Being an English novel, shouldn't the title be "Who Is My Neighbour?"
I was intrigued by the synopsis - A high-tension novel about biologists whose research uncovers knowledge that could save millions of lives, a government which forbids them to publish this information, and a security officer assigned to see this order is carried out.
'High-tension' is a bit of an exaggeration, as the story unfolds in a slow and careful way, certainly evoking the atmosphere of post-war British science labs, and although well written, it's a little antiseptic.
The main characters are workers in the Haughton Laboratory, where its two lead scientists have conducted more than 25 years of biological study into super-virulents, producing some interesting results which won't cure disease, but might lead to a future breakthrough. The promise of a right direction. Enter the government agent, interested in securing his own status, who deems it conflicts with another program the government is working on - not only putting a publication ban on the work, but shutting down the lab itself.
Soon out of work are three or four scientists who have devoted their lives to study, two of them contemplating stealing the information for publication anyway. Marriott is the main character who gets to know his fellow workers personally over the next few weeks, especially Lucy, who opens up about her private life. She lives with and cares for an ex-beau who lost both his arms in the war. Ivor is certainly the most interesting character, who shows with his sardonic humour difficulties in his life I'd never thought of.
There is much talk of young men who tend to romanticize their ideals and the tendency of old men to be preoccupied by personal glory, a scientists sense of responsibility to his fellow man, and the freedom to make his work worthwhile. Balchin certainly knew the scientific community of the time and I found it interesting, if a little dry. The best part was the well written atmosphere of post war London.
Nigel Balchin was an English scientific consultant at the National Institute of Industrial Psychology and Deputy Scientific Advisor to the British Army Council during the war. He also had a successful career as a writer with titles such as The Small Back Room (which introduced the term back room boys), with several adapted for the movies. such as Mine Own Executioner, for which he wrote the screenplay.
1949 / Hardcover / 308 pages
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