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)

Grounded yet spiritual

What did you love best about The Signature of All Things?

This book encompassed so many things! Horticulture, Darwinism, relationships, sexual identity, desire, spirituality- and it all was threaded together into a cohesive whole. I think this is Gilbert's "masterpiece."

What did you like best about this story?

The characters kept surprising me, and I learned a lot about horticulture, which was unexpected. All the characters were unique and surprising. I didn't see some of the events that unfolded.

Which character – as performed by Juliet Stevenson – was your favorite?

Alma Whittaker was perfectly portayed by Juliet Stevenson. Her intellect, emotional confusion, her hopes and desires were all perfectly played. I hate to sound cliche, but I laughed and cried along with Alam because of Juliet's reading voice. I can't wait to listen to it again.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I found the ending to be so lovely and moving. I usually never like an ending of a book, but this one I loved and thought was perfection! The symbolism was beautiful...and Alma's life came full circle.

Any additional comments?

Bravo

Master piece!

Great book! Love it. Strong characters and incredible story. Well done Elizabeth Gilbert. Very graceful for this master piece.

An amazing journey

Brilliant read. I would love for Juliet Stevenson to recite everything to me, from grocery list to Atlas Shrugged. There were moments near the end of Alma's time in Tahiti that I wanted to end the read but, like Alma, the reader must persevere. it is really an incredible series of stories, a family sage of beauty, intelligence, stoicism and humor. Very highly recommend especially to readers who value a good long read.

A good story but really drags overall

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I loved the prose style and the characters, but so little actually happens! I guess I was hoping for a bit more excitement to keep me sustained through such a long book.

If you’ve listened to books by Elizabeth Gilbert before, how does this one compare?

Not as much fun, but has her usual style which I love.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Hmmm, is it a greatly abridged, shorter movie? Maybe.

Sweeping life-long tale of a marvelous woman

Alma Whittaker's story begins before she was born, as her father Henry travels the globe on daring and explorative sailing adventures. This part of the book could stand alone, as Henry Whittaker is quite fascinating in his own right. But, Henry's backstory is essential to shaping the wonderous and privalged childhood of Alma Whittaker. Alma is well-loved and far better educated than most women of her time, always encouraged by her parents to pursue her quest for knowledge.

Through her tale that spans Alma's lifetime, the reader can fall in love with the never ending determination and perseverance of Ms. Whittaker. Her highs and lows, documented within the landscape of the 19th century, fully submerge the reader in another time. Elizabeth Gilbert masterfully crafts Alma's journey around the world, through all the struggles and triumps of a life well-lived.

This novel, an epic even, is told with the fascinating detail and wonder one would expect from a study done by Alma herself. The Signature of All Things is totally worthy of the hard learned lessons it teaches through the eyes of an unlikely protagonist.

An instant classic in my library that I will be sure to visit again and again. I hope it moves you and that you enjoy it as much as I did.

Elizabeth Gilbert is a great novelist - who knew?

Would you consider the audio edition of The Signature of All Things to be better than the print version?

The audio edition sent me to the print version because I wanted to spend more time.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alma is a fascinating character who we follow for many years.

Which character – as performed by Juliet Stevenson – was your favorite?

Juliet Stevenson, as good a narrator as she is an actress, plays Alma so well you believe she is her.

If you could take any character from The Signature of All Things out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Well -- depends. Probably Alma -- although the hunk from Tahiti with the great visions and the tortured soul - if there was to be some after-dinner time---

Any additional comments?

I loved the many years of this novel. And the fact that Alma, our heroine, does not end up married.

Gilbert redeemed herself to me.

What did you love best about The Signature of All Things?

I was hesitant to read another book by this author. Her cop out ending in her best selling previous book convinced me to never read anything else she wrote. This was so completely different in term of the woman she wrote about. No cop out here. The woman was strong and certainly unusual. She led her life according to no one's rules other than her own and accepted the consequences of each decision.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Signature of All Things?

There were many but the end was a perfect reflection of the life she led.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are many that come to mind - her luggage being stolen; her uncle and the dog; the moss cave; the end.

If you could rename The Signature of All Things, what would you call it?

A Woman Defined

Any additional comments?

While tedious in some parts, this is still a very enjoyable book.

I wish I could read it again for the first time

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

I would, if they were the sort of person who likes the type of books I do. I like the sweeping, historical, emotional, adventurous types of books. I also like learning new things, getting inside a character's skin, and just taking a journey. This book delivered on all counts.

If you could take any character from The Signature of All Things out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Prudence, if I could get her to agree. That woman has a story to tell, as well!

Remarkable

Fascinating story with really unique characters. Have not read many books from this period in history. Also an amazing narrator which added to the experience. Overall I recommend the book.

Brilliant

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to go to away or back in time and get lost. The writing is eloquent and beautiful. The story took me to place I did not want to leave. The narrator was superb and I the story was brilliant.