The Evolution of Jane

by Cathleen Schine

When Jane unexpectedly encounters her cousin, Martha, in the Galapagos Islands, she feels that she finally has the opportunity to talk to her about their deteriorating friendship and find out what it was that caused their once strong bond to end so suddenly. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction, Travel, Novels, Contemporary, The United States Of America, Book Club, Unfinished

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Cathleen Schine is the author of The New Yorkers, The Love Letter, and The Three Weissmanns of Westport among other novels. She has contributed to The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times Magazine, and The New York Times Book Review.

Reviews

[Kathleen Schmitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cathleen Schine took on an ambitious project to intertwine a story of a neurotic, self-centred young woman struggling to overcome a childhood rejection by her childhood cousin-friend Martha, with all the vicissitudes of Darwinian theory on evolution. The narrative unfolds at a crisis point for Jane, who has recently divorced. A trip to the Galapagos provides the catalyst for pondering human kinship and relationships in the light of Darwinian and other ways of knowing. Thus, scenes from a childhood friendship that ended in apparent rejection, shift between sights of flying boobies, ambling turtles and other amazing animals, and occasionally the two make some kind of connection for our protagonist. For impetus, Jane's struggle also includes the mystery of why her family and that of her cousin-friend broke apart in some kind of family feud a generation or so before. Some of the characters are, well, characters. That is, they are eccentric people, well-drawn and add amusement and some liveliness to the story.

The writing is lovely and visual. I enjoyed it. I think that this novel cannot be viewed in the normal way. The story evolves more like a meditation, a human struggle in process, almost a swim in another medium in which colourful creatures pass by but do not intrude. It is not reasonable to expect an action-packed movement of plot in such a story. In the end Jane does come to a critical change of character, what her roommate describes as 'humility', a letting go of her image of herself as rejected and unloved, a self-acceptance, and the consequent ability to free her love for Martha and for others.

While at times the Galapagos setting feels contrived, at others it feels authentic and healing for our protagonist. I did not try to read this book straight through. I read for awhile and put it down, then picked it up again. That way the juxtaposing of theories and philosophies with human experience did not overwhelm. If you have a philosophic bent of mind and can appreciate neurosis, you may well find this a book well worth reading!

[Elizabeth Quinn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a mess. The main character, Jane Barlow Schwartz, is meant to be eccentric and charming, but she comes off as an annoying whiner. The Galapagos Island setting and endless musing on Charles Darwin's revolutionary insights on species and evolution are meant to add depth to the characters and interest for the reader but are often irritating and sometimes tedious. I had decided to leave this novel unfinished after the first four chapters until I saw that the fifth chapter flashed back to the crux of the plot: the girlhood best-friendship of Jane and her distant cousin Martha, who in the first of several utterly unbelievable coincidences, turns out to be Jane's guide on her cruise through the Galapagos. Jane is on the cruise to take her mind off her recent divorce and the appearance of Martha as her guide sparks her interminable whine throughout the novel: Why did Martha stop being her friend? Turns out the question is a MacGuffin of the worst sort, one with an answer so simple and so obvious that the reader feels cheated and ill-used by the revelation. Q. Why did Martha stop being Jane's friend? A. Because her family moved away from the town where Jane continued to live. Now I know why people actually throw books across the room, which is where this one would have ended up had it not been a library borrow. I picked up this book because I thought Schine did a decent job in a contemporary retelling of Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" with her 2010 novel, "The Three Weissmanns of Westport," but I'll be giving the rest of her oeuvre a pass.

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Questo romanzo non mi ha particolarmente entusiasmata, ma forse è un problema che ho con questa scrittrice, perché neanche l'altro suo libro che ho letto mi ha colpita favorevolmente.
Tutto il libro è una riflessione sull'evoluzione della specie, che si estende anche ai rapporti di amicizia.
Dopo la rottura del matrimonio, Jane pensa ancora alla sua amicizia con la cugina Martha, finita all'improvviso non si sa per quale motivo. Jane ripercorre tutta la storia della loro amicizia, nata malgrado una faida tra i due rami delle loro famiglie, faida di cui entrambe cercano l'origine, che vengono però gelosamente nascoste dalle generazioni più vecchie.
Nel frattempo, i genitori le regalano una vacanza alle Galapagos (Jane è sempre stata un'estimatrice di Darwin), e qui ritrova Martha in veste di guida, ma la cugina non è più la sua compagna di giochi: è distaccata, perché l'evoluzione ha portato le due ragazze in due direzioni diverse, e non è facile ritrovarsi. Anche i ricordi che nel percorso di Jane sono stati fondamentali e indelebili, a Martha risultano sbiaditi e insignificanti.
Tra l'altro, Jane non mi è piaciuta affatto, mi sembra che si pianga troppo addosso e che abbia vissuto quasi tutta la vita in funzione dell'amica che non c'è più. Non so, sarà che è il tema del libro, ma sembra che, a parte la sua amicizia con Martha, nella sua vita ci sia stato ben poco.
Di sicuro avevo sbagliato ad archiviare Martha. E la nostra amicizia. Facciamo finta che l'amicizia sia una specie. Una possibilità è l'estinzione. Avevo rovistato fra i miei ricordi alla ricerca di un evento che avesse provocato la fine della nostra amicizia.
Un improvviso cambiamento di clima, una meteora, un racconto su un uomo annegato. Ma la nostra amicizia non si era estinta, poiché io la portavo ancora dentro di me. Se una specie non si è estinta ma non è sopravvissuta, allora dev'essere mutata. Semplice. La specie era mutata.

[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Cathleen Schine book. First paragraph ends with "Here is the story of my ex-husband: Michael and I were young and stupid; he, being young and stupid, left me for someone equally young and stupid; I, being stupid, cried for three months, and then, being young, woke up in the middle of the night, ate a bowl of cold leftover spaghetti, thought "This is pleasant," and cried no more." Instead she went to the Galapagos Islands. Very funny book.

[Jenlovestoread1978 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost didn’t read these book due to the lackluster reviews and score. I’m glad that I decided to forge ahead because I really enjoyed this book! Jane is funny, eccentric, and, dare I say, delightful! I enjoyed her outlook on the world. I, too, have had friendships to wither away, leave me heartbroken, and full of questions. I enjoyed watching Jane’s evolution unfold and I would actually recommend this book to others!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the three-star reviews are accurate, I'll give it four to counterbalance the overly negative reviews. There is a lot of wit and charm, as well as some genuinely interesting observations on evolution and philosophy, in the book. It certainly does meander, and does not have much of a point, but it's a pleasant and sometimes enlightening stroll.

[Susanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have liked several books by Cathleen Schine. . .but what happened here? I don't know -
I stopped half-way through as I didn't know whether I was reading musings of a lonely woman or a travellogue about the Galapagos, and either way - not for me!

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that the idea behind this book is quite clever, I just felt that the execution and direction didn’t necessarily support the Darwinian theme. I feel that there was some meandering along the way.

[Kieran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, and appreciated the main character’s voice and development. Unfortunately, the family tree at the center of the story is much too complicated. I kept having to flip back to understand the narrative as it was unfolding. This was one edit away from an additional star.

[Linda Rowland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really expecting to like this. Would have given it three stars but it lost one for disappointing me.

[Andrea Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A review for this witty and intelligent novel is coming soon! 🙂

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this 20 years ago and enjoyed it very much. It’s also one of the rare book covers that has stayed with me.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE EVOLUTION OF JANE AS VADE MECUM
Schine bases her didactic and entertaining novel THE EVOLUTION OF JANE on the precious and fruitful conceit, that the contours of friendship and differentiation of young girls follow Darwin's theory of evolution. Or is it the other way around, that Darwin's observations of flora and fauna on the Galapagos can be understood in terms of young friendship? That the novel is successful means that the metaphor cuts both ways. The story of Jane's engagement with and estrangement from her cousin Martha unfolds when by chance Jane's mother sends her on a cruise of the Galapagos that happens to be led by Martha. As the narrator Jane uncomfortably ruminates below on possible reasons why Martha dropped her when they were young teenagers, we learn, via Jane's experiences with Darwin's theories and observations of speciation in the Galapagos, that young friendship stems from homology, how twin-like the two girls are, and peradventure, that they were brought together initially by chance circumstances. Speciation occurs along borders, which is why the equatorial Galapagos islands, and the synecdochal cruise ship Huxley, are chock-full of evolutionary oddities.

Although Schine can be merely entertaining with precocious New York wit, her youthful narrative manner suits the matter of friendship among the very young and reconciliation among the slightly mature. This is fiction. My own Galapagos tour probably will not enable me to understand my emotional history; but if I mine THE EVOLUTION OF JANE for its reading list my own cannot tour cannot fail to be instructive and fun.

[PurplyCookie · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Have you ever lost a friend? It is the saddest and most baffling experience."

Fresh from a rather boring divorce, Jane is sent to the Galapagos Islands by her mother, who recalls her daughter's childhood fascination with science. Indeed, Darwin's theory of evolution (as famously associated with Galapagos) provides not only a philosophical context, but a geographical backdrop as well.

She arrives with optimistic visions of finding her true self, only to discover her nemesis waiting at the airport -- her long-lost childhood friend, Martha Barlow, now serving as a tour guide for the eclectic group of travelers. Therein lies the most enjoyable and interesting sub-plot of Schine's novel: the legendary Barlow family feud.

As Jane struggles to understand Martha's rejection, the tenuous bonds of friendship are held hostage by the sinuous strands of DNA. Thus, the hardiest species -- and friendships -- survive and flourish, as the weak flounder and fail. The book finishes with a whimper of a conclusion, leaving the reader feeling cheated of a proper ending to the question which plagues the protagonist.


Book Details:

Title The Evolution of Jane
Author Cathleen Schine
Reviewed By Purplycookie

[Marvin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young woman is divorced after a marriage of only 6 months. Her mother, knowing her fascination with Darwin, sends her on a guided tour to the Galapagos Islands, where her guide, lo and behold, turns out to be a childhood best friend who mysteriously & suddenly ended their friendship years earlier. I think it's supposed to be a meditation on the mysteries of friendship, but it didn't work for me, in part because Jane was an unlikable person hardly worthy of friendship.

[Wisewebwoman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tossed. Against wall. Much as I commit myself to finishing a book club choice I just couldn't sacrifice anymore of my short precious life on this absolute bilge of a book.

OK: One metaphor I'll offer for your perusal.

On her former friendship with Martha: "If only I could scrape her off my plate and pick at the bones of our friendship and glue back the feathers."

If you like this kind of writing - go for it.

[David Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very mixed feelings on this book and decided to give up at the halfway point. Cathleen is good at writing interesting characters and dialogue, but I did not enjoy the story. The main character's neuorosis was cute at first but eventually turned me off as it became like slodging through mud to get the story to move forward.

[Elizabeth T. Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I found her discussion of Darwinism interesting and I liked the way that she worked it into the character's thoughts about her own life. It was fun to have the story set in the Galapagos. As always, I really enjoyed Cathleen Schine's humor. I often read parts of it again.

[Tatiana · Rating 1 out of 5]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Caren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful cover illustration by Honi Werner, a fabulous illustrator. Whenever I tired of the story I closed the book and enjoyed at the cover. Silly review, but true.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book more than I had expected to. I would have liked it more had I found even the slightest ability to empathize with the protagonist.

[Amy]

I have absolutely no recollection of having read this book, even after reading the description.

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a good read. I wanted to like it more than I did, but it was nonetheless worth reading.

When Jane gets a divorce, her parents decide that she needs a big change in scenery, so they arrange for her to go on a tour of the Galapagos Islands. She is looking forward to the trip and is truly surprised when she arrives and finds that the guide for her tour group is none other than her cousin Martha. The same cousin that was her very best friend as a child and teenager, and then just faded away without any warning.

As the tour goes along, Jane finds that the group she is with becomes more interesting, and more convivial as the days pass, and she really enjoys that. But she is somewhat obsessed with finding out why Martha dropped her as a friend. The book alternates between the Galapagos trip and the girls' childhood and their relationship.

There's a lot of good stuff here - the natural history of the Galapagos, tales of Darwin and his work, and the story of two girls who become best friends at an age where best friend means "twin." There's a lot about family and how it can affect relationships, both as children and as adults.

It's a good book, just not an incredible book.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the German translation: Unpretentious, clever, unexciting but with a good flow.

It's true: Jane is not a particular likeable main character. But while she is self-absorbed and content with her smartness, she is not unloving but very generous towards others in her judgement. The set of well-defined side characters paced Janes contemplations and philosophical escapades and grounded the novel in a very concrete reality (albeit one with exotic creatures set on curious islands).

The metaphors and detours to Darwin (as a person as well as his theories) were not tiring or forced: they were evenly spread and very functional glue that held the narrations of Jane's childhood memories and her present journey together.

While the book was not particularly exciting, it was still captivating and kept me reading throughout.

The German translation was well written - weightless but precise and smart. I noticed several typos in my 1999 Carl Hanser edition though.

[Molly]

This book has a lot of fun elements, at least for my idea of fun. The protagonist is a woman who get a trip to the Galapagos Islands as a gift. The book talks a lot about the theory of evolution, about what happens when a friendship ends, and about lack of humility and self-awareness. And that last item is where Jane evolves, rather painfully. Her room-mate is adorable and helpful. There is just a little bit of description of the islands and what you would see if you went there. There is a good bit of realistic description of shipboard life, which confirmed my idea that this sort of trip would not be a good choice for me. I think I'm too old now, anyway.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is much deeper in meaning than other reviewers give it credit for. Jane is admittedly self-involved, but in your twenties, what else are you? Also, Jane has a deeper side because she is trying to tease out the question of what are species, and the Darwin / Galapagos voyage of the Beagle. There are actual deep queries voiced by Jane and others of the travel group. The class I took in the History of Science grabbled with the same issues. I applaud the author for her ability to successfully intertwine the two stories of Jane and her family versus the Galapagos analyzed by Darwin's scientific genius.

[Natalie Atkinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book to be pretty stupid. I wish I knew how many times she name “Martha” was written, because it would be absurd. There seemed to be an over obsession that the main character Jane had with her distant cousin, Martha. The obsession was too much. The story was too slow, too much detail about details that didn’t matter. I thought the preview of the book sounded interesting… partially because I’ve been to the Galapagos and recognized many of the islands discussed in the book. However, that was really the only pleasure I got out of it… reminiscing about my own trip there. It gets one start because the Galapagos makes an appearance.

[Antonietta Ciaramella · Rating 4 out of 5]

mi sento sconvolta.
ALLORA, la struttura della storia lascia a desiderare ma la scrittura è così brillante che la storia in sé passa quasi in secondo piano.
Consiglio perché è una lettura piacevole, anche se, essendo un testo ricco di riferimenti 'darwiniani'/scientifici, potrebbe annoiare.
Ho analizzato e riflettuto insieme alla protagonista sui mutamenti del mondo e sull'evoluzione in generale... poi, alla fine, quando è stato svelato il vero motivo della faida sono ritornata alla storia del libro e ai protagonisti...CHE SHOCK

[Tex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect a novel with so much reference to Darwin's research to be so funny. The Jane of the story does have some evolving to do, as does the story of her family and the feud that has marked current history. It still doesn't make me want to visit the Galapagos Islands so much as it makes me want to HAVE BEEN there.
The San Diego Union Tribunes writes, "Hilariously rendered...connects animal behavior to every aspect of human life..."

[Lauri · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Galapagos islands have always been on my bucket list. The only reason I picked up this book and continue to read this book were the descriptions of what travel to the Galapagos islands is really like for the individual traveler. The fictional story, however, was ridiculous and all of the characters extremely undeveloped. Don’t waste your time. If your reason for reading this is the same as mine, there are far better non-fiction books to read.