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22nd out of 85 books
—
62 voters
Love is Eternal
by
Irving Stone
A novel about Mary Todd Lincoln and Abraham Lincoln
Hardcover, 0 pages
Published
April 1st 1994
by Buccaneer Books
(first published 1954)
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Mary Todd Lincoln always seemed a dour woman in the background from a historical perspective. However, this book depicts an intelligent woman prevented from achieving her full potential by conventions of the time period and circumstances. Though Lincoln would not allow her to make use of her political contacts, she could and did give input on Lincoln's ideas and speeches, in addition to providing a safe haven for him when he needed it. In spite of suffering from skull fracture as a result of a c...more
Jun 26, 2008
Laura
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
history lovers who like to read history as a novel instead of a textbook.
I found this book extremely interesting. I didn't know anything at all about Abraham Lincoln's wife or children. I really enjoyed the book, even though Mary wasn't a character I loved. But it's always interesting to learn about real people and their struggles. And once you learn more of their personal struggles, you can understand their actions so much better. For any history lover, this is a must-read.
Apr 03, 2013
Jina Howell-Forbes
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
US History buffs
Shelves:
united-states-presidentialhistory
This book amazed me. I didn't take US History is college, so my knowledge of the Lincolns comes from High School, and the few things I've heard or read occasionally.
I always heard that Mary Lincoln was silly and vain. I'd heard that she spent money irresponsibly, and made Abe miserable.
Instead, the picture of Mary painted by this book is of a highly educated person who had southern manners who used both those things to assist Abe.
It is true that she sometimes spent more money than she should ha...more
I always heard that Mary Lincoln was silly and vain. I'd heard that she spent money irresponsibly, and made Abe miserable.
Instead, the picture of Mary painted by this book is of a highly educated person who had southern manners who used both those things to assist Abe.
It is true that she sometimes spent more money than she should ha...more
Irving Stone is quickly becoming a favorite author. Never a great fan of reading history just for the sake of reading it, Stone brings history to life by using the historical fiction genre and providing interesting dialogue. I didn't know much about the Lincolns when I started reading this, other than what they teach in school. It was indeed sad how Abraham Lincoln struggled with melancholy and depression, but I found it amazing how he recognized it and usually worked himself through it. Despite...more
_Love Is Eternal_ (1954) by Irving Stone
4/1/11:
I read this book a long time ago. It was about Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. I remember that I liked Irving Stone's historical fiction. I've probably read several other books by him but I have no record of them.
I just came across a mention of Stone's historical novel, The President's Lady: A Novel about Rachel and Andrew Jackson (1951). Sounds familiar. I'll have to keep that book in mind.
4/1/11:
I read this book a long time ago. It was about Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. I remember that I liked Irving Stone's historical fiction. I've probably read several other books by him but I have no record of them.
I just came across a mention of Stone's historical novel, The President's Lady: A Novel about Rachel and Andrew Jackson (1951). Sounds familiar. I'll have to keep that book in mind.
A really amazing read about Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln told from her perspective. I learned so much about both of them. I had no idea her aristocratic political southern upbringing and her ambitions for the White House (Stephen Douglas courted her too). And one of the things I love about historical novels is knowing the outcome of events (they will get married, he will be president, he will emancipate the slaves, he will be shot) but discovering how the dots connect. And there were plenty of...more
Wow- this one took me a while, didn't it? Nevertheless, I LOVED it! I love the idea of historical fiction, and this book seemed more history than fiction, which is a good thing in my opinion. However, that made the story a little less gripping, hence the long reading time.
The picture this book paints of Abraham Lincoln is nothing short of breathtaking. We see his faults, his virtues, his frustrations, his failures, and his successes. I had never studied more than cold facts about what Lincoln d...more
The picture this book paints of Abraham Lincoln is nothing short of breathtaking. We see his faults, his virtues, his frustrations, his failures, and his successes. I had never studied more than cold facts about what Lincoln d...more
At first glance, Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln seem ill-matched: she, the elegant daughter of wealth and society, and Abraham the homely son of a poor frontiersman. But the two things they held in common were enough to cement their lives together in matrimony, namely a shared literary interest and an unabashed political ambition.
Mary enjoyed a truly classical education, some of it obtained surreptitiously when she sought out the tutorship of a man who was headmaster of a private boys' school. Sh...more
Mary enjoyed a truly classical education, some of it obtained surreptitiously when she sought out the tutorship of a man who was headmaster of a private boys' school. Sh...more
For some reason this was a very slow book for me to read. I get frustrated with historical fiction sometimes because I like to have the historical parts separated from the authors ideas of what may have taken place or what may have been said. I think that I prefer David McCullogh when reading history. That said, however, I did make it through the book, and felt such sorrow for the Lincoln's through all of their lives and for the nation during the Civil War years. It is interesting to review all...more
This book offers a fascinating view into the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd. The reader experiences with them the trials, heartbreaks, disappointents and defeats that they meet and overcome as Lincoln progresses from small town lawyer to the White House. The author skillfully weaves in the background of the Civil War, revealing the complexity of the issues. I most enjoyed the sensitive portrait of Lincoln, the president perhaps the most maligned in his life but the most appreciated by po...more
I enjoyed this book! I really liked learning about Mary Todd Lincoln and the personal issues of Abraham as well. The book also gave great political context to the situations leading up to the civil war as well, and I found that interesting as I have forgotten a lot of the history. The book really made we want to re-study that time period more. One thing I really appreciated was the attention to family dynamics; I have heard many biographers discuss Mary Todd in less than favorable light, while m...more
Lives up to the excellent standard set by Stone in other novels. I love presidential history and recently visited Ford's Theater and the house in which Lincoln died, so it was surreal to read such a detailed account and be able to really see it in my mind. Excellent portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln, although still a bit hazy on her public image vs. Stone's portrayal. He certainly does a lot to redeem her historically "bad" reputation and credits her with so much of Lincoln's historic decision to en...more
This is a great historical fiction book. It gave a good look at both Mary Todd Lincoln and Abraham Lincoln. They had many struggles and it is amazing what he was able to get accomplished. She was a very strong personality, quite a snob that did a lot of things just because she wanted to. It was amazing to me how many times he lost the race before winning the presidency. I was happy for the history lesson considering I thought the Civil War started to emancipate the slaves when in reality it was...more
Dec 27, 2008
Karalee
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
no
Recommended to Karalee by:
Neighborhood book group
I read this book for my neighborhood book group and I wasn't a huge fan. This book is a historical fiction. I found myself depressed reading about how sad a life Abe Lincoln and his wife had. The whole time there was sadness and very little happiness. And the book is way long (505 pg.) for all that depression. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you are way into history and you love Abe Lincoln...or maybe you shouldn't because I use to like Abe Lincoln and now...not so much.
Love Is Eternal tells Mary Todd Lincoln's side of the story, and I loved reading it even though I knew how it would end. The most upsetting part to me was the looting of the White House during parties and after Lincoln's death. People just came in and took things. This is another historical fiction book that I consider to be 70% true. :)
This is the story of Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln. This one took a very long time to get into. It wasn't "gripping" and so kept getting set aside while I finished other books. Honestly, if it hadn't been a selection for book club I might not have kept with it, but I did end up liking it well enough.
My favorite book!
Great quote:
"A wave of almost unendurable happiness swept over her. Long ago Abraham had said, 'Love is eternal,' and she had thought, if one can live that long. Well, she had endured.
She must always remember that: love ebbed and flowed, now rich and shining, now shabby and disconsolate. One must survive the bad in order to realize the good. Therein lay the miracle of love, that it could eternally re-create itself. She must always be dedicated, no matter what the years held, wha...more
Great quote:
"A wave of almost unendurable happiness swept over her. Long ago Abraham had said, 'Love is eternal,' and she had thought, if one can live that long. Well, she had endured.
She must always remember that: love ebbed and flowed, now rich and shining, now shabby and disconsolate. One must survive the bad in order to realize the good. Therein lay the miracle of love, that it could eternally re-create itself. She must always be dedicated, no matter what the years held, wha...more
Not a book I would choose, but I did like it. It gave me a political perspective on the US during the 1850's and 1860's, which was nice. It was interesting to read yet more perspectives on slavery and this time period. I thought it was well written, but moved a bit slower than I'm used to.
Finished this book the day before President's Day -- perfect timing! Loved the author's portrayal of the relationship between Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. A couple parts moved slowly for me (particularly during the Civil War) but all in all, I really enjoyed the book.
I read this book as a teenager in the 70's. It was my mother's copy, which she still has. I found a copy in an antique book store a few years ago, brought it home and was thrilled to re-read it. Fell in love with the Lincoln's story all over again.
I cannot believe it took me so long to get to this book. I've read many of Irving Stone's historical novels & I truly loved this book.
The Lincolns had quite a rough road to get to the White House & a worse time once they were there.
The Lincolns had quite a rough road to get to the White House & a worse time once they were there.
I would probably give this 3 1/2 stars if I could. I enjoyed the historical book being written as a novel (with dialog). I have learned that Mary Todd Lincoln was a different woman than i thought she was. Not someone I think I would have gotten a long with. But she pushed Lincoln thru all of his failures (and BOY did he have a LOT!) and got him to the White House. Learned a lot about the historical time which is good since I didn't like history in HS! :-)
This is the story of Mary Todd Lincoln. Abraham had her wedding band inscripted with the phrase "Love Is Eternal" when they were married. The book is both interesting and heartbreaking. It's not a quick read.
This is one of those obscure books I stumbled upon in a library around 5 years ago. Really enjoyed it...and could not remember the name!!! I just found it on goodreads and ordered it!! Yeah!!!
I want to read more about Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln. I also want to visit Springfield, Illinois now. This book kind of vindicated Mary Todd, she wasn't as crazy as you might have thought.
An interesting read. However, it seems to bog down and get a bit too dull and depressing. But having a bit of insight into the personal lives of these two strong people was worth it.
May 27, 2008
Wendy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
American History Lovers
Recommended to Wendy by:
Mona
Shelves:
fiction
When I lived in Colorado I belonged to a book club. This was years ago, and they weren't quite so popular as they are now. We had 12 members and we each chose a book for our month.
This was one of the titles on our list. I am not a big fan of romance novels. I am a big believer in not judging a book by its cover, but in this case, don't judge a book by it's title.
The story is of Mary Todd Lincoln and her husband, Abraham Lincoln. It has much more to do with history, and politics than eternal lov...more
This was one of the titles on our list. I am not a big fan of romance novels. I am a big believer in not judging a book by its cover, but in this case, don't judge a book by it's title.
The story is of Mary Todd Lincoln and her husband, Abraham Lincoln. It has much more to do with history, and politics than eternal lov...more
This is the love story of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. I felt like I knew them after I read this book! 98% factual, done after years of research, and an amazing story!
Wow...I'm falling in love with classics! The was an amazing love story and now I see that Steven Spielberg is coming out with a Movie in November about Lincoln. Can't wait.
This book was kind of depressing, but very insightful. I realized I really didn't know anything about Abraham Lincoln and even less about his wife. Talk about hard lives - they pretty much failed at everything for a long time. If this had been a work of fiction, I would have thought it a stretch that he became President. But I learned a lot, and seeing what they both accomplished, despite all their failures, was inspiring.
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In 1923, Stone received his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley. In the 1960s, Stone received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Southern California, where he had previously earned a Masters Degree from the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences.
When at home, Stone relied upon the research facilities and expertise made available to him by Esther Euler...more
More about Irving Stone...
When at home, Stone relied upon the research facilities and expertise made available to him by Esther Euler...more
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Jun 27, 2008 10:47am