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Solar Hardcover – Deckle Edge, March 30, 2010

by Ian McEwan (Author)

256 customer reviews

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The literary event of the season: a new novel from Ian McEwan, as surprising as it is masterful.

Michael Beard is a Nobel prize–winning physicist whose best work is behind him. Trading on his reputation, he speaks for enormous fees, lends his name to the letterheads of renowned scientific institutions, and half-heartedly heads a government-backed initiative tackling global warming. While he coasts along in his professional life, Michael’s personal life is another matter entirely. His fifth marriage is crumbling under the weight of his infidelities. But this time the tables are turned: His wife is having an affair, and Michael realizes he is still in love with her.

When Michael’s personal and professional lives begin to intersect in unexpected ways, an opportunity presents itself in the guise of an invitation to travel to New Mexico. Here is a chance for him to extricate himself from his marital problems, reinvigorate his career, and very possibly save the world from environmental disaster. Can a man who has made a mess of his life clean up the messes of humanity?

A complex novel that brilliantly traces the arc of one man’s ambitions and self-deceptions, Solar is a startling, witty, and stylish new work from one of the world’s great writers.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the afterglow of winning a Nobel Prize, Michael Beard lives a dismal life marked by multiple marriages, figurehead positions, and his own gluttony. However, after his most recent wife leaves him, Beard attempts to start living life to the fullest. He stumbles into this new life with a great deal of fanfare and catastrophe: covering up murder, nearly losing his penis to frostbite, and devising a plan to harness the power of the sun to save the planet. Roger Allam's English accent and gravelly voice balances a range of characters and emotions, especially Beard's arrogance and self-righteousness. More importantly, Allam's straightforward delivery of Beard's zany adventures enhances the humorous quality of McEwan's text. A Doubleday hardcover (Reviews, Feb. 1).
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Critics expressed decidedly mixed opinions about McEwan's latest work--and perhaps it's no surprise that he was better-reviewed on his UK home front. While most critics on either side of the pond praised the author's intelligent plot (especially his command of science) and ample storytelling gifts, the majority agreed that Solar is not his best novel to date. A few commented that the several narrative strands, which take place over more than a decade, do not cohere; Beard's jaunt to the North Pole, for example is interesting but tangential. Tired jokes, a rushed climax, and Beard's own piggish character felt claustrophobic to others. But most contentious of all was the satirical, comic tone superimposed on the very serious subject of climate change. Though Solar is a worthy inquiry into truth, morality, and the future of humanity, some critics could not get past McEwan's approach.

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Product details

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Nan A. Talese (March 30, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385533411
ISBN-13: 978-0385533416
Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 1.1 x 9.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 256 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,219,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1349 in Books > Literature & Fiction > British & Irish > Humor & Satire
- #2537 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Technothrillers
- #11414 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Humor & Satire > Humorous

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Top customer reviews

The Unpleasant Michael Beard

ByTimothy Haughon March 20, 2011

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Let me just preface this review by saying that I am a fan of Mr. McEwan. I consider his novel, Atonement, to be one of the truly great books of recent years. I've also read and enjoyed a number of his other works. That said, I find this novel, Solar, to be a disappointment.

As a strong prose stylist, McEwan's books are always interesting to read and there are well-done features to this story. In it, he shows his facility with modern science and its impact on social problems, something he's done in previous books as well. This time around, the subject is global warming. Wisely, he stays away from taking a specific stance on the issue even as Michael Beard, his Nobel prize-winning physicist lead character, takes a "lucky" opportunity to explore the issue in his work, thereby putting it before the reading in a subtle way.

On the other hand, this book suffers from two features also present in some of his previous novels, but not to the extent that they impact the story as negatively as they do here. The first is a plot point. Like many excellent novelists, McEwan's novels often turn on a strange event or an odd, coincidental encounter. Sometimes this works very well--I am thinking of Briony's lie in Atonement, for example. Sometimes this works less well, as in the break-in that nearly ruins the last quarter of his otherwise excellent book, Saturday. (Spoiler alert-->) Here, we have an accidental death that for reasons I still don't quite understand or believe, Beard disguises as a murder. Unfortunately, this happens rather early in the story, is important for everything that follows, and, therefore, decreases whatever enjoyment can be found in the rest of the book.

The second problem is something that bothers me personally, but may be less important to other readers. I do not like books where there is, essentially, not a single likeable character with hardly even a redeeming quality. Michael Beard, for example, is almost completely pathetic--a Nobel prize-winner living off his laurels, guilty of intellectual theft, a serial divorcer, a serial adulterer, an absent father, obese, slovenly...Just an all-around poor specimen of a human being. As Beard is the overwhelming personality in this novel, it is rough going, but even the minor characters--mean-spirited ex-wives, abusive boyfriend of ex-wife, pathetic girlfriends, abandoned daughter, grasping colleagues--there's barely a thing to like about the bunch. These are not people with whom I want to spend my time.

Which is too bad, because McEwan's talent is immense. Even with my disappointments, I had no trouble making it to the end of the book. I am hoping, however, he reins in some of his impulses next time around for a tighter, more pleasurable experience.

0Comment 11 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Scoundrel.

BySteven Daedaluson January 3, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

What does a self-pitying, fiftyish, overweight, balding, Nobel Laureate physicist do once he's past his prime? Well, if you're Michael Beard, the protagonist of "Solar", you can lie abed and achieve a kind of solitary rapture by eating loads of ice cream and masturbating while your wife betrays you with another man. You can witness the accidental death of one of your graduate students, steal his ideas about solar energy, and frame another man for the student's demise. After all, he was balling your current wife too -- she's the fifth -- and you owe nobody anything. You can do all this in England but achieve your apotheosis at an experimental solar panel site in a remote corner of New Mexico. I happen to live in that remote corner and Ian McEwan certainly got his geography right. I gather that his physics are sound as well. Anyway, the jubilee comes to a crashing halt at the end and the reader is left somewhere in the neighborhood of the hero, about to be assaulted by two women in a shabby motel room, with everything left hanging.

Other reviews have criticized the nature of the principal character but though he has his faults -- and they're pretty nasty ones -- he's also smart and self confident. And, after all, we must cut him some slack. In physics, when you're fifty or so, you're not only over the hill, you're WAY over the hill. Physicists' careers don't follow the same trajectory as that of Grand Masters who can play tournament-level chess into their 80s.

It sounds rather dismal, I know, but underneath it all, it's actually quite funny in a very understated and British way. It reminded me a little of "The Ginger Man", not in style but in its general deadpan perspective on human nature. (There are few grace notes in the prose.) I'll give just two examples of the comedy, one subtle and the other obvious.

Before boarding his train, Beard buys a package of potato chips ("crisps") and looks forward to some self indulgence as he bundles his luggage into the racks and sits down at a table across from a young man in punk garb. Beard gazes with eager anticipation at the package of potato chips on the table. The man across from him reaches forward and rips open the pack. Shocked, Beard stares at him, extracts a few chips and begins to chew. The other man does the same. This silent contest continues until Beard detrains, at which point he discovers his own bag of chips in his overcoat pocket.

Example two. Beard is on some arctic expedition that requires multiple bulky layers of clothing in a climate where the temperature is 20 degrees below zero. Half way to his destination he has to pull his snowmobile over and relieve himself, removing both pairs of gloves and struggling to open his zippers before his fingers freeze. His fingers don't freeze but his penis sticks to one of the zippers and he must pour brandy over it to free it. However, his penis is not only white but bone white, like a Christmas tree ornament. He tucks himself back into his clothing and mounts his snowmobile. He hears something in his lap crack. As he bounces along, he's able to feel an ice-cold cylindrical object wriggling down the inside of his trousers. He gives this development a good deal of thought before he reaches a point at which he can remove his clothing and find out what it is.

I'll leave it at that. It's not a very long book and I found it to be very amusing at time, with some pathos mixed in. There is an extensive section of acknowledgements, unusual in a novel, that includes physicists and cites some of the professional literature.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Warning: Note that this review gives away the plot....

ByP. Gleesonon June 21, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This is a version of the setup in Amsterdam, where the hypocritical and dishonest plotting of a deeply flawed main character leads, too predictably, to his death (in the last paragraph). I don't know: it's well-written, of course, but this seems to be a little bit of an obsession with McEwan. Hard to stay involved with a main character who's morbidly obese, sloppy, dishonest, hypocritical and a drunkard who cares little for anything except cashing in on his fame, which he no longer deserves, and screwing anything that walks. I do understand that satire doesn't focus on the good, honest and brave, but in McEwan's case it all seems a bit repetitive.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Ian McEwan = Not Such a Great Comedian

ByBT Invictuson June 7, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I think when it comes to the writing of Ian McEwan, I prefer tragedy over comedy.

The writing itself certainly won't disappoint for those who are fans. The story is expertly crafted and, at times, suspenseful. The syntax is always surprising, and the insight into human nature is as real as ever.

For some reason I just didn't feel all that satisfied when I reached the end. The plot is clever, but, ultimately, not very compelling. I found the protagonist to be so unlikeable that I was relieved to be done with him.

This is one of those novels that you respect but you just don't like very much, if that makes sense.

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Most recent customer reviews

Very satisfying tale

I loved this story of a self-absorbed womanizing scientist. This was basically a tale of arrogance, selfishness and misogyny.Read more

Published 2 months ago by R. Hendrickson

A man you love to hate

Another engrossing and suspenseful book from Ian McEwan, reveling in the pride and arrogance of a certain kind of English man. Impossible to put down.

Published 4 months ago by Bif

Defending Solar

I liked this book and here's why: yes, the main character was not likeable but I enjoyed the whole moral morass he found himself in. Spoiler alert!Read more

Published 5 months ago by Amazon Customer

The reviews are correct. I would not recommend this book.

Having real difficulty trying to read this. I may start over from the beginning.

Published 9 months ago by Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Great boor from a great writer.

Published 11 months ago by Peter

Another fine novel by McEwan

This is not the most uplifting novel one might read, but still I enjoyed it and respect the writing a great deal. An authentic and unlikeable hero.

Published 12 months ago by Warren T.D.

Beams

This compelling characer sketch of a dissapating genius has stayed with me for days. Upon conclusion, I gave Solar 3 stars.Read more

Published 1 year ago by barb small

Sadly disappointing

I am a huge Ian McEwan fan but I found this particular book a bit disappointing. I will continue to read anything he writes but this was slow and did not hold my interest.

Published 1 year ago by NY Reader

Three Stars

I enjoyed the read until the ending, It resolved nothing and left many unanswered questions.

Published 1 year ago by Daniel Petrosini

Not McEwan's Shining Star

Having read several of Ian McEwan’s other books, and wanting to read them all, I decided on SOLAR for my next at bat.Read more

Published 1 year ago by Dash Manchette

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