Physicist Michael Beard's Nobel prize is decades old. While his work is revered by most in his field, he is tired and has lost all passion for the work he once loved. He relies on his reputation to bring in income through speaking fees and his involvement in high visibility, low impact government projects. And his 5th marriage is on the brink of divorce. Suddenly, a bizarre accidental death seems to provide the perfect escape from both his marital woes and the malaise he is experiencing in his career.
The protagonist in this novel is a selfish and thoughtless individual who makes a number of immoral and unwise decisions. Yet, as the novel goes on, he sees few consequences for his actions, and he seems to ultimately get away with much of it. The novel comes to a sudden and abrupt end that leaves very little sense of fulfillment. Many of the reviews of this book call it a "darkly satirical" novel, and I suppose that's a good description. I did not enjoy this book very much - I guess dark satire isn't my thing.
Sojourner
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