I just finished reading Solar by Ian McEwen. If you're not familiar with McEwan, he's a British writer who wrote Atonement, Amsterdam, Enduring Love, and other novels. I like his writing, but have to admit that Solar was way over my head. I'm no scientist, so when I read the passages about global warming, photovoltaics, artificial photosynthesis, and the like, most was lost on me even though it was well written and interesting and oh so timely.
The protaganist is Michael Beard, an overweight, womanizing Nobel prize winning Einstein loving scientist who was truly pathetic in just about every aspect of his life. McEwan's details of Beard's problems with his girth alone makes it worth reading. Beard's adventure riding the snow machine to get to the North Pole conference--and having to stop to take a whiz in the sub-zero temperatures--alone is worth reading this book.
What baffled me was how this pig (and I use that term in every negative way possible except having to do with the animal) could get five women to marry him and had two more fighting over him in the final pages. Quite a tale!
Book Read: Solar
Author: Ian McEwan
ISBN: 978-0-8350533416
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