Nadine by Matt Cohen

Nadine Reviews

• 
  Tom Gray

  Nadine is a novel that is not unlike Cohen's earlier novels. It is not set in Eastern Ontario and has a female protagonist but the theme of disaffection or estrangement from one's environment is further explored. Nadine is detached from the society around her She searches for something which she really does not know. Nadine's parents were killed in the Holocaust and she was sent to Canada from her home in Paris by an emotionally detached aunt. The novel follows the development of her life the events surrounding her birth in Paris in the era of the NAZI occupation through to the early 1980s - the time when the novel was published. Nadine's alienation due to her orphan status and as Jew in the context of the Antisemitism of western society form the basis for this novel.
  
  The novel is mostly effective in exploring the personal psychological effects of these issues. There are passages of compelling reading. However, there are weak areas that involve the supporting scientific plot devices. It is not helpful that the depiction of science and scientific research. The development as Michael as media famous scientist does support Nadine’s estrangement as a professor of science. However, the poorly crafted scientific story distracts greatly from this. Michael would not become a noted scientist for the discovery of a comet. Numerous comets are discovered every year. In that era, they were discovered commonly by amateurs.
  
  This novel is effective as a whole. I enjoyed reading it. Many sections were compelling reading and were real page turners. It has depth and it has interest.