Ari Spinoza, reaching the end of his life, obeys a sudden urge to record 1,000 years of family memories as transmitted to him through a great-uncle years ago. The Spinozas appear Zelig-like throughout watershed moments in history, influencing the course of civilization from the sidelines. One is at the Portuguese court at at the founding of that empire, another befriends Robespierre and plans the French Revolution, yet another provides the mathematical foundation for Einstein's work, and still one more hangs out with Hitler in Austria between the wars. The famous one, philosopher and lens grinder, is there too, plus a bunch of others that I've already forgotten. And that's the point. 700+ pages is long, but not enough to scan 1,000 years of history in a way that could make a reader care about any one of the individuals presented. I like the sweep of history as much as the next person, but readers need to connect with characters along the way in order to feel the power of time's passage.
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