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Intuition
by Allegra Goodman


7.6

based on 17 reviews
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based on 5 votes
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The acclaimed author of Kaaterskill Falls chronicles an ethics scandal--and its effects on the lives of the scientists involved--at a medical research facility in Massachusetts.

The Dial Press, 352 pages
02/28/2006
$25.00

ISBN: 0385336128

Fiction
General Literature & Fiction

All reviews are classified as one of five grades: Outstanding (4 points), Favorable (3), Mixed (2), Unfavorable (1) and Terrible (0). To calculate the Metascore, we divide total points achieved by the total points possible (i.e., 4 x the number of reviews), with the resulting percentage (multiplied by 100) being the Metascore. Learn more...

Boston Globe Bruce Allen

[Goodman's] third novel is her best book yet: a brainy comedy of manners that deals with a subject of high contemporary relevance, is scrupulously researched, and -- more to the point -- enacted by a sizable cast of complicated and intriguing characters.

Entertainment Weekly Jennifer Reese

Goodman performs with the precision of a scientist, and the flair of an artist at the top of her game.

Slate Dr. Jerome Groopman

Rarely has a novel so deeply probed the thoughts and actions of physicians and scientists as they strive to succeed. It lifts the veil off this world and exposes its promise and peril.

The Economist

[Goodman's] writing is rich, so rich it would be easy to miss how skilful is the prose itself. Exciting and, for most, exotic as well, “Intuition” is a stunning achievement.

Los Angeles Times Emily Barton

Self-knowledge and scientific knowledge eddy and swell in this novel in pleasing parallel to each other, making the book not only satisfying as a story of self-discovery but, in a deeper sense, a richly conceived novel about the rewards of work. [5 Mar 2006]

Kirkus Reviews

Top-notch in every respect. A superlative novel.

Publishers Weekly

A truly humanist novel from the supposedly antiseptic halls of science.

Library Journal Starr E. Smith

Goodman's latest doesn't quite match the dazzle of Zadie Smith's On Beauty or the zany, brainy satire of Alison Lurie's Truth and Consequences and Jennifer Vandever's The Bronte Project, her book does stand out for its biting yet insightful portrayal of a high-stakes research institute.

Chicago Tribune Donna Seaman

A buoyant and lucid writer, Goodman revels in telling metaphors and significant detail, but her most compelling strength is her ability to decode the complicated chemistry of relationships professional and personal. [19 Mar 2006]

The Onion A.V. Club Keith Phipps

Goodman writes with a generous spirit that nevertheless lets no one off easy and recognizes that good intentions only go so far.

San Francisco Chronicle Christine Thomas

Goodman's talent as a storyteller and social observer is undeniable... There is likewise no doubt about her immaculate attention to detail... Sometimes this thoroughness delays the action but is made up for by long explanations culminating in well-placed and poignant similes.

The New Yorker

The somewhat transparent plot is made compelling by the aesthetic delicacy of Goodman’s writing.

USA Today Carol Memmott

Plot details aside, Intuition is a fascinating excavation into what happens when lies surface in the workplace.

Wall Street Journal Matt Murray

A few scenes strike false notes... But on the whole, the novel presents a convincing portrait of a precinct of the scientific world. Though Ms. Goodman's prose is somewhat unadorned, it at least doesn't distract from her compelling storyline.

Washington Post Geraldine Brooks

Intuition is so character-driven that the plot occasionally sinks beneath the press of its personalities. Yet Goodman's subject, scientific fraud, is timely and intriguing.

The Globe And Mail [Toronto] John Allemang

Science may be humanized by Goodman's art, but art becomes more knowing with her science.

The New York Times Book Review Sue Halpern

It has been Goodman's particular talent to create quirky, poignant characters and put them in deeply affecting relationships, and these relationships carry her novels. "Intuition," by contrast, is full of querulous people whose emotional tics stand in for personality.

The average user rating for this book is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Roumyana gave it an8:
At firt the book seemed so true to life that I felt like a voyeur, looking in over the shoulder of the characters. Then later on the characters gained in depth and went away from cliches. I like the facft that the whistle blower was not very sympathetic as well as that the "villain" was not all black and devious. In the end, I though ithe book was quite well written, and showed that scientific fraud is very complex, in perpetration as well as in motivation.

Mandi P gave it an8:
I had to read a book for college that was a novel and incorperated science and this fit the requirements. I had read a book earlier that semester called Cantor's Dilemma by Carl Djerassi and they seem very similar. I think it was on the easier side of reading but I did enjoy it. You don't have to know many details about science to understand this book.

Alison gave it an8:
This book reminded me of the Broadway show Doubt - very character-driven, with extensive commentary on trust, relationships, perceptions of reality. I wasn't quite fully satisfied at the end, but it was an enjoyable read.

Tom M gave it a9:
Allegra Goodman has gone beyond her safety zone. She is clearly a top-shelf writer and has considerable room for further growth.

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Intuition by Allegra Goodman

Intuition
by Allegra Goodman