Rating: 
Summary: Wish there were more than 5 stars
Review: Wilson combines a sharp scientific mind with the creativity of Jack Finney in re-creating the turn of the century in this alternate-history novel. This was an excellent and surprising book for me. I'm looking forward to his next offering, and to re-reading Darwinia in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: What happened?
Review: This book started off in a very interesing and exciting fashion, and wended slowly downhill from there, dropping completely off the precipice in the last 75 pages. The next bit may contain some spoiler information, so stop reading now..... Okay, you had your chance. Some of the characters in the book have counterparts from what we would recognize as our timeline, namely a Europe that fought WWI. I do not understand why the author has Americans manning the trenches in early 1917, why he does not have any Russian characters which would clearly have been very interesting, why there are no Canadian characters since they fielded about 700,000 men in WWI etc. etc. Admittedly, these are personal preferences. All in all, an interesting sci-fi novel, but by the end the talk about computer viruses and noospheres and other pseudo-scientific goobledy-gook detracts from the story, rather than adding to it.
Rating: 
Summary: Convuluted nonsense
Review: Fans of author Fred Hoyle will notice startling similarities between Darwinia and Hoyle's classic book, "October the 1st is Too Late". Both involve time-shifts that change the earth's surface and mankind's attempts to come to grips with the change. Unfortunately, Wilson isn't as capable a writer as Hoyle. Darwinia is a confused, depressing tale that is difficult to follow and unaccountably convoluted. The plot changes midway through, steering away from Darwinia's ecology into a chaotic tale of aliens, gods, and mankind's future. In writing this book, Wilson should have stuck to the theme of Darwinia and ignored the alien mumbo-jumbo. When I finished the book (with difficulty), I breathed a great sigh of relief.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Look at a Changed Europe
Review: Suddenly in 1912 all of Europe changes: it is replaced by something quite different: a new ecosystem, lush but inhospitable to men. In the 1920s Guilford Law, a photographer, heads to the new Europe, now called Darwinia, to be part of one of the first teams to explore the interior of the continent.All this is thoroughly intriguing and involving: then Wilson takes a hugely different tack. He reveals the nature of the changed Earth. Many readers have been disappointed by his revelation, but, though I admit the book we end up with is not the book we began with, it's still a wonderful book. Guilford's life is forever changed by his trip to the interior of Darwinia, and we follow him as he dreams of another Guilford who lived in a very different Earth (apparently our own), and as he is drawn into a battle with evil forces who wish to destroy the world. Such a description sounds silly, but in context it's effective, and the story is beautifully written, and very odd. Guilford is a compelling character, and his life takes on great meaning: which is all the more important given the nature of his world. A lovely book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Novel That Had Me Scratching My Head
Review: I desperately wanted to like this novel more than I did. I picked it up and bought it as I was fascinated by the concept and was initially pleased. That optimisim changed about half-way through when the hard science fiction kicked in and the plot became overwhelmed by incomprehensible "time and space" rubbish. I wasn't looking for a simple "Lost World" adventure tale of daring-do, but found the explanation for the Miracle and the rushed conclusion to this story a big let down. In the end, after I laboured to the finish, I was left simply scratching my head...
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, wonderful, unexpected
Review: Involving, intricate, with developments that were marvelous and unexpected. I came back to this page hoping desperately to find a sequel. I hope Mr. Wilson is at work on one as I write this.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully written
Review: Reviewing a book like Darwinia is very difficult. How you feel about it is very much dependent on your expectations going in. I originally picked up Darwinia because it was nominated for the 1999 Hugo award for best novel. My immediate impression was that I was reading the story of an expedition to the heart of a strange and terrifying land. This suited me just fine since I was captivated by the world Mr. Wilson created. If the story evolved into nothing more then an adventure, I would have been completely satisfied. To his credit, Mr. Wilson has more in mind. Somewhere in the middle of the novel, the story evolves into a wonderfully written tale of duty and morality. Unfortunately, by then I was so caught up in the world of Darwinia, I found the evolution unwelcome. Darwinia should not be underestimated. That I found the book in some way unsatisfying is my problem and not the author's. I can recommend this book simply on the strength of the prose. I hope future readers will expect more, they will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Darwinia is wierd!
Review: Imagine a very different Europe after a cataclysmic eventtransforms the erstwhile civilization into jungles of strange growth& stranger creatures & America is the civilized world. Suspend your logic & trek along on a strange & marvelous adventure! Worth the read!...
Rating:
Summary: interesting
Review: I enjoyed the premise of this book very much, but the story seemed to run out of steam towards the middle. I think that it could have been a better book, but it meandered a little too much. Still, the premise was more interesting than any I've seen in years. I thought _Mysterium_ was a much better structured novel.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: This novel was slow to start. It was a classic search the unknown with interesting biological theories. Then the main plot kicked in and i was spellbound. The philosophy of this book is what makes it so spectacular. It shows a deterministic view that borders on predestination, but with an interesting twist of free will. I loved it.
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