56 reviews for:

The Gold Bug Variations

Richard Powers

3.92 AVERAGE

anxiouszenmaster's review against another edition

4.25

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

soopt's review against another edition

3.0

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it’s the same chapter over and over and over again …

breadandmushrooms's review against another edition

3.25

reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

balbert1525's review

4.0

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jlemiaj's review against another edition

3.0

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A double helix of a love story.

2yaks2books's review

5.0

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

annarosen's review against another edition

5.0

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More people who love fiction need to discover Richard Powers. His work isn't the most poetic or character-driven, but they offer so much else. Gold Bug and Three Farmers on their Way to a Dance are among my favorite books (but avoid [b:Operation Wandering Soul|23000|Operation Wandering Soul|Richard Powers|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167388688s/23000.jpg|24002]).

A story of two temporally separated yet linked couples (why do I love that gimmick so?), this novel is essentially about variations on themes, codes: in music, painting, computers, and the discovery of DNA. Cerebral and curious and charming. Yes, the title references Bach's Goldberg Variations as well as Poe's story.

fetzpahs2002's review against another edition

3.0

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Over 600 pages that could have been pared down to half that length. An nteresting premise of linking DNA coding to music notation. But slow, minute detail, and redundant story perspectives bogged it down.

ivysinconsistentreads's review against another edition

1.0

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i dropped it because it was mid. maybe someone else will find joy in this author's bland writing.

thethinwomanreads's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated