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New moral arbiters The Heart Broke In JAMES MEEK Canongate/Farrar, Straus and Giroux: 2012. 551 pp./416 pp. £17.99/$28
FICTION
Jennifer Rohn enjoys an epic novel about scientists, the media, ethics and society.
James Meek's novel about scientists and society, The Heart Broke In, tackles a big question: what does the rise of secularism in much of the West mean for ethical codes?
Some stories might suggest that rationalism should provide some kind of model. But Meek uses nuanced debate to build towards a very different climax. His mouthpieces are Bec, a malaria researcher; her computational-biologist lover, Alex; Bec's misbehaving ex-rock-star brother, Ritchie; and their friends, family and lovers. Meek, a former science correspondent for The Guardian newspaper, deftly handles the complex, day-to-day issues that scientists grapple with: the ethics of research; interaction with society; lab politics; and the struggle to make a mark in a difficult profession. The Heart Broke In is a realistic slice of life at the bench, reflecting both the admirable and the unflattering qualities of scientists.
Meek uses Alex's Uncle Harry, a militant atheist and famous...