Customer Reviews

The Magic Bullet

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The Magic Bullet" is one of the most exciting medical thrillers I've read. The novel's setting is the fictional American Cancer Foundation, which, like any elite institution, is populated by brilliant but not always likable figures. There are villains aplenty in "The Magic Bullet," and they seem willing to go to any length to defeat the enemy -- not cancer, but any cancer researcher who seems to be nearing a breakthrough.

Exactly how far they will go is the question that vexes the story's protagonist, a young researcher named Daniel Logan. Logan is pinning his hopes -- and his professional future -- on the slim chance that a drug which has proven ineffective for AIDS will have a second life as a treatment for breast cancer. But setback after setback has him wondering which is more toxic -- the cancer-fighting Compound J or his ultra-competitive colleagues.

Yes, this book has its flaws -- in particular, a "storybook ending" that seems written with Hollywood in mind. Nevertheless, the first 388 pages of this 390-page novel offer a suspenseful ride through the high-stakes enterprise of cancer research, where one scientist's victory is another's failure.

I'm sorry this book is out of print. In addition to its compelling portrayal of the subculture of medical research, it contains an achingly funny scene at Daniel's childhood home that would fit seamlessly into Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections."

This book is exciting, absorbing and thought-provoking. I couldn't put it down. It left me feeling that society as a whole had been violated by the political strength of a handful of self-serving, egotistical, glory-seeking medical practitioners. One can't help but wonder what really goes on behind the newspaper headlines we read. This book will make a first-rate movie. (Perhaps Matthew McConaughey will be cast as Dr. Logan.) I will definitely read more books written by Harry Stein

"The Magic Bullet" is one of the most exciting medical thrillers I've read. The novel's setting is the fictional American Cancer Foundation, which, like any elite institution, is populated by brilliant but not always likable figures. There are villains aplenty in "The Magic Bullet," and they seem willing to go to any length to defeat the enemy -- not cancer, but any cancer researcher who seems to be nearing a breakthrough.

Exactly how far they will go is the question that vexes the story's protagonist, a young researcher named Daniel Logan. Logan is pinning his hopes -- and his professional future -- on the slim chance that a drug which has proven ineffective for AIDS will have a second life as a treatment for breast cancer. But setback after setback has him wondering which is more toxic -- the cancer-fighting Compound J or his ultra-competitive colleagues.

Yes, this book has its flaws -- in particular, a "storybook ending" that seems written with Hollywood in mind. Nevertheless, the first 388 pages of this 390-page novel offer a suspenseful ride through the high-stakes enterprise of cancer research, where one scientist's victory is another's failure.

I'm sorry this book is out of print. In addition to its compelling portrayal of the subculture of medical research, it contains an achingly funny scene at Daniel's childhood home that would fit seamlessly into Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections."

A medical mystery based on breast cancer research. As a breast cancer survivor, I hope the treachery and malice between researchers is NOT happening. The books itself was above average read.

Logan, who sees himself above the petty meanness of the ACF, becomes exactly the person he said he never would. He deserves the ACF and all the crap that goes with it. This is yet another book where sketchy people are rewarded for their bad behavior, be it Logan or his various senior associates in the snake pit.

What a pity that this otherwise good medical thriller has such a weak ending. I tended to remember this weakness rather than the excellent first "80%". Also, the prose describing the body chemistry between Logan and the Italian belle is a well ... a bit teenager type puppy love