‘Solar’ by Ian McEwan

‘Solar’ by Ian McEwan is a clever satire of Michael Beard’s life. A Nobel Prize wining physicist whose best years are clearly behind him on both the professional and personal fronts, his life is on a downward spiral. Out of fresh ideas, with his fifth marriage on the rocks, he is increasingly irrational. Through descriptions of his increasingly desperate efforts to stay ahead of the competition McEwan draws a portrait of a man who will do anything to salvage his pride and try and maintain the respect and adulation of his peers. There are wonderful comical moments; the best are on the polar ice ship and in the quasi academic committee meetings.