If you’re interested in academic mysteries, read this novel. If you’re interested in Lewis Carroll, read this novel. If you’re interested in mathematical logic, read this novel. In all these cases, the novel in question is The Oxford Brotherhood, by Guillermo Martínez.

You probably know Lewis Carroll as the author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. But if you’re a math nerd you also know him as famous mathematician and math popularizer Charles Dodgson. You may also know him as a theologian or as an inventor or as one of the earliest amateur photographers (starting in 1856). He was definitely a polymath. He was a Renaissance man enthralled by mathematics, language, logic, and many other fields, so it’s no wonder that he has long interested me. Even though The Oxford Brotherhood is a work of fiction, you’ll learn a lot about all these aspects of Dodgson as you read through the mystery. Just be warned that it isn’t exactly light reading. If you want some more background to the novel, check out my review of the author’s previous book in the series, The Oxford Murders.

Categories: Books