It won the GG's??? And that is basically how the entire book feels like. It does start out with a very gripping circumstance, but then it kind of falls flat.

This book was chosen for my book club and a few members seemed daunted by the length. It read fast for me however, as there were no slow middle parts, even the Galapagos section. The characters are so well described, none are flat. I thought the Peter Gzowski reference was cool too.

Book Review by Ethel Clark

The Origin of Species by Nino Ricco
Published in Canada, Sept. 30, 2008 by Doubleday ISBN 10:0385663609

The author focuses on two main topics: Alex,an anxiety-ridden and depressed Canadian Literature student in 1980's Montreal and Charles Darwin's theory on evolution and the meaning of life.

Alex is not forceful, or that interesting. Lots of events happen, not plot-driven. The many facts and quotes from authors inspired me to research Darwin and Malthus, quite an educational enlightenment. It took me a while to get through it, going back to reread passages.

The story begins and ends with Esther, giving it a smooth conclusion. Excitement didn't begin until the middle of the book in the Galapagos Islands with Desmond and Santos in search of the special plants connected with Darwin. These characters were raw and attention-getting, making for a good plot.

The author touched on too many subjects, characters and cities, making it difficult to concentrate on one. I enjoyed the scientific aspects and the geographic areas of the book more than the story itself.

When 'The Origin of Species' didn't make the Giller shortlist, I immediately disregarded it. But then it won the G.G., so I thought I'd give it a chance. I regret the chance I gave it. I won't delve into plot, since, there isn't much of one in this novel despite its hefty 450-odd pages. The protagonist, Alex, shows great promise in the begining, but Ricci utterly screws up the character. He delves into overly excessive detail of Alex's thought processes over the most minute of decisions, which generally involve Alex always making the wrong choice (even though he is clearly of the repercussions). Definitely overwritten, Ricci makes frequent (and generally unnecessary) references to the political issues of Montreal circa-1980. Having been born in '88, I was not familiar with many of the issues talked about in the book. And if you're not Canadian, forgot about it, you won't understand a quarter of the novel. Ricci has effectively limited his audience to a small subset of the Canadian population, really smart move. Even they will find much to complain about.

Alex travels to the Galapagos islands and Sweden, and the Galapagos is portrayed fairly well, but the long flashback that uses it as a setting is dreadfully boring. Sweden didn't come as evocative, but the Sweden sequences were at least mildly entertaining.

Another issue is Alex's sex life. He has sex with so many females which are exchangeable personality wise it gets confusing to remember who is who. The only distinct female character is Esther, a woman with multiple sclerosis. According to the flap, she is supposedly a prominent character. In reality, she is absent from 85% of the book.

Ricci, did anyone bother to notify you of one particular literary device that is strikingly absent from your novel? Plot. Yes, this story not only defies traditional plot structure, it eschews any semblance of a plot entirely. The entire novel lacks any sense of tension, it seems Ricci is reaching for something bigger here, but he ends up coming empty handed.

Sorry Nino Ricci, I have never read any of your previous works and will now never read any of your future works. I could feel your attempt at creating an emotionally charged ending, but honestly, I didn't feel anything and was just glad the book was over so I could start reading some else. Boyden's Through Black Spruce was, while flawed in its own right, far superior to this. In the middle there are, admittedly, some interesting bits (when Ricci explores Alex's relationship with his former girlfriend, Liz. But, as with every other plot thread in this book, it essentially goes nowhere). For anyone considering purchasing this, I don't recommend you do. The brief moments of good prose cannot counteract this overwritten, plot-less, and generally boring novel.

Note: (I did give one star, but my actual assessment would probably be around 1.5. Trapped within this borefest were moments of quite good writing. Ricci definitely has the capability of writing well, that much is clear, but he didn't capitalize on his abilities in this novel unfortunately).