annarosen 's review for:

Gold Bug Variations by Richard Powers
5.0

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.