An intelligent, well-written, well thought-out bore. It took me over a week to finish this book, and when I was done I wondered why I even bothered.
Rating: 2 / 5

The Darwin Conspiracy by John Darnton

I can’t recall the last time I disliked a book so much. This report has several spoilers, so if you plan to read the book, (and I hope you don’t) stop right here.

History records that the HMS Beagle’s ship surgeon was responsible for collecting scientific specimens as the Beagle sailed on her charting journey. His name was Robert McCormick and Mr. Darnton draws an intense rivalry between the surgeon and young Darwin in his fictional account of the journey. But history says that McCormick left the ship in Rio de Janeiro , well before Darwin collected his specimens and notes on the Galapagos Islands.

But Mr. Darnton changes things so that McCormick is not only with Darwin on the Galapagos Islands, but it was he who first realized the truth about natural selection before Darwin. Of course, this does not sit well with the ambitious young Darwin, so in a highly improbable moment inside an erupting volcano, Darwin fails to rescue McCormick after McCormick helps Darwin escape. This is highly convenient so that Darwin alone can announce the news to the world. (There is also a plot-line that unfolds a bit later where we learn that Dawin and McCormick spoke with a tribal chieftain on Tierra del Fuego who tells them of “survival of the fittest.” So according to Darnton, neither Darwin or McCormick came to the realization themselves)

History also relates how a biologist named Alfred Russel Wallace also had come up with a theory of natural selection at the same time as Darwin and when Darwin found out, he graciously arranged for Wallace to make the announcement co-jointly. Darnton’s treatment of Wallace’s scientific abilities is even worse than his treatment of Darwin’s.

One of the joys of historical novels is seeing how the authors dovetail history into their stories, but usually the authors treat the historical figures fairly. Yes, I know there are a lot of cases where the truth is buried to further the plot – Shakespeare’s “Richard III” comes to mind, but this book really mistreats a genuine hero.

There is also a sub-plot involving two uninteresting modern day scholars and a somewhat more interesting sub-plot involving Darwin’s daughter, Lizzie. Neither of these add much to the book.

Mr. Darnton did a lot of research and it shows. If only he had come up with a worthwhile plotline, then this book might have been worth reading.

Books that I like and plan to reread line fill my bookshelves. Books that I have bought and enjoyed, but don’t plan to reread again I pass on to my friends. This book will end up in the trash. Consider it another case of “Survival of the Fittest.”
Rating: 1 / 5

A reader knows when they begin to read a work of fiction that they may be required to suspend their disbelief in order to enjoy the story. This condition is especially critical when reading historical fiction, because any familiarity the reader has with the actual events and real characters can easily overcome the attempt to convey the possibility that the book’s events occurred. But, when the author requires too much suspended disbelief, the story becomes too outlandish to be enjoyed. Such is the case with The Darwin Conspiracy. Darnton asks his reader to believe that several pieces of documentation which either hint at or expose the conspiracy survived multiple academic examinations over a hundred years without being discovered. Simply put, that was too much to be believed. Consequently, the conspiracy’s revelation at the book’s conclusion seemed anti-climatic because it didn’t seem like it could have possibly occurred.

While an unbelievable central thesis is usually bad enough, Darnton compounds the book’s weakness by tacking on a very weak subplot involving the book’s central character, Hugh. The subplot was obviously intended to provide a sympathetic link between Darwin and Hugh. But, the link is so obscure that the subplot just feels like filler.

A book with an unbelievable plot and weak subplots shouldn’t be too high on anyone’s “must read” list. It is regrettable that The Darwin Conspiracy falls into that category, because there is adequate material in Darwin’s life to make a compelling work of historical fiction. Unfortunately, The Darwin Conspiracy isn’t such a book.
Rating: 2 / 5

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?

Rating: 4 / 5

Can’t understand why that last reader found the book so boring. I found it very interesting. Darwin’s theories have always been the subject for great conversations and heated arguments. I found this a good mingle of fact and fiction – great for sitting around the table with friends and discussing. No, it isn’t a love story. No, it isn’t high adventure in the sense of car crashes and what not — but it is adventure in a sense that you feel you connect to the unfolding of events I felt drawn into the mystery of all that is being discovered from several time zones.
Rating: 4 / 5