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The Signature of All Things

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The Signature of All Things

By: Elizabeth Gilbert
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
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Bloomsbury presents The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, read by Juliet Stevenson.

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SHORTLISTED FOR THE WELLCOME BOOK PRIZE
LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILEYS WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION
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'Quite simply one of the best novels I have read in years' – Elizabeth Day, Observer

'Charming . . . extensively researched, compellingly readable' – Jane Shilling, Daily Telegraph

'Sumptuous . . . Gilbert's prose is by turns flinty, funny, and incandescent' – New Yorker
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A captivating story of botany, exploration and desire, by the multimillion copy bestselling author of Eat Pray Love

Everything about life intrigues Alma Whittaker. Her passion for botany leads her far from home, from London to Peru to Tahiti, in pursuit of that rare specimen: knowledge. But as her careful studies draw her deeper into the mysteries of evolution, she meets the man who she will come to love – whose perspective, radically different from her own, will transform the way she understands the world.

Radiating with all the heart, soul and earthiness as its unforgettable heroine, The Signature of All Things is a captivating celebration of the workings of this world, and the mechanisms behind all life.
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'My own 500-pager of choice? Elizabeth Gilbert’s The Signature of All Things . . . just read it . . . Hugely enjoyable' – Viv Groskop, Observer Books of the Year
'The story of Alma Whittaker’s journey of discovery has irresistible momentum' – Helen Dunmore, The Times
'Gilbert has written the novel of a lifetime' – O, The Oprah Magazine
'Filled with dazzling storytelling' – Susie Boyt, Financial Times
_______________©2013 Elizabeth Gilbert (P)2013 Penguin Random House LLC Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt Thought-Provoking
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Critic reviews

Unlike anything else she has ever written ... Its prose has the elegant sheen of a 19th-century epic, but its concerns – the intersection of science and faith, the feminine struggle for fulfilment – are especially modern (Steve Almond)
The story of Alma Whittaker’s journey of discovery has irresistible momentum (Helen Dunmore)
Ms Gilbert has established herself as a straight-up storyteller who dares us into adventures of worldly discovery, and this novel stands as a winning next act ... A bracing homage to the many natures of genius and the inevitable progress of ideas, in a world that reveals its best truths to the uncommonly patient minds (Barbara Kingsolver)
Charming and compelling ... A big novel in all senses – extensively researched, compellingly readable and with a powerful charm that will surely propel it towards the bestseller lists (Jane Shilling)
Gilbert has written the novel of a lifetime
Sumptuous ... Gilbert's prose is by turns flinty, funny, and incandescent
Quite simply one of the best novels I have read in years ... a bejewelled, dazzling novel (Elizabeth Day)
Readers prepared to enter Gilbert Time will be rewarded: she is an unflaggingly curious writer, prone to delightful touches ... Gilbert's period interests seem boundless - she explores everything from self-sacrifice, to homosexuality, Darwinism and Victorian pornography ... This is a novel to be chewed over, slowly (Lucy Atkins)
A botanical odyssey through the nineteenth century, global in ambition, revelling in the period's insatiable curiosity about the world ... a tall tale, told with verve and wit
Filled with dazzling storytelling (Susie Boyt)
Gilbert writes superbly well (Wendy Holden)
An intricate, beautifully written historical novel ... A passionate paean to the 19th-century women of science who strove for achievement against the odds (Anita Sethi)
Gilbert’s observations, of both characters and locations, make this an unexpected joy and in Alma she has created a truly unforgettable heroine (Anita Chaudhuri)
Astute and funny ... comes with generous helpings of optimism and romance. Cynics need not apply
Ambitious, boldly imagined and packed with authenticating detail, it engages very boldly with the interaction of art and science
Gilbert reminds readers she can do, and undo, narratives through impeccably observed and original stories
Gilbert shows herself to be a writer at the height of her powers
Magnificent ... I was just a few pages into the book when I felt myself relax, aware that I was in the safe hands of a master story-teller (Anna Carey)
My own 500-pager of choice? Elizabeth Gilbert’s The Signature of All Things ... just read it ... Hugely enjoyable (Viv Groskop)
All stars
Most relevant
This is a slow book but a wonderful one, exquisitely read. Some clever twists and turns but mainly a book about the character and life of a person, whom we come to love, and about science.

Amazing journey of discovery

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Fascinating story, beautifully written and brilliantly read, I didn’t want it to end! Thank you

Excellent

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This is my first Elisabeth Gilbert novel. Loved the main character and how she develops and the discussion of nature and science. Stevenson’s ability to perform each character distinctly was incredible! Especially when you consider how many there are!! Wow!

Juliet Stevenson narration is captivating

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To have Elizabeth Gilbert’s writing and Juliet Stevenson’s narration is simply sublime and a complete joy!

Marriage made in Heaven

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There was so much about this book that I loved. It’s subject matter, the research that clearly went into it, the story itself. There were parts that absolutely captivated me, and I didn’t want to stop reading. Juliet Stevenson was incredible as its narrator. However, overall it was painfully long drawn-out in many parts, and therefore I became very aware of the immense length of this book. Tediously over-long and repetitive descriptions became a regular and frustrating experience that interrupted the immediacy of the storyline for me, and eventually caused frustration to emerge from what might have started as a captivating moment. Long lists of many detailed metaphors would frequently be used to describe one feeling, when one metaphor (in my opinion) would often have been so much more intense and immediate. The list form was continued when describing conversations…’he said…’ would be repeated at the start of each sentence for three or four sentences in a row. I’m sure this is a literary tool which I have failed to appreciate, but it made me grit my teeth after the first few occurrences. I wouldn’t have bothered continuing to the end if it hadn’t felt connected with the strong central character, and I wanted to know what the ending would be for her…but I have to be honest and say overall, I was looking forward to it being finished. I loved the story, but so much wish it had been encapsulated in a somewhat more concise and direct way , which I believe would have made it more powerful (and which, coincidentally, would have also been more in the spirit of the lead character!)

Beautifully read, but so very long drawn-out

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