Recently I read a book by Olivia Goldsmith titled PUBLISHER. It was an interesting book for book lovers because it goes into the world of books by revealing facts and fictional accounts of authors, editors and publishers. The book features a couple of established authors whose names sell their books the moment they are announced. Over a period of time most of these best sellers degenerate to a state where either their ideas become stale or they have to depend on ghost writers . Either ways the publishers lose money. Some exceptions will be there like Agatha Christie, Enid Blyton, P.G. Wodehouse, Harold Robbins and many others whose names sell even after they are no more.
I am afraid Michael Crichton has lost it. Though only 65 years old as on date, his miracle seems to have worn off. I really wonder if I have outgrown his books. Looking back , all his books have been alarmist , playing hell with his vivid imagination, making dinos and looking for sinister plots in global warming and all possible scientific issues.
His book NEXT is precisely that--an alarmist’s view of all that is wrong with genetic research. He paints a black picture of all characters with no greys or whites. I thought that most medical researchers work , driven by an inner desire for the extraordinary, taking risks like injecting themselves with the virus(syphilis), or their kids with the pox virus. The discovery of penicillin, insulin all have stories full of sacrifices and extra ordinary steps .
However in this book Mr Crichton makes us believe that all doctors are bad, all are running to discover genes only to make money. Once they have discovered the genes they will all resort to illegal uses of these genes rather than follow protocol because the former assures mega bucks.He declares boldly that the genetic world is ’out of control’.
That may be the author’s conviction but his story telling is weak, the narration moves with hiccoughs, plots and sub plots take us into the wild medical, legal, financial, academic, investigative and even the congressional worlds where every single character is flawed, working only in self interest. The US. committees vote for genes because they get funding from venture capitalists, who in turn invest money because of the returns no matter how illegal the activity. The lawyers resort to false-hoods. Doctors sell tissues stolen from exhumed dead bodies and discarded lab specimens. Environmentalists work only for money.
This world is a bad place to live in and all research is bad. Editors fudge data, journals publish flawed papers, papers create hype to sell. I also fail to understand the author’s fascination with blonds. He quotes extensively from archives, ’Neanderthals were the first blonds’, ’blonds will become extinct in 200 years’, ’ cavemen preferred blonds’. All this has no connection to the plot of the story except to tell that genes influence the colour of the hair.
What exactly is the plot of the story? Even now I am not sure! The book starts with a court case involving a guy who has been cured of a malignancy but his tissue has been used for its genetic ability to manufacture chemicals which treat malignancy. The problem is that his tissue has been used without his permission and no payment is made to him though the firm is making billions of dollars using his cell lines.
Somehow, the book manages to finish with another court case which over-rules the 1st court’s ruling in favour of the company.
In between are sub plots where tran-genic animals are manufactured, a parrot which helps the son of a scientist do maths homework. In another part of the country, a trans-genic ape is made which talks like a human being and interacts also like one. Somehow, in true bollywood style both the talking animals land up in the same place as does the family of the guy whose tissues were sold. We have a most foolish series of conversations between the parrot and his abductors and any other person that comes his way. We have the ape getting a haircut and attending school for human beings. We have U.S. Courts give confusing and contra dictory rulings. Interspersed, we have the author quoting various news items , all sensational and genetic in nature.
I felt drained after reading the book, trying to think of the no-brainers.
Anyway, all Crichton fans will read it but keep your hopes down.