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Title: The Evolution of Inanimate Objects
Subtitle: The Life and Collected Works of Thomas Darwin (1857-1879)
Author: Harry Karlinsky
Narrator: Tom Parks
Format: Unabridged
Length: 3 hrs and 24 mins
Language: English
Release date: 03-29-13
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary
Publisher's Summary:
Longlisted for the Welcome Trust Book Prize 2012
While carrying out historical research at an Ontario asylum, psychiatrist Harry Karlinsky comes across a familiar surname in the register. Could the "Thomas Darwin of Down, England" be a relative of the famous Charles Darwin?In a narrative woven from letters, photographs, historical documents, and illustrations, what emerges is a sketch of Thomass life - the last of 11 children born to Charles Darwin. It tells of his obsession with extending his fathers studies into the realm of inanimate objects - kitchen utensils, to be precise. Can the theory of evolution be aplied to knives, forks and spoons?
In this stunning factitious biography, Karlinsky presents us with the tragically short life of Thomas Darwin, leaving the reader to decide how much is fact and how much is fiction.
Editorial Reviews:
This mind-bending piece of puzzle fiction poses as the biography of Thomas Darwin, the supposed son of renowned scientist Charles Darwin. Harry Karlinsky fills the book with convincing details, footnotes, diagrams, even references to primary documents - and yet discerning listeners will note that the book is labeled as fiction.
Tom Parks authoritative tone sells Karlinskys mystery with aplomb while still conveying the absurdity and humor of some of Thomas Darwins more ridiculous theories concerning the evolution of inanimate objects.
Members Reviews:
Different, quirky, and interesting novel!
Note: I received a free copy for review purposes.
The title of this book intrigued me. Nothing appeared odd about it at all: inanimate objects do change over time, don't they? Take, for instance, aircraft. As an example, one might start with the hot air balloon and end with the Curiosity spacecraft. The two couldn't be more different, yet they both, at their basic function, perform the same task. And don't antiques develop a patina, a character of their own, by absorbing--or shedding off--atoms over time? That might be stretching the term "evolution" a little, but not as much as Thomas Darwin, the subject of this book, stretches this idea.
The story begins when Harry Karlinsky, the author, starts a research project at Ontario's London Asylum and happens to come across the surname Darwin. Karlinsky's curiosity is piqued, and he sets out to learn if the person admitted to the hospital on July 2, 1879 was any relation to the famed naturalist, Charles Darwin. He soon discovers the person noted in the ledgers is, indeed, the last child of Charles and Emma Darwin. Through the personal correspondence between the Darwin family, recorded history, and the asylum records, Karlinsky pulls together the story of Thomas. The reader understands this is a work of fiction from the proclamation printed on the front cover stating it is a novel.
But where does fact end and fiction begin? It is sometimes hard to tell. Replete with charts, sketches, and footnotes, the novel sets the reader on a venture to find out. For someone who loves puzzles, and scavenger hunts, this is an added bonus. I even started to wonder if Mr. Karlinsky was part of the ruse. But, after hard investigation, my conclusion is that he does exist.
