I've loved some of Richard Powers' previous novels, but this one was a bit of a struggle for me, in spite of the fact that many reviewers have dubbed it his "most approachable novel to date". As with many of his previous novels, Powers focuses on a specific domain of science (here: what makes us happy) and creates characters that explore that area. In this case, Powers weaves in a metafictional element that makes it hard to know who the narrator really is (and how much of the plot is meant to be "real"), and that distances the reader from the main characters. This alienated me a bit — although I can appreciate the authorial gymnastics, they made the novel too easy to put down.

This is the first Powers novel I've read in several years, so I'm not sure if I've grown away from his writing or if this particular novel just didn't work for me.