I've been reading Ethan Canin since his first short story collection Emperor of the Air in 1985. I've enjoyed most of his slightly sporadic output since then, and the long wait for this epic new novel turns out to have been worth it. A Doubter's Almanac tells the story of a genius mathematician from 1970s California, over a period of some 40 years and 550 pages. It's a virtuoso performance, exploring the power of the mind, the nature of love, the sometimes destructive nature of ambition and unreachable dreams. It's in two parts, the first telling the story of Milo Andret and his destruction, the second narrated by his son, also a mathematician, which serves to cast new light on the first section. It's reminiscent, perhaps, of some of John Irving's earlier books, but if you want to immerse yourself in an intelligent, epic family story, I recommend this. Canin has obviously talked to mathematicians; his descriptions of their research is very convincing, and doesn't detract from the pace of the narrative.