The Signature of All Things

A Novel

By: Elizabeth Gilbert

Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson

Length: 21 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

A glorious, sweeping novel of desire, ambition, and the thirst for knowledge, from the number-one New York Times best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Committed

In The Signature of All Things, Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction, inserting her inimitable voice into an enthralling story of love, adventure, and discovery. Spanning much of the 18th and 19th centuries, the novel follows the fortunes of the extraordinary Whittaker family as led by the enterprising Henry Whittaker - a poor-born Englishman who makes a great fortune in the South American quinine trade, eventually becoming the richest man in Philadelphia.

Born in 1800, Henry's brilliant daughter, Alma (who inherits both her father's money and his mind), ultimately becomes a botanist of considerable gifts herself. As Alma's research takes her deeper into the mysteries of evolution, she falls in love with a man named Ambrose Pike who makes incomparable paintings of orchids and who draws her in the exact opposite direction - into the realm of the spiritual, the divine, and the magical. Alma is a clear-minded scientist; Ambrose a utopian artist - but what unites this unlikely couple is a desperate need to understand the workings of this world and the mechanisms behind all life.

Exquisitely researched and told at a galloping pace, The Signature of All Things soars across the globe - from London to Peru to Philadelphia to Tahiti to Amsterdam, and beyond. Along the way, the story is peopled with unforgettable characters: missionaries, abolitionists, adventurers, astronomers, sea captains, geniuses, and the quite mad. But most memorable of all, it is the story of Alma Whittaker, who - born in the Age of Enlightenment, but living well into the Industrial Revolution - bears witness to that extraordinary moment in human history when all the old assumptions about science, religion, commerce, and class were exploding into dangerous new ideas. Written in the bold, questing spirit of that singular time, Gilbert's wise, deep, and spellbinding tale is certain to capture the hearts and minds of listeners.

©2013 Elizabeth Gilbert (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Gilbert's triumphant return to fiction is matched by Juliet Stevenson's lyrical reading. Both author and narrator capture the listener from the novel's opening words.” (AudioFile)

"A rip-roaring tale...unlike anything Gilbert has ever written.... Its prose has the elegant sheen of a nineteenth-century epic, but its concerns...are essentially modern." (The New York Times Magazine)

"With this novel about a young, nineteenth-century Philadelphia woman who becomes a world-renowned botanist, Gilbert shows herself to be a writer at the height of her powers." (O, The Oprah Magazine, "Our Favorite Reads of the Year")

"The most ambitious and purely imaginative work in Gilbert’s 20-year career: a deeply researched and vividly rendered historical novel about a 19th century female botanist.” (The Wall Street Journal)

I get it. Alma is the physical embodiment of the 19th century

Born in 1800, and living a 100 years, Alma literally IS the 19th century in this copious novel. At first, this concept is way cool, but about mid-century, when Alma’s husband (who is gay) won’t sleep with her, the allegory drags. I mean, yes.. sexual exploration and colonialism and Darwinism in a person is neat, but the plot is much too much.

I wished it wouldn't end.

Oh, how I loved this book! The writing was magical, and the narration, absolute perfection. Such a captivating story, it held my attention every minute. I enjoyed it immensely, and hope all who listen to it do, too.

Fairly boring, no plot.

Any additional comments?

It's a story about a woman who studies moss, whom the author goes to great lengths to describe as ugly, ugly, ugly. She's so ugly that no man will have sex with her. Give me a break. Men will have sex with anything. Men will have sex with park benches and sheep. The story doesn't have a plot. It just drags on and eventually peters out when the woman reaches the end of her life.

Wish I could actually have HEARD the story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No one with a hearing problem is going to find this easy listening. As in so many other audio books and performances, the narrator, Julia Stevenson, has a British accent and a soft,breathy voice that renders it almost impossible for me to discern anything. It's disappointing to find that I will NOT be able to listen to this audiobook after all. I realize those with good hearing enjoy the dramatic interpretation, but wish there were recordings that were lower on the drama and higher on the clarity. I have the regular version of Signature of All Things on my Kindle, so can read it, but why or why are so many audio products so hard for us with hearing problems or hearing aids, hard to understand? It's NOT an issue of volume...no, it's the crispness of the voice that I need.

Would you be willing to try another one of Juliet Stevenson’s performances?

No. She's no doubt a talented reader, but for me, it sounded like a hoarse whisper. Could make out only one of every five or six words she read. I tried downloading the book on my iPhone, my Kindle, my Mac Powerbook, and also used two high quality speakers to see if this would help, but there was no improvement, no matter what I tried.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I can say more after I finish READING it on my Kindle. I love Elizabeth Gilbert's work, but won't be able to listen to it on Audible.

Any additional comments?

I've written above about how some voices are just too hard to hear. I can hear many, many readers quite well, but the timbre of her voice, the breathless, whispery quality of her presentation made it impossible for me to hear.

beautiful

I've listened to this audio book about a dozen times.....it gets better and better. I'm certain I will listen another dozen times.

Wow.

I loved this book. What a masterpiece. Elizabeth Gilbert is a genius. I will read everything she writes from now on!!

Beautifully written, and beautifully performed!

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this story! Juliet Stevenson is not only one of my favorite British actresses but also one of my favorite narrators. Through her incomparable skills this fabulous tale came to life for me. Gilbert skillfully intertwines historical people and events with credible fictional characters in the most interesting and evocative way. Even if you are not particularly interested in the subject of botany, Gilbert will draw you in through her character's eyes and you may find yourself as enthusiastic about it as Henry and Alma. However, there is so much more in store for the reader in this epic tale and I highly recommend it!

Exquisite

Everything about this book & it's reader transported me. I am thankful for the journey. I highly recommend this audio book!

knowledge is the most precious commodity!

great book loved following Alma Whittaker from her birth until her oldest of age and all that she accomplished and her love of nature and the exploration to discover the
signature of all things

Formal Voice but Worth Adjusting To

The historic arch of this book was really quite delightful. Although I found the confines of the formality of the time period sometimes frustrating, as I wanted characters to speak out. I enjoyed their journeys & insights.