THE BOOK I'M STILL READING

Intuition by Allegra Goodman

(The Dial Press, 25 bucks)

I'm really enjoying my first encounter with Jewish writer Allegra Goodman, a National Book Award finalist whose previous books include The Family Markowitz and Kaaterskill Falls. Her new novel Intuition is a rare bird that delivers intellectual stimulation and instant entertainment gratification - a page-turner with brains, in other words.

Most of the action unravels in a cancer research facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Under the thumbs of codirectors Sandy Glass and Marion Mendelssohn, the institute bumbles along in desperate need of funding until a postdoc researcher named Cliff discovers a way to curb cancer rates in lab mice. A favorable media blitz ensues, seeming to ensure a prosperous and distinguished future for Sandy, Marion and company. But a female research assistant discovers inconsitencies in Cliff's research, raising gynormous ethical questions that could topple the lab.

When I started the book I worried that I wouldn't be able to (or wouldn't care to) keep up with the scientific lingo. It's obvious that Goodman has done a ton of research, and she says in her acknowledgments that cancer researchers even allowed her to watch them at work. Her zippy writing makes the "science lesson" portions of the novel painless, and she does a brilliant job balancing the academic subject matter with depthy character development and funny, engaging descriptions of the characters' private lives. Goodman also deserves high marks for a fluid omniscient narration that frequently and artfully switches the point of view. In case I haven't made my point already, Intuition is a very solid achievement, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's up for major literary prizes at the end of the year.