The Gold Bug Variations: Difference between revisions
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==Plot introduction== | ==Plot introduction== | ||
The novel intertwines the discovery of the chemical structure of [[DNA]] with the musicality of [[Johann Sebastian Bach]]'s [[harpsichord]] composition the ''[[Goldberg Variations]]''. A similar theme is explored by [[Douglas Hofstadter]] in his 1979 book ''[[Gödel, Escher, Bach|Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid]]'' | The novel intertwines the discovery of the chemical structure of [[DNA]] with the musicality of [[Johann Sebastian Bach]]'s [[harpsichord]] composition the ''[[Goldberg Variations]]''. A similar theme is explored by [[Douglas Hofstadter]] in his 1979 book ''[[Gödel, Escher, Bach|Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid]]''. The title also alludes to [[Edgar Allan Poe|Edgar Allan Poe's]] 1843 short story "[[The Gold-Bug]]", which is incorporated in the plot of the novel.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Genetic Coding and Aesthetic Clues: Richard Powers's 'Gold Bug Variations' |journal=Mosaic |volume=31 |issue=4 |page=151 |location=[[Winnipeg]] |date=December 1, 1998 }}</ref> | ||
The plot hinges on two love affairs: the first set in the 1950s, between two scientists intent on discovering the mysteries of DNA; the second in the 1980s, between two lovers who befriend the scientist featured in the novel's flashbacks. | The plot hinges on two love affairs: the first set in the 1950s, between two scientists intent on discovering the mysteries of DNA; the second in the 1980s, between two lovers who befriend the scientist featured in the novel's flashbacks. | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
==See also== | |||
* [[The Preserving Machine (short story)]] by [[Philip K. Dick]] | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Latest revision as of 16:23, 13 November 2025
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The Gold Bug Variations is a novel by American writer Richard Powers, first released in 1991.
Plot introduction
The novel intertwines the discovery of the chemical structure of DNA with the musicality of Johann Sebastian Bach's harpsichord composition the Goldberg Variations. A similar theme is explored by Douglas Hofstadter in his 1979 book Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid. The title also alludes to Edgar Allan Poe's 1843 short story "The Gold-Bug", which is incorporated in the plot of the novel.[1]
The plot hinges on two love affairs: the first set in the 1950s, between two scientists intent on discovering the mysteries of DNA; the second in the 1980s, between two lovers who befriend the scientist featured in the novel's flashbacks.
Awards
The Gold Bug Variations has received the following awards:
- Time Book of the Year, 1991
- Publishers Weekly Best Books of 1991
- Vrij Nederland Best Books of 1991
- The New York Times Notable Book, 1991
- De Morgen Best Book of 1991 (named in 1999, in a compilation of the best books each year over the last half century)
- Finalist, National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, 1991
References
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