When We Cease to Understand the World
When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatutby Benjamin Labatut
Shares rank 12 of 13 historical novels by recommenders
Recommended as a fictionalized look at scientists whose discoveries drove them mad. Critics say many details were made up and the real scientists were not driven mad.
Recommended as a fictionalized look at scientists whose discoveries drove them mad. Critics say many details were made up and the real scientists were not driven mad.
5 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 60%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 1.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not 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
Fiction about driven scientists and mathematicians
“about scientists and mathematicians who were more or less driven mad by their discoveries”
Comment from 7 Mar 2026 in “Maybe There's a Pattern Here?” Suggested for life and times reading
“For more life and times stuff I also suggest Labatut's Cease to Understand the World book”
Comment from 24 May 2026 in “Alexander Grothendieck Revolutionized 20th-Century Mathematics”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Many details were made up
“many of the details were made up”
Comment from 24 May 2026 in “Alexander Grothendieck Revolutionized 20th-Century Mathematics” Real scientists were not driven mad
“this is fiction about real-life scientists being driven mad, when in fact the real-life scientists in question were not driven mad?”
Comment from 7 Mar 2026 in “Maybe There's a Pattern Here?”
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 Three Musketeersby Alexandre Dumas | 12 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | Approved |
| The MANIACby Benjamin Labatut | 12 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | Approved |
| I, Claudiusby Robert Graves | 11 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | Approved |
| When We Cease to Understand the Worldby Benjamin LabatutThis page | 3 | 2 | 60% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
4 of the 5 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“many of the details were made up”
“For more life and times stuff I also suggest Labatut's Cease to Understand the World book”
“this is fiction about real-life scientists being driven mad, when in fact the real-life scientists in question were not driven mad?”
“about scientists and mathematicians who were more or less driven mad by their discoveries”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.