A happy and difficult and rewarding novel

In looking for new books for this blog, I placed holds at the library randomly on novels with the subject of happiness. A most incredible book was caught in this random net. Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers is a fantastic and difficult read. It’s a multi layered story of Thassa Amzwadit, an Algerian immigrant with hyperthermia, a genetic disposition to happiness. She meets an unhappy writer, a psychologist, a journalist, and a genomicist. All these well realized characters are swirled into a chain of events as Thassa’s genes are studied and made public.


The plot, however, does not unfurl easily. It's layered with heavy debates about ethics, media, and the writing process. The author interjects with comments on how the story is going. The language is difficult and poetic. I had to read this slowly in order to digest the complex ideas. I found it a compelling and rich commentary on society’s obsessions and the direction science and industry are heading. If you liked The Elegance of the Hedgehog or Corrections by Jonathan Franzen you might find this book a treasure as I did.