The MANIAC
The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatutby Benjamin Labatut
Hacker ApprovedShares rank 2 of 13 historical novels by recommenders
People recommend it as a beautifully written novel about John von Neumann, told through chapters from the viewpoints of people in his life, and praise its historical accuracy.
People recommend it as a beautifully written novel about John von Neumann, told through chapters from the viewpoints of people in his life, and praise its historical accuracy.
12 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 12
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 12 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Chapters told through different characters' perspectives
“I liked the book, it uses an interesting storytelling mechanism of telling each chapter through the lens of a different historical character”
Comment from 2 Oct 2026 in “The Legend of von Neumann (1973) [pdf]” “It is a wonderful read - very eloquently put together, giving accounts of the man from the perspectives of several people in his life.”
Comment from 26 Oct 2026 in “A Man from the Future: Why Johnny Can't Stop Abstracting” Beautifully written, eloquent prose
“It is a wonderful read - very eloquently put together, giving accounts of the man from the perspectives of several people in his life.”
Comment from 26 Oct 2026 in “A Man from the Future: Why Johnny Can't Stop Abstracting” “Maniac is a beautifully written book about von Neumann.”
Comment from 27 Oct 2026 in “A Man from the Future: Why Johnny Can't Stop Abstracting” Historically accurate portrayal of von Neumann
“How creative to think of writing such a thing! But von Meumann is a big enough intellect and personality to sustain it.”
Comment from 20 Jul 2026 in “Ask HN: Favourite science history book of the 20th century?” “it was pretty historically accurate though”
Comment from 2 Oct 2026 in “The Legend of von Neumann (1973) [pdf]”
Other historical novels people recommend
The four most recommended other historical novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aubrey-Maturin seriesby Patrick O'Brian | 18 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The MANIACby Benjamin LabatutThis page | 12 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | Approved |
| The Three Musketeersby Alexandre Dumas | 12 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | Approved |
| I, Claudiusby Robert Graves | 11 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | Approved |
| Master and Commanderby Patrick O'Brian | 7 | 1 | 88% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
11 of the 12 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Maniac is a beautifully written book about von Neumann.”
“It is a wonderful read - very eloquently put together, giving accounts of the man from the perspectives of several people in his life.”
“it was pretty historically accurate though”
“I enjoyed this one a lot.”
“Anyone interested in von Newmann should read The Maniac by Benjamin Labatut”
“I liked the book, it uses an interesting storytelling mechanism of telling each chapter through the lens of a different historical character”
“Recently I enjoyed very much The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut”
“How creative to think of writing such a thing! But von Meumann is a big enough intellect and personality to sustain it.”
“Amazing , surreal and unique”
“other 1-season gems like I'm a Virgo or Maniac”
“this time I noticed a funny reference by Sally Field's character”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.