How I Won A Nobel Prize
by Julius Taranto
Narrated by Lauren Fortgang
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Pub Date 15 Feb 2024 | Archive Date 17 Feb 2024
Macmillan UK Audio | Picador
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Description
'A punchy and very funny campus novel which manages to satirise the culture wars without ever making too clear which side of the cancel-culture v anti-woke divide the author stands on' – Nicola Sturgeon
'Taranto’s hilarious, provocative debut novel, is at once bracingly contemporary and reassuringly familiar . . . The novel’s peculiar genius lies in how you’re never entirely sure where Taranto’s sympathies lie.' – The Times
'A hit, a very palpable hit' – The Spectator
Julius Taranto’s wickedly satirical and refreshingly irreverent debut novel, a young physicist follows her mentor to an island research institute that gives safe harbour to ‘cancelled’ artists and scientists.
Helen, a graduate student on a quest to save the planet, is one of the best minds of her generation. But when her irreplaceable advisor’s student sex scandal is exposed, she must choose whether to give up on her work or accompany him to RIP, a research institute which grants safe harbour to the disgraced and the deplorable.
As Helen settles into life at the institute alongside her partner Hew, she develops a crush on an older novelist, while he is drawn to an increasingly violent protest movement. As the rift between them deepens, they both face major – and potentially world-altering – choices.
Hilarious, provocative and thought-provoking, How I Won A Nobel Prize approaches the issues of our times in a genuine and fresh way, examining the price we’re willing to pay for progress and what it means, in the end, to be a good person.
‘A stunning new talent, announcing itself fully formed’ – Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781035006878 |
| PRICE | £10.82 (GBP) |
| DURATION | 7 Hours, 57 Minutes |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Katie R, Educator
I loved this - it was laugh out loud funny, wicked and such an interesting commentary on the world we live in
Reviewer 1165846
I really enjoyed this funny, nuanced and thought provoking satire of the current political culture, academia, and science. As someone from that world it felt very familiar and even though the plot was very predictable and much of the philosophy very superficial I enjoyed the conversational writing style, the underlying tug of emotional turmoil and the clever language.
Sue S, Reviewer
I’m not going to pretend that I understood all the physics, or that this was a book that I breezed through, but neither of those things should stop you from picking this up. I listened to the audio book, which, given the nature of some of the technical content, was probably much less effort than having to read a physical copy, which I think I might have found a little dry in places.
Lauren Fortgang does a wonderful job with the narration, striking exactly the right tone for Helen of academic indifference to/intolerance for, anything that distracts her from her scientific quest; the small matter of solving global warming.
Despite her noble and arguably altruistic objective, Helen’s morals are reassuringly fallible. This story exposes them unashamedly as we discover what she is (and isn’t) prepared to do in pursuit of her goal: a Nobel prize. She’s a fascinating character, and she’s not the only one in this cast. At times she’s battling the patriarchy whilst at others she’s colluding with it.
This story is full of moral and ethical questions and to what extent the end justifies the means. Many of the characters are hypocritical, their behaviour contradictory and often selfish.
It makes for a unique and entertaining perspective on what happens when money, power and academia collide.
I really enjoyed it!
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to an ARC.
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