The Evolution of Inanimate Objects: The Life and Collected Works of Thomas Darwin (1857-1879)

by Harry Karlinsky

Overview

LONGLISTED FOR THE WELLCOME 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In a narrative woven from letters, photographs, historical documents and illustrations, what emerges is a sketch of Thomas’s life — the last of eleven children born to Charles Darwin. It tells of his obsession with extending his father’s 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780007464272
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	02/02/2012
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishers
Format:	eBook
Pages:	233
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Harry Karlinsky is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia.

Harry Karlinsky obtained his MD from the University of Manitoba, his specialty degree in Geriatric Psychiatry from the University of Toronto and his Masters in Neuroscience degree from the University of London, England. He currently works as a Clinical Professor within the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, Canada.

Editorial Reviews

‘This may be a bagatelle of a novel, but it is one with so much charm and erudition it is more memorable than any door-stopping wodge of prose presenting itself as a diagnosis of the state of the nation.’ The Scotsman

‘Karlinsky’s retelling of Darwinian family history is ingeniously wry and original.’ Essie Fox, Author of THE SOMNAMBULIST

‘Just when you think there’s nothing new to be done with the novel, along comes a book that pushes the form in a fresh direction.’ John Harding, author of FLORENCE & GILES

‘Delightfully imaginative’ Historical Novels Review

From the Publisher