The Coincidence of Coincidence

books:


	• The Darwin Conspiracy John Darnton Anchor, 2006 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 37 reviews view larger image
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The evolution of evolutioon.

Darnton has mastered the art of historical fiction, here the voyage of the Beagle and the path Darwin followed towards the theory of evolution. Rooted all too well in historical fact Darnton weaves a web of subterfuge and academic trespassing as the source of much of what Darwin came to be credited for in the development of the theory of evolution. The ability skillfully intertwine both the factual and the fictional without any seams showing is the work of a master storyteller and Darnton shows signs of being just that. the characters - both present day and historical - spring to life in these pages. This is a page turner of the most unexpected sort.

That is not to say the book is without flaws. The tangent of Hugh's -the protagonist - relationship with his brother is not entirely effectual. The serendipity of the convolution of some character backgrounds is a bit stilted. Some of the tensions among the crew and officers on the Beagle is strained.

These are quibbles. All in all a great read that captures one's imagination and doesn't let go.

I've already ordered another couple of Darnton's tomes. What better recommendation is there?

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The Coincidence of Coincidence

I enjoyed this book, especially the structure. The reader is actually presented with three stories - the present involving a biological researcher on one of the Galapagos Islands, the voyage of the BEAGLE from England and a time about thirty years after that. There is a lover story, a detective story and a family story. Much of the book was in the form of old letters and both the style and content were quite authentic.

As the author notes, there has always been a mystery surrounding Darwin's theory, its quick rush to print, the languid, long wait between supposed discovery and publication and Darwin's well-known psychosomatic (?) illnesses. Perhaps more difficult for Darwin that the problem of religion - and it was a big one - was the issue of culture, particularly English, Victorian culture. Despite the insistence of rather rabid fans of Mr. Darwin, his views were colored by class and cultural ideals. It was the cultural imports that gave Darwin his idea on the way things are and more importantly, the way things were. Why did some races seemingly succeed where others seemingly failed? Why did tiny England rule the world and not huge China or India or Russia or Araby? Could he dare say Survifal of the Fittest.

The pedestal upon which some have placed Darwin makes for an uncomfortable resting place. The overall theory remains the best (and only way) of explaining life on Earth today and the fossil record. He did not have our understanding of DNA, the cell, embryology or genes and these have only confirmed the Theory in its general direction. The history in our DNA is a much-more vivid indicator of our past than any fossil.

My complaint was the plot device of the found letters and the views of the tribe. It's unlikely that ANY letters relating to Darwin have not yet been discovered, that any piece of evidence has not been examined. Even more unlikely is that an uncivilized tribe would develop such a theory so totally at odds with the visible world and with what other tribes thought. After all, 99.99% of human beings would never conceive of the idea of Evolution if our only evidence was what we see every day. It took someone with vision and the ability to see events over long periods of time. That is perhaps Darwin's greatest contribution.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

From the author of the bestselling Neanderthal comes this novel of gripping suspense and scientific conquest?a page-turning historical mystery that brilliantly explores the intrigue behind Darwin and his theory of evolution.

It?s 1831, and aboard HMS Beagle the young Charles Darwin sets off down the English Channel for South America. More than 150 years later, two ambitious scholars pursuing their obsession with Darwin (and with each other) come across the diaries and letters of Darwin?s daughter. What they discover is a maze of violent rivalries, petty deceptions, and jealously guarded secrets, and the extraordinary story of an expedition embarked upon by two men. Only one returned?and changed history forever.

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