The Signature of All Things in Reading with Style

Jun 03, 2013 Juniper rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013-books, effing-awesome, owned, women-write-big-books

the only word that keeps rolling around in my brain, concerning gilbert's new novel, is: LUSH - this book is so lush and enveloping. it was pretty delightful from start to finish. and if you know me, you know i don't really use the word delightful! heh. but it got a bit ham-handed at the end.

gilbert has a lot going on in this story. it's a tale of many things: the beauty and wonder of the world; a journey of self-discovery and an evolving spirit for alma, the main character; a love story; nature the only word that keeps rolling around in my brain, concerning gilbert's new novel, is: LUSH - this book is so lush and enveloping. it was pretty delightful from start to finish. and if you know me, you know i don't really use the word delightful! heh. but it got a bit ham-handed at the end.

gilbert has a lot going on in this story. it's a tale of many things: the beauty and wonder of the world; a journey of self-discovery and an evolving spirit for alma, the main character; a love story; nature v. faith; and lessons in science and history. there are, i think, homages to victorian times and its literature going on too. and some of the character names verge on the dickensian. the story is a pretty sprawling epic, and i was in the mood for just this sort of read. i really adored alma and throughout the read, i was constantly reminded of beatrix potter. in fact, alma's mother is named 'beatrix' in the novel, and like alma, potter was not considered a beauty in her day. so, my beatrix potter love was wholly indulged during this read.

for the most part, i was fully engaged and immersed in the signature of all things. but there were moments, sections where faith was discussed, that i felt i was being hit over the head with the message, rather than having the idea woven seamlessly into the prose. but it wasn't enough for me to take off any more than 1-star for it. i found the science and botany very interesting, and how gilbert interlaced her fiction with events going on in the world during the years of her story. and i loved a few of the supporting characters quite a lot. we all need a hanneke de groote in our lives.

edited to add:

12 december 13:

so, it's been a few weeks since i finished this read and i still keep thinking about the book, the characters, the settings. i do believe in reading by mood, and 'right book at the right time', and this book was certainly that for me. i had such an enjoyable experience reading gilbert's novel and, apparently, i can't stop telling people about this book. so i am bumping my rating for 4- to 5-stars. ...more

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Mar 18, 2014 Donna Jo Atwood rated it really liked it

Poor Alma. She exits in a book that is the very Moby Dick of bryology. The reader who reads every word and doesn't skip ahead learns more about moss, and Amsterdam in 1954, and 19TH century sex manual than they probably ever want to know.
Actually, I really liked this book, but Gilbert bounces a lot of topics off the reader (abolition, evolution, women's sexuality, moss) and despite the length of the book often leaves us hanging with a two sentence wrap up. ...more

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Nov 12, 2013 Jayme Pendergraft rated it liked it

Shelves: 2013, src-fall-2013

I was horribly bored by this book. I just did not enjoy the plant/moss portion of it, especially in the first half. I also did not really enjoy the fixation on sex. Again, much of this was in the first half of the book.

I really enjoyed the ending. Once she gets to the Netherlands and introduces the other scientists, I began to understand the purpose of the book.

The first half was just too long and boring for me to overcome.

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