The Signature of All Things - Elizabeth Gilbert

The Signature of All Things

By Elizabeth Gilbert

  • Release Date: 2013-10-01
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
4 Score: 4 (From 1,470 Ratings)

Book Synopsis

A glorious, sweeping novel of desire, ambition, and the thirst for knowledge, from the # 1 New York Times bestselling 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 eighteenth and nineteenth 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 readers.

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Latest Impressions

  • The Signature of all Things

    3
    By Another Linda C
    I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked the intelligence of the writing, and the extensive research that went into it. It kept me engaged, but not excessively. I disliked Alma, the protagonist, mostly because of her approach to sexuality. I found it perverse, rather than sensuous. Had the story been based on an actual woman, I would have found it far more interesting.
  • Excellent!!

    5
    By lizcollie
    I absolutely loved this book! Every time I begin a new book, I hope it engages me as much as The Signature of All Things. I’m an avid reader and this book will undoubtedly remain one of my all time favorites.
  • Touching

    4
    By GabrielRSRocha
    A touching book that shows all the beautiful ways in which love can be felt and expressed. The relationships here feel very real as does the passion for botany. Incredibly well written and another great work by Mrs. Gilbert.
  • Expertly woven

    5
    By Dubsee1
    Gilbert weaves an epic story, a century long adventure, with unique individuals, and science. It is a masterful study of souls, loves, and our natural world.
  • Amazing

    5
    By Jane305
    The fastest, most engaging thousand pages you’ll ever read. I’ll never forget Alma and her amazing life that literally came alive in this story.
  • MEH

    2
    By Schmidteg
    Not the best book I have read!
  • Slooowww

    1
    By lthoma2
    Boring beyond belief.
  • Amazing story, beautifully told

    5
    By Reads-at-night
    This story was fascinating, and incredibly well written. Elizabeth Gilbert knows how to use language. It is a romance, a generational saga, a travelogue, a history, and a scientific treatise—a masterpiece of fiction.
  • Dry and endless

    1
    By Aaddesgg
    Needs heavy editing ... and a plot.
  • Enjoyable read, great characters

    4
    By Jayline87
    If you like well developed characters you’ll like this book. The relationships between the characters are wonderfully developed too. I also really enjoyed getting a glimpse into the development of science and botany over the course of the 19th century and I thought the details of Henry Whittaker’s journey from botany to pharmaceuticals was fascinating. My favorite part of the book would have to be the thing that bothered Alma the most: if kindness serves no evolutionary function why do we show it? It’s a good read. It slows towards the middle but picks back up for a good ending.