklere dayandırılarak yazılmıştı..

Laf aramıda bestecinin oldukça hızlı bir aşk hayatı vardı..Fırtınalı bir ilişki yaşadığı Agoult Kontesi Marie olan aşkı ise dillere destandı..Kocasını terk ederek besteci ile yaşadı tam üç çocukları oldu..

Dönemin ünlü bestecileri Ricahard Wagner,Beethoven,Paganini de geçiyordu bu romanda..Bethowen'in son dönemleri yer almıştı..Bestecinin babasının oğlunun yetişmesi için yaptıklarını takdir edemiyorum..Sanki saplantı idi..

Aklımda kalan ise büyük kızının besteci Richard Wagner ile olan ilişkisi idi..Dönemde verdiği konserler,aşkları kısaca yazarın biyografisi ve dönem bestecilerinin resmi geçitte bulunduğu bir kitapdı.Çok zevk alarak okumuştum.

Klasik müzik seviyorsanız özellikle Franz Liszt'i seviyorsanız.O dönemi seviyorsanız (1811-1886 ) bu kitap tam size göre..Tavsiyemdir...