Descartes' Bones

The travels of the skeletal remains of the French philosopher René Descartes, who died in Sweden in 1650, constitute a history that falls somewhere between the ghoulish and the sublime. Part relic and part curiosity, the bones passed through many owners, their fate linked, most often ironically, with the spirit of European enlightenment that Descartes's thinking had itself inspired. As a narrative based on the history of ideas, this production requires close listening. Paul Hecht's moderate and judicious reading matches the particular balance and objectivity of Shorto's tone while keeping pace with his sharply detailed and always-pointed narrative. This excellent production is surprisingly entertaining, even grimly funny, as well as thought provoking. D.A.W. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine