Born in Germany in the early twentieth century, mild and sensitive Richard Hieck endured a quietly difficult childhood. Raised in humble circumstances, Richard was profoundly influenced by his withdrawn mother and by his father -- an enigma whose devotion centered not on his five children but on his mysterious career. From his father, Richard inherited an interest in the night sky, learning to love the constellations and to take comfort in the strength of Orion and the warm radiance of Venus. At the same time, his shadowy, elusive father influenced Richard to pursue studies in mathematics, a field offering the discipline Richard had craved as a child.In The Unknown Quantity, Hermann Broch examines the underlying chaos -- and, finally, the impossibility -- of life within a society whose values are in decay. As Richard seeks to reconcile the conflicting demands of love and science, of passion and reason, he and those in his orbit must endure the effects of societal and family values -- even as the values descend into madness.

赫爾曼·布洛赫，1886年生於奧地利，20世紀最偉大的德語作傢之一。因受納粹迫害，流亡美國，1951年在美國心髒病發作去世。主要作品《夢遊人》、《未知量》、《維吉爾之死》等。