Cantor's Dilemma: A Novel
by Carl Djerassi
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Book Summary Information
Author: Carl DjerassiEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1991-03-01
ISBN: 0140143599
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of Cantor's Dilemma: A Novel
Book Review: A rather sophomoric effort (Spoiler Alert!)
Summary: 2 Stars
I don't doubt Djerassi has the science in this novel right (it's his own field after all). And I'm sure his description of the fraught relationships between junior and senior scientists, of the politics and intrigues that characterize academic science, etc., are spot on. All of the material in CD pertaining to the above might have made for an interesting article on the sociology of western science. To this reader's disappointment, Djerassi chose, instead, to weave these details into a totally contrived narrative, itself not nearly as annoying as the cardboard characters he peopled it with. Other reviewers have noted what short shrift Djerassi gave the female characters in CD. Too true. The male characters in CD don't fare much better. The dialogue in CD is lousy; the story unbelievable (is there any chance the young scientist in this story would, in real life, have earned a Nobel for the work he did [it's not like he even designed the experiment, let alone advance the hypothesis; he simply carried out an experiment of his mentor's design]?; is there any chance of anyone receiving a Nobel the very same year as accomplishing the work for which they earned it? [I'm on shakier ground here; perhaps this has happened in the history of the prize] -- neither, especially the first, strikes me as likely). And if I had to read through one more juvenile sex scene, not to mention that beautiful young coed X threw herself at senior scientist Y, or that beautiful accomplished older woman W threw herself at senior scientist Z, I would have needed a crowbar to pry my eyeballs forward in my head. So much of CD read like the author's own private fantasy. A weak story very lamely told. 2 stars for the interesting insights to which I referred above.
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