The Origin: A Biographical Novel of Charles Darwin

22 hrs. 42 min.

Language Russian

Author Irving Stone

Narrator Vladimir Sushkov

Description

"On the Origin" (1980) — a Charles Darwin novel-biography, the founder of the theory of evolution, which dealt a devastating blow to the religious picture of the world.

About Darwin, much has been written. Not only scientific research, but also works of art whose authors sought to understand the inner world of a person who made a revolutionary breakthrough in biology. The images of great people always attract writers with the possibility of penetrating the secrets of their thinking, their actions, their decisions—sometimes having a decisive influence on the further course of politics, science, and culture. And it is not surprising that one of the most prominent masters of художественно-биографічної (artistic-biographical) literature, Irving Stone, turned to the life of Charles Darwin.

Darwin was not chosen at random to join the gallery of great people who drew the writer’s attention. As Stone himself explained his literary interest in the founder of the theory of evolution, he saw in Darwin a man—and by upbringing, and by the structure of his character—least suited for that great mission that fell to his lot. After all, he had to overturn age-old ideas sanctified by the authority of religion; moreover, to set scientific facts against religious dogmas, to enter into conflict with theologians who had not yet forgiven him for this courageous step.

But Darwin was above all a scientist. And for the sake of scientific truth, he sacrificed his peace, his personal well-being, and his established convictions. That was his scientific feat.

Staying faithful to his artistic method, Stone carefully and scrupulously tries to reconstruct almost everything connected with his hero’s life, to penetrate the structure of his thinking, and the logic of his behavior.

At the same time, one must take into account that his work is not a scientific or popular-science biography of Charles Darwin. It is an artistic biography. Therefore, you should not look for precise scientific evaluations and formulations. Some subjective characterizations are entirely expected and may not coincide with generally accepted ones. Such are the laws of the genre.