Summary:Chromosome 6 takes place in two totally different main settings. There is a medical office in New York City, but there is also a medical research center, Gensys, in the town of Cogo, Equatorial Guinea, Africa. In this research facility, the scientist are expierimenting with the extraction of the short arm of chromosome six. After extracting the short arm of chromosome six, they would insert it into a bonobo, a ape-like creature that is like humans (DNA wise). This process is used for organ transplants (the bonobos were isolated on a island). The body will not reject the organs if there is a part of the original owner in it, in theory. This idea ends up working, but there is a huge ethnic and religion problem with this topic so it is kept in Africa and kept quiet. Although in Africa, there is still clients in America. One of these clients was Carlo Franconi. Franconi later dies, but there is a problem. The researchers realize that if the autopsy shows that there was a transplant of the liver in this patient but the test show up the same, then they may catch on to something. While this is going on, there is also another problem in Africa. On the isolated island, the bonobos were making and using fire. Kevin, one of the researchers, realizes this problem and investigates it. Little did he know that he was getting himself into a lot of trouble. Kevin believed that the short arm of chromosome 6 had human developmental traits. This would really jeopardize the company of Gensys.Like/Dislike: I thought that this book was good because I am really starting to like the books with biology and chemistry. Robin Cook does a good job on this book because realistically this kind of things could happen in the future with the advancement in technology recently. I would recommend this book to almost anyone who is interested in future science or science in general. I would not recommend this to people who do not like biology or science because if they don't like biology they probably won't be able to follow this book.Quote: In the middle of the book the Kevin realizes that the bonobos must have been hiding a cave. "All at once the number 37 appeared but no blinking red light. After a few moments, a prompt flashed onto the screen. It said: Animal not located...the program had indicated that seven of the bonobo doubles were unaccounted for.." This is were he realizes that the bonobos were using the cave like a shelter. I thought that this was significant because I think that this is when Kevin started to believe that the short arm of chromosome 6 really did have human developmental traits.
In 1896, H. G. Wells published The Island of Doctor Moreau in response to the debates over animal vivisection. A hundred and one years later, Robin Cook, updated the basic plot in Chromosome 6 to reflect recent progress in DNA research but didn't manage to bring any new insights to table.Chromosome 6 is one of the worst books by Cook I've ever read (and perhaps one of the worst full-stop). The winner for worst book by Cook still goes t Coma which is both misogynistic and poorly written; Chromosome 6 is only poorly written. The basic premise is the same as The Island of Doctor Moreau; on a distant island (this time in the Congo), scientists have grafted together humans and animals to create animals with human characteristics. This time, the animals in question are bonobos and the reason behind the monkey business is the creation of cloned body parts for use by wealthy patrons who need transplants and don't want to wait in line for a donor. Unfortunately, the bonobos are so close to being human already that a few swapped genes here and there and they develop human tendencies (discovering fire and tool use).Anyone who has suffered through those horrible chimp films from the 1970s knows that chimps can be taught to use matches and already (oh shock!) have opposable thumbs and basic tool use. So altered chromosomes or not, the bonobos can already chase one down with a hammer if they wanted to.If Cook's underestimation of bonobos isn't enough, he tries to make the mystery more interesting by adding in a mob connection. Yes, it's not just mad scientists in Africa making man-apes, they're being hired by the mob! So of course, the New York cop has to hop a plane and fly halfway across the world to break into the compound to solve the case. Add to the mix flat dialogue and stupid doctors who have to ask what's going on for Cook to "info-dump" and Chromosome 6 ends up being 400 pages of wasted time.
What do You think about Chromosome 6 (1998)?
Ack. I thought Robin Cook should be a fantastic read, but I felt cheated when I finished it. The story took rather long with its back stories to build up. The characters were annoying for the most part and stereotypical. (I actually found Kevin to be a wuss and a meek pushover, and Melanie to be a bitch of a pain in the ass with anger for brains.. can she do nothing but have her arms akimbo in annoyance about something and demanding her way? Candace was equally useless as an airhead with no apparent use in the trio) and yet I found the trio to be more of main characters than the ACTUAL main characters Jack stapleton and Laurie montgomery, to which the former sounds like a narcissistic macho poser and the latter whom had most potential to be the most endearing character to me also failed due to a serious lack of action on her part. I skipped some portions which were boring me to death and was pretty much dead weight to move the story along. When I finally got accustomed to the story and was somewhat a little more enthusiastic than when I first met the characters, awaiting the buildup for the final moments and epilogue did Robin cook stun me with another round of boredom. What an anti-climax for this book!I wouldn't recommend anyone to read this. In fact the storyline is so similar to another book I've borrowed - Scott Sigler - Ancestor, I'm having second thoughts about even going to read that one.
—Felicia
If Cook has favorite characters for me, they are Doctors Jack Stapleton andLori Montgomery; and, both are back in this book of medical intrigue thatwill move you through the streets of New York City and into the darkestheart of a central African jungle.A well-known mobster's body is brought to the medical examiner's office forautopsy, and something somewhere doesn't feel right about the case to LoriMontgomery. She's not sure what, but she thinks something about it ishighly irregular, and despite warnings from colleague Jack Stapleton, shevows to press ahead with the investigation into the case . until the bodydisappears.It is found again floating near Coney Island, but this time the head andhands are gone. Now it's Jack's turn to get excited about the case, becausesomething is amiss with the liver.In an ultra-modern lab in far off Africa, a young molecular biologist hasfound a way to enable vital human organs to grow in a certain type ofmonkey. These human organs are so perfectly matched to their humanparallels that no typical transplant drugs are necessary. But in creatingthe genetically friendly monkey body that holds the new liver or kidney fora would-be human owner, the molecular biologist has also unwittinglygenetically modified the creatures such that they take on more humantendencies-the creation of tools and fire.Even if the genetic data in this book is outdated by now, it's a great bitof escapist fiction that, as is so formulaic of Cook, pits a couple ofmedical good guys against secretive biomedical corporations with hiddenagendas, money to burn, and fearful consequences to unleash on the world. There's a moderate bit of profanity in here, so beware if you have a problemwith that in your books. I've no doubt the genetic data may be a bitoutmoded, but it won't really matter. There are good, albeit not toocomplex, characters for you to cheer on. The worst component of this bookis an almost amateur ending, written as if a publisher said "ok, Cook,you've hit your word limit" or as if the author just tired of writing thebook and wanted to get it out of his hair. It's a whiplash, abrupt, clumsyending, but it's satisfactory enough.
—Nolan
Una gran idea para un thriller médico donde la trama gira en torno a la prioridad económica de la medicina actual, con éste principio, organizaciones científicas, médicos inminentes y personas con gran influencia económica se unirán para crear y mantener un proyecto que va más allá del conocimiento científico y parámetros éticos y morales.Si bien es un drama atrapante,a mi parecer la excesiva cantidad de personajes secundarios y los cambios de perspectiva de la historia constantemente hizo a la historia algo lenta, restándole enormemente el gran impacto de emociones e intriga que podría haber ofrecido.
—Paula
