Rating: 
Summary: "A promise made is a debt unpaid"
Review: As with the ocean and the starry sky, "Ahab's Wife" displays both brilliance and doldrums. Curiously, I found Una's marriage with Ahab among the least credible and most tediously written segments, no better than the average romance; her life before Ahab was much better written. And "Ahab's Wife" is not the feminist version of "Moby-Dick"; it's a spinoff. Melville's long, informative passages and his humorous passages are missing here. "Ahab's Wife" is an entertaining read with beautiful and poetic passages, but the promise is inconsistently fulfilled leaving me, in the end, disappointed. Most fulfilling: Kentucky and the lighthouse. Most disappointing: a 12-year-old Quaker girl "lifting her skirts" for a dwarf's silver coin (!) and Ishmael as husband; good grief!
Rating: 
Summary: A Visual Treat for the Mind's Eye
Review: One of the best books I have read recently. The principle character has a depth of personality not often seen in characters, although she sometimes stretches the bounds of credibility. The scope of her travels and the description of her surroundings in each place makes this book a real treat for those who read visually.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful adventure to sail along with
Review: I began page 1 of this book to see what it was like and was on about page 30 before I even thought of looking up. It had me totally engrossed in the character, her adventures, and the beautiful writing. Some of the visual images are still with me -- especially the lighthouse of her girlhood, riding with her in the lookout perch high above the whaling ship, and the winter scenes. The only thing I found a tad annoying was that the "name dropping " was a little heavy-handed in the last quarter of the book. But I basically reveled it the book, and have highly recommended it to several of my "serious reader" friends. If you want to read it for adventure alone, read just the first half. If you want something more to think about, read the whole thing. Personally, I think I'll wait a few months and read it again!
Rating: 
Summary: an intriguing book
Review: I enjoyed 'Ahab's wife' and read it without pause. It was interesting and stimulating, well written. The main character is a very unusual woman, so unusual in her freedom of thought and behavior and so surrounded by other unusual people to appear, by the end, slightly implausible. That and the repeating pattern of coming across characters that feel compelled to confess their secrets to her are my minor criticisms to this book. 'Ahab's wife' is also interesting as an overview of an era of change in American culture, particularly in relation to religious thoughts and human rights issues (slavery and women's rights). What I found most intriguing and interesting was, in the end, the ability to engage my mind in new, different thoughts about life in general and women's lives in particular.
Rating:
Summary: A read good to the last word
Review: I'm confused. Has the mark of good fiction now become brevity? I didn't find a single word in this glorious book wasted. If anything, I was sorry that the book ended when it did, as I would have willingly continued to follow Una's adventures. What an amazing character! Women in the nineteenth century lived fascinating lives, but since "social" history did not come into vogue until the 20th century, we are only now beginning to know about the lives of women. Novelists, drawing on the knowledge that we do have, are filling in the gaps to create fully fleshed-out characters such as Una. If you're looking for a quick read, best look elsewhere. If you love rich language, love strong female characters, love tales of the sea, then read this book. Ms. Naslund is to be congratulated for creating a truly memorable character and for allowing such a character to experience a full banquet of life experiences. Brava!
Rating:
Summary: Potentially great story needed heavy editing & didn't get it
Review: The first half (I really enjoyed it) of this long novel is much better than the second half. The story develops carefully at the beginning, with some talented writing ( if a bit over wrought)and a likeable character and a good plot. Your hopes are up. You have finally found a "good read" you can sink your teeth into. And then... It becomes an unbelievable roller coaster-you barely recover from one catastrophie before you are thrown into the next. Eventually, we spend too much time with a starry eyed Una watching the sea, the sky, the stars, oh my! (I am about 5o pages away from the end as I write this and am debating whether to finish or not) I think the book could do without about 4 deaths, at least 4 characters (how about that mysterious man on the foot path-Mr. Hawth---e? one dwarf, toss out one over achieving woman, pick a fourth), I'd shorten the last trip to Kentucky, and I'd like to have the characters stop confessing their innermost secrets so Una doesn't have to feel bad about "the evil deed". The dialog becomes very phony and whatever realism the book had evaporates.The author should find a new editor and learn what "less is more" can mean to a good book. This novel could have been a really great. I only gave it 3 stars because I was having a really, really bad week at work and the first half of the book saved my sanity!
Rating:
Summary: Five (stars) when at sea and five when on land
Review: Una did face,and live, through many `bigger than life' situations and isn't that what we look for in our fictional heroines, or heroes ? Una is one of us but like other legendary figures she becomes an ordinary person doing extraordinary things. When I was about a third of the way through my reading of Ahab,s Wife: Or, the Star-Gazer I had the good fortune to attend a reading and question/answer session featuring Ms Naslund. A point she made, in response to a question,was that the `title: sub-title' was also in keeping with that of Moby Dick: Or, The Whale. Being Ahab's Wife is a reference that gives Una an immediately recognizable jumping off point. And it is a starting, or introductory, point as we soon find that Una is on journeys of her own. Some readers will go through the work on a start-to-finish path while others will pause to reread and relish each of the little gems that they find along the way.I read this wonderful work in the latter manner. I was already familiar with Sherlock in Love by Ms Naslund and that excellent read was one that I read straight-through. Her short stories found in Ice Skating at the North Pole are another set of little gems. An additional work, that I recommend, by the author can be found in the set of short stories - Savory Memories. I strongly recommend Ahab's Wife.
Rating: 
Summary: Over rated Ahabs' Wife
Review: This book might have benefited from a tough editor. It could have had at least 1/3 fewer pages. The author felt obliged to introduce every late 20th century politically correct idea into 19th century New England.
Rating:
Summary: Ahab's Wife ,a Difficult Journey
Review: The descriptions in this book are rich and are lovely to read. The adventures of the heroine are diverse, unusual,but push the boundaries of beliveability. Filled with exciting adventures. The novel would provide a rich source for a discussion of situational ethics. Worth reading, not great.
Rating:
Summary: Very Slow Reading
Review: I found this book very slow reading. I could only read half of it. Perhaps if a movie is made then maybe I would see it.
|
