Journal Entry 1 by mafarrimond from Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Sunday, July 04, 2010

Michael Beard is a Nobel prize-winning physicist whose best work is behind him. Trading on his reputation, he speaks for enormous fees, lends his name to the letterheads of renowned scientific institutions and half-heartedly heads a government-backed initiative tackling global warming. A compulsive womaniser, Beard finds his fifth marriage floundering. But this time it is different: she is having the affair, and he is still in love with her. When Beard's professional and personal worlds collide in a freak accident, an opportunity presents itself for Beard to extricate himself from his marital mess, reinvigorate his career and save the world from environmental disaster. Ranging from the Arctic Circle to the deserts of New Mexico, "Solar" is a serious and darkly satirical novel, showing human frailty struggling with the most pressing and complex problem of our time. A story of one man's greed and self-deception, it is a profound and stylish new work from one of the world's great writers.

I am sewnding this off as a bookring

Order of participants:
1. raeliz64
2. MKtiny
3. annadvarna
4. helena100
4. Back to me  

Journal Entry 2 by mafarrimond at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Sunday, July 04, 2010

Released 1 yr ago (7/5/2010 UTC) at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Starting on its journey. Posted to raeliz64. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 3 by raeliz64 at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Received today - thanks very much :-) 

Journal Entry 4 by raeliz64 at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Well, I tried but I really couldn't get into this book. Ian McEwan's writing is wonderful, as usual, but the story just didn't hold my interest. I hope the next reader is more appreciative. 

Journal Entry 5 by raeliz64 at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Tuesday, August 17, 2010

On it's way to MKtiny. 

Journal Entry 6 by MKtiny at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Arrived this morning. I have a book to read before this one, but hope to get to it soon. Thanks for sharing. S

Sept 22nd. Sorry for the delay, just starting to read this now. Laughed on the very first page, so that's a good sign. :) 

Journal Entry 7 by MKtiny at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Monday, October 18, 2010

I really enjoyed this book. The character of Michael Beard is very cleverly drawn. I have learned a new word - anhedonic - meaning the inability to gain pleasure from normally pleasurable things and this state of mind influences everything he does, to comic effect. Even though the things Micheal Beard does are extraordinary, there are aspects of his personality that we can all identify with and make the reader feel sympathy towards him. Thanks for sharing, mafarrimond. The book is now winging it's way to Greece and Annadvarna  

Journal Entry 8 by annadvarna at Larisa, Larisa Greece on Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Just received it today from MKtin and I started reading it during a school break! Liked it so far. Will write more as soon as I finish it. 

Journal Entry 9 by annadvarna at Larisa, Larisa Greece on Saturday, November 20, 2010

I read this book and still I am not whether I liked it or not. The hero was well drawn, quite convincing. He was doing one mistake after another and was portrayed in the well-known McEwan style where you feel you are in the hero's brain.
Yes now that I'm thinking about it, I liked it because it was satirical in a subtle way, because it ridiculed many aspects of academic life and false seriousness and because it made you think about accepted truths!  

Journal Entry 10 by helena100 at Athens, Attica Greece on Sunday, January 23, 2011

more after i read it.
It may take a while as there are other books ahead. If I need to hurry, please let me know. Thanks for posting it!