The Parrot's Theorem


I'm reading this rather odd French book. It was written by a professor of the history of science who has a particular interest in using fiction to teach his subject. It is therefore a lesson in the history of mathematics disguised as a novel. I have been reading about the subject (non fiction) a bit, which is why I picked it up, so I am finding it interesting, but it does get awfully dry. And I am not sure that mathematical proofs function all that well as a narrative device.
Anyway, the really weird thing about it is that it was apparently a bestseller in France.