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Simon Mawer
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Mendel's Dwarf Paperback – July 1, 1999

by Simon Mawer (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 275 ratings
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Like his great, great uncle, the early geneticist Gregor Mendel, Dr. Benedict Lambert is struggling to unlock the secrets of heredity. But Benedict's mission is particularly urgent and particularly personal, for he is afflicted with achondroplasia—he's a dwarf. He's also a man desperate for love. And when he finds it in the form of Jean—simple and shy—he stumbles upon an opportunity to correct the injustice of his own capricious genes.

As intelligent as it is entertaining, this witty and surprisingly erotic novel reveals the beauty and drama of scientific inquiry as it informs us of the simple passions against which even the most brilliant mind is rendered powerless.

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  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  4. Publication date
    July 1, 1999
  5. Dimensions
    5.1 x 0.7 x 7.7 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780140281552
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0140281552
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A grand scientific adventure and a tragic human love story … as idiosyncratic and mysterious in its own way as the first gene."
—The Philadelphia Inquirer

"An extraordinary novel, a work of history, science, pure prose, and pervasiv, stunning irony. "Simon Mawer writes beautifully, and the pleasure of his novel comes from the chance to watch him consider the mystery of the world, to report on the clarity with which nature speaks to us."
—The New York Times Book Review

"Furious, tener, and wittily erudite."
—The New Yorker

 

About the Author

Simon Mawer earned a graduate degree in zoology from Oxford University. He is the author of four previous books published in England, including Chimera, which won the McKitterick prize for a first novel. He lives and teaches in Rome.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 014028155X
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books (July 1, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780140281552
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140281552
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.1 x 0.7 x 7.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 275 ratings

About the author

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Simon Mawer

Simon Mawer

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Educated at Millfield School in Somerset and at Brasenose College, Oxford, I took a degree in biology and worked as a biology teacher for many years. My first novel, Chimera, was published by Hamish Hamilton in 1989, winning the McKitterick Prize for first novels. Mendel's Dwarf (1997), reached the last ten of the Booker Prize and was a New York Times "Book to Remember" for 1998. The Gospel of Judas, The Fall (winner of the 2003 Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature) and Swimming to Ithaca followed. In 2009 The Glass Room, my tenth book and eighth novel was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. My 2012 book The Girl Who Fell From The Sky and its sequel Tightrope (2015) both feature the female Special Operations Executive agent Marian Sutro. Tightrope won the 2016 Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction. In 2018, my eleventh novel, Prague Spring, signalled a return to a Czech setting following both Mendel's Dwarf and The Glass Room; in 2022 my latest novel ANCESTRY, an exploration of fiction and personal history, will be published in both the UK and the US.

I am married, with two children and four grandchildren. My wife and I have lived in Italy for over forty years but now split our time between our home near Rome and a house in England.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
275 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book informative and interesting, with great research and deep ideas to ponder. They describe the writing quality as well-crafted and brilliant. Readers enjoy the humor and find the story entertaining.

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KnowledgeWriting qualityEnjoymentHumorCharacter development
13 customers mention "Knowledge"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and amusing. They appreciate the great research, narrative in Oxford English, and deep ideas to ponder. The novel provides an intelligent perspective on the world from a dwarf's perspective. It is good for discussion as it offers authentic science and details. Overall, readers find the story interesting and educational.

"A strange but intriguing book, narrated in the first Person by a dwarf. But the book is not a Freak Show, dependent on oddity to succeed...." Read more

"...Good for discussion as very topical." Read more

"...It is, none-the-less, brilliantly written and well researched...." Read more

"...this, he nevertheless gave readers deep ideas to think about, science to ponder, and emotional depth in all his characters. This is a very good book." Read more

12 customers mention "Writing quality"12 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality. They find the book well-crafted with a believable narrative and interesting plot. The descriptions are good, and the story is described as intriguing and graphic at times.

"...On the whole, though, it's a good, serious book, well worth reading -- for the thinking Person." Read more

"...ongoing scientific research and controversy in the context of well-wrought fiction...." Read more

"...A very worthwhile read." Read more

"...It is, none-the-less, brilliantly written and well researched...." Read more

9 customers mention "Enjoyment"9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoyed the book. They found it humorous, informative, and entertaining. The story was described as unique and satisfying.

"...On the whole, though, it's a good, serious book, well worth reading -- for the thinking Person." Read more

"...and his relationship with Jean, a mousey librarian, is very enjoyable for the reader...." Read more

"enjoyed this book,funny, serious, romance,history has it all.Little frustrating in parts but eventually works out well...." Read more

"...Humerous, informative and entertaining read." Read more

4 customers mention "Humor"3 positive1 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find it humorous, serious, and romantic.

"...The book has it's share of humor and lust, and his relationship with Jean, a mousey librarian, is very enjoyable for the reader...." Read more

"enjoyed this book,funny, serious, romance,history has it all.Little frustrating in parts but eventually works out well...." Read more

"...There is absolutely nothing interesting about this Augustinian friar's life unless you happen to be majoring in genetics. Dull and dry...." Read more

"...Interesting plot, graphic and unexpected at times. Informative and amusing, I can definitely recommend it" Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters lifelike and complete with emotional depth. They appreciate the good descriptions of persons.

"...Characters are life like and complete, you can see them running all through the story.Good for discussion as very topical." Read more

"...deep ideas to think about, science to ponder, and emotional depth in all his characters. This is a very good book." Read more

"Sharp, incisive, no feel-good or sentimentality, good description of persons. Where applicable, on my level, scientifically impeccable." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Margaret W. Davies
5.0 out of 5 stars Mendel's Dwarf
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2012
Verified Purchase
Mendel's Dwarf was selected by our book club as more of a default choice than a preferred read. You may image my surprise while reading it to discover that I loved it. Much of the biology went flying over my head (I am not a scientist or mathematician)but will respect the fact that the author is and assume that his facts are accurate. Books that challenge one to think more carefully about various issues are truly worth reading. Mendel's Dwarf does that very well. It can bring to the table matters that most would rather not think about. Genetic selection is here whether we like it or not. It's not common yet but will,I suspect, become so in the relatively near future. Do we practice genetic selection based on the idea of perfecting the human race? On the personal preference of curly hair over straight, blond over dark? Male over female? And if we can have the genetic selection of this gene and chromosome over another what determines our choice? To have a child that looks and probably will think as we do? Do we have free will or is every decision we make determined by our genetic makeup? What part does nurture play (if any) in the formation and development of a child? Is criminal behavior a personal responsibility or the result of an x factor on a specific chromosome? Are all people who are criminals to be held accountable for their actions or forgiven for their biology? Suppose we could gene splice to create a sub-species of human to do specific tasks that we don't want to do because these tasks are difficult or morally conflicted..(i.e. creating soldiers without those pesky morals). I have opinions but no great solutions. I am willing to ask, think about and try to answer questions raised by this book. Keep in mind that the person narrating this book would have himself probably been selected out and not allowed to exist at all which adds another layer of complexity to this tale. I love books that make me think or take me away to places I did not know well before. Read it and decide for yourself if this new world of science is taking us where we want to go or do we have a choice about going in the first place?
5 people found this helpful
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KC
4.0 out of 5 stars strange but intriguing
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2016
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A strange but intriguing book, narrated in the first Person by a dwarf. But the book is not a Freak Show, dependent on oddity to succeed. It raises serious ethical issues and has interesting twists in the plot. It helps to be knowledgeable about and interested in genetics, and actually I feel Mawer's Editor would have done him a favor to cut some of the genetics Content, which I do not see as being essential to either the theme or the plot. On the whole, though, it's a good, serious book, well worth reading -- for the thinking Person.
One person found this helpful
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Barbara Klein
5.0 out of 5 stars Unique and dramatically satisfying
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 1998
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I think the novel is unique in the way it presents ongoing scientific research and controversy in the context of well-wrought fiction. The "Double Helix" by Crick and Watson gave the reader a dramatic context for the discovery of DNA, but there was no attempt to create a fictional world. Mawer makes the stakes real for us by creating a real character, the geneticist, Benedict Lambert. Genetic research becomes dramatic, exhilarating and tragic in the fictional context of Ben's ethical dilemma. The geneticist's ability to select which sperm to use raises the ethical issues behind genetic research. Whenever these issues arise in public debate, there is always that latent fear that man will be punished if he attempts to "play god," that we haven't the right to attempt to control our fate with knowledge. The fear is as old as Prometheus. Mawer demonstrates that the fear is based on an illusory power. We never need to worry that our knowledge will overcome the chaos of creation. Our power is always subject to the infinite number of chances that determine the way things are. The ending perfectly coordinates the fictional drama with the real life issues raised by the discoveries Mawer has been revealing all along.
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houlihan
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2015
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Lots of information about Genetics, which provided some pacing for the rather scant plot.
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Judith952
5.0 out of 5 stars A Thoughtful Insight
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2013
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This is a book written from the aspect of Benedict - a dwarf.
Descended from Mendel, a geneticist, Benedict's mission in life is to isolate the gene that caused his affiction. He earns a first class degree at Oxford University and becomes an esteemed expert on the subject.
The book has it's share of humor and lust, and his relationship with Jean, a mousey librarian, is very enjoyable for the reader. I felt very involved with Ben - up until the end you are usure just how his story will unfold.
On the negative side, I skipped a little of the detail from Mendel's experiments, but this didn't distract from a book that discusses the complications and injustice of Acondroplasia, and the determination of Ben that the reader will not pity him, but enjoy his personal battle with the mutation. A very worthwhile read.
2 people found this helpful
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Marnie r
4.0 out of 5 stars genes
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2013
Verified Purchase
enjoyed this book,funny, serious, romance,history has it all.Little frustrating in parts but eventually works out well.
Characters are life like and complete, you can see them running all through the story.
Good for discussion as very topical.
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treekiller
2.0 out of 5 stars Benedict most reminds me of Lolita's Humbert Humbert
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2020
While there are two story lines to follow--the chronicle of Gregor Mendel's groundbreaking work in genetics juxtaposed against the narrative of Benedict Lambert, Mendel's distant dwarf relative--it is Lambert's story which carries the emotional weight of the novel. Benedict most reminds me of Lolita's Humbert Humbert, hardly the most appealing of protagonists. While Humbert's deformity is his sexual obsession with prepubescent youth, Benedict's is his grotesque moral character and the emormous chip on his shoulder from his physical disability. Is it harsh not to cut him more slack under the circumstances? By the end of the book, I really couldn't.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Cliente Amazon
1.0 out of 5 stars Mendel’s dwarf
Reviewed in Brazil on April 6, 2019
Verified Purchase
It was really difficult to read this book, that’s why I rated one star only. When I bought it it was categorized as a romance. Then the main character is bitter throughout the book. And I'm not sure if what I'm going to say is a spoiler but I'm saying it anyway, even with Jean in the story there was no romance, it was clear she didn't love him, he kind of mentions once he might feel something resembling love, but just that, their relationship was merely physical from what he describes.
There’s only his own POV, and he just can’t accept the fact he is a dwarf. Also there are pages and pages and pages even whole chapters describing something scientifically and for the lame people that kind of narrative gets really boring. The way the author switches from Ben’s present daily life to Mendel’s life in the past is exhaustive. So I thought of putting the book down various times as it dragged on and on about scientific terms and due to the main charcater's constant cynicism. Nevertheless I was finally able to reach the end of the book, and what an anticlimatic ending it was! So much so that if the book had been a little less boring I would have been really frustaded in the end.
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Siva Bandaru
3.0 out of 5 stars Dwarfs, how they faced in society
Reviewed in India on May 21, 2019
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I can't judge a book based on review or rating, everyone has there own style/way of books.

For me this I didn't understand, I havent read completely I stopped after 2~3 units.

What I felt was the author trying to corelate the feelings of dwarfs that he faced in society and to with ordinary life.
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S. Mallia
4.0 out of 5 stars Un libro interessante
Reviewed in Italy on September 24, 2013
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Trovo questo libro molto interessante ma non e esattamente il genere di libro che leggo di solito. L'ho voluto leggere perche ho letto parecchi libri dell'autore tra i quali ci sono dei libri che mi sono piaciuto enormemente. Comunque per chi non l'ha letto vale la pena di farlo.
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Julie Paul Bolton
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2013
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This book follows a sensitive story following the protagonist and his search for a genetic code. It is obviously extremely well researched and informative. Some parts of it - the science of hereditary factors and genetics sometimes went over my head (I studied A-Level Biology a long time ago), but this does not effect the enjoyment of the story.
I haven't finished it yet - but it is an engaging read and look forward to discovering the outcome.
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Yarnthyme
4.0 out of 5 stars This is an intriguing novel which almost doesn't feel like a novel it is so realistic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2017
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This is an intriguing novel which almost doesn't feel like a novel it is so realistic. The main character Ben is believable and honest- not always likeable. There is a lot of information about chromosomes and Mendel which was not as engaging as the contemporary story line and the very ending was not particularly authentic although chilling. Hence the four rather than five stars.
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