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    Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer: A Novel
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    Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer: A Novel
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    Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer: A Novel
    Ebook1,031 pages17 hours

    Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer: A Novel

    By Sena Jeter Naslund

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    From the opening line—"Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last"—you will know that you are in the hands of a master storyteller and in the company of a fascinating woman hero. Inspired by a brief passage in Moby-Dick, Sena Jeter Naslund has created an enthralling and compellingly readable saga, spanning a rich, eventful, and dramatic life. At once a family drama, a romantic adventure, and a portrait of a real and loving marriage, Ahab's Wife gives new perspective on the American experience.

    This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 6, 2009
    ISBN9780061983696
    Unavailable
    Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer: A Novel
    Author

    Sena Jeter Naslund

    Sena Jeter Naslund is a cofounder and program director of the Spalding University (Louisville) brief-residency MFA in Writing, where she edits The Louisville Review and Fleur-de-Lis Press. A winner of the Harper Lee Award and the Southeastern Library Association Fiction award, she is the author of eight previous works of fiction, including Ahab's Wife, a finalist for the Orange Prize. She recently retired from her position as Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Louisville.

    Read more from Sena Jeter Naslund

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    Reviews for Ahab's Wife

    4/5

    1,003 ratings76 reviews

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    • 4/5
      My mom doesn't buy many books, preferring to take advantage of public, and other people's, libraries. But Ahab's Wife she fell in love with and wanted to take her time enjoying (it being a rather hefty tome), so purchased a copy when it was still only available in hardcover. Several years later, one of my supervisors was talking to me about a book she was enjoying as was surprised when I was able to guess the title--Ahab's Wife. She offered her copy to me after she was finished, and I gladly accepted. My mom and I haven't read many of the same books, so it's kinda cool to be able to talk to her about this one.Based on only a few lines found in Moby Dick, Ahab's Wife is the story of Una, who at one time was married to the titular and infamous captain. Though, as she states at the very beginning, "Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last." Her story is not an easy one. From her Kentucky home, to an island lighthouse, to life at sea, and ultimately to Nantucket and 'Sconset, she take the reader with her on her journey through life--both physical and spiritual. Not in an entirely linear fashion, but in such a way that a person would looking back on her life, following where her mind leads her.While not critical to the enjoyment of the book, having at least a basic notion of Moby Dick's plot gives more depth and understanding to Ahab's Wife. (I have only read a massively abridged version of Moby Dick, but it was a favorite of mine when I was younger. I am now inspired to read the classic in its entirety.) Una experiences great tragedy and great joy in the course of her story. It is at times quite unbelievable, but it is fiction--So, despite the detailed an historically accurate atmosphere created, flights of fancy are allowed.My only major complaint is the shifts in perspective, and the seeming inconsistencies in Una's voice. The point of view is primarily her own, but inexplicably jumps to Kit, Ahab, and even Starbuck. The first time it happened was particularly jarring because it was so unexpected (not quite half-way through the book). It was less so the following times, but it just didn't work that well. Including letters I understand and approve, but completely switching narrators was a little much and unpredictable. And it only served to emphasize the inconsistencies of Una's point of view--occasionally she would address the reader directly as a reader, other times it seemed that she was simply telling her story, and sometime it came across as something else entirely.Overall, I did enjoy Ahab's Wife. The writing was lyrical and felt very authentic stylistically to the time-period portrayed. Despite inconsistencies and a fair bit of what seemed to be extraneous material, the book was satisfying. (I particularly enjoyed and appreciated who her third husband turned out to be. And Ahab's characterization was marvelous.) I did have to take breaks from it--it is not a book to be rushed through. It does have a few flaws and quirks (but really, what book doesn't?), nevertheless I am glad that I read it.Experiments in Reading
    • 4/5
      Ahab's Wife is a novel that uses a brief mention of Moby-Dick's Captain Ahab's wife back at home in Nantucket, and from this builds a slow burn of a back story around her. I strongly feel this is better appreciated if one has already read Moby-Dick, as there are other characters, not just Captain Ahab, here. The author of Ahab's Wife does include what is probably her own agenda -- to provide a feminist counterpoint -- and in this novel, she also includes real-life characters at the time of Moby-Dick which gives parts of this novel a historical fiction flavor. Ahab's wife gets to meet Nathaniel Hawthorne, for example. In spite of all this, I did very much enjoy reading Ahab's Wife.
    • 5/5
      Incredibly rich novel
    • 4/5
      Incredibly rich novel
    • 5/5
      Fantastic book!
    • 5/5
      Loved this book, which is rich in detail and spans a long period of time and several locations. It's written from the viewpoint of a girl as she grows up and her most unusual experiences, much of it having to do with the whaling industry as the book goes on, in the time of Moby Dick. Highly recommend the book. I couldn't wait to get back to it while reading it.
    • 5/5
      "Ahab's Wife" has been described by some reviewers as a footnote to "Moby Dick." If so, at 666 pages it probably qualifies as the longest footnote on record!In Melville's classic the captain's wife is briefly mentioned twice. In Naslund's novel, which uses as its format the autobiography of its narrator, Una Spenser, readers are given a fine portrait of Captain Ahab as his life intersects with hers.Fiction requires a willing suspension of disbelief. Readers who choose to accept this premise will follow Una through the experiences that led her to become the one woman Ahab marries, although he is (as we learn in the book's opening sentence) "... neither my first husband nor my last.""In Search of Moby Dick" by Tim Severin is a lively account of its author's experiences proving the validity of Melville's plot. "The Classics Reclassified," by Richard Armour is a clever spoof of seven famous books, including "Moby Dick."
    • 5/5
      This is a beautifully written book. I can't say enough about Sena Jeter Naslund's prose. Two of the reviews quoted on the cover and first page say so perfectly what I mean. The LA Times said "Lyrical...alluring and wise," while the NY Times Book Review says "Her Una is a deep and wayward creature, undaunted by convention, whose descriptions are dense with a lanquid and sensual interest in the world."The story itself is the story of Una, a Kentucky girl of twelve years, who leaves her home to live with her aunt. The story follows this unusual female through her adventures as a cabin boy aboard a whaling ship, as a shipwreck survivor, as the wife of a madman, of a ship captain (Ahab), as a single mother raising a son, to her life alone after he moves to town for school. But never, really, is Una alone. She has a strength of character that drenches the page; an ability to use her mind to create, entertain, learn and teach; a capacity to chart her own course that surely is unusual in the early 19th century; and a confidence in herself that astounds.When I started the book I did not realize that the author grew up here in my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. To me that made the book even more astonishing, given her detailed characterizations of life on the sea and the whaling, given our landlocked common home.Need I say I recommend this book highly? It is not a quick read. The story moves slowly but you don't want to miss a word, a description, of Naslund's prose.
    • 3/5
      I loved this book, and yet didn't care to finish it. It was a brief affair.
    • 4/5
      Just a lovely book. I loved the narrator's voice as she told of her life in a Kentucky cabin, as the semi-adopted child of lighthouse keepers, aboard a whaling ship, and on Nantucket as the wife of Captain Ahab. It was long. A few subplots could have been edited out with no loss to the story. But overall it was such a lyrical, enchanting read that I forgave it its long-windedness.
    • 3/5
      This is the story of Ahab's wife, Captain Ahab from Moby Dick. This book follows Una from when she is a child living with her aunt, uncle and cousin at a lighthouse, to her leaving and stowing away as a cabin boy on a ship, then through her three marriages. It was ok. Way too long. There were so many different sections, things that happened... Some I was more interested in than others. My favourite part of the book was probably Una's four years at the lighthouse with her family. Other than that, my mind wandered a lot of the time (though there were bouts of interest), and when I wasn't reading, I wasn't being pulled back to read. The only reason I kept coming back to it was to finish it, and move on. Maybe I would have liked it more if I remembered Moby Dick from high school? I don't recall liking Moby Dick, though, so I'm not sure that would have helped. The interview with the author at the end of the book was interesting.
    • 5/5
      Amazing imagery allows the reader to "be there." This book is definitely a keeper as it will be one I will read again. There is simply too much to be absorbed in one reading.
    • 3/5
      Really great story, but the character stays the same through the entire book!
    • 5/5
      If you are a fan of Moby Dick (or even if you hated it but enjoy good historical literature) read this book. Picking up on an obscure reference to Ahab's wife, the author spins a tale that goes from lighthouses to whale ships, to the Underground Railroad, to life at the seaside. Ishmael does venture onto the scene in the end, in a rather interesting way, but you will fall in love with the tenacity of the heroine. I had to suspend my disbelief that anyone could live such a life, even in fiction, but it was well worth it.
    • 4/5
      This book, set in mid-nineteenth century New England and inspired by Moby Dick, is a fascinating glimpse into the historical events and people of that era. I loved the main character, Una, for her adventurous spirit and unflinching spirit in the face of adversity. Naslund has created a memorable book that sets a high standard for heroines and the fictional history of antebellum America. That said, this book is truly a tome and requires some dedication to finish.
    • 5/5
      Ahab's Wife was one of the best books I have ever read! I grew up on the coast of Maine and the descriptions of the sounds and smells really brought back memories for me. I felt as if I could smell the sea fog blowing through my window. I could hear the waves and taste that salty air. Amazing book!!!
    • 4/5
      I've never read Moby Dick (heard too many horror stories from college friends) but I feel like I've got a good grasp of it by reading Ahab's Wife. Naslund creates the life of Ahab's wife; taken from a mere mentioning of her in MD. The writing is beautiful and gracious and "Mrs. Captain Ahab" is spirited indeed. She knows deep joy and soul-shattering sorrow. Perhaps a bit long-winded, with an occasional scene where I had to pull back and say, "Really? Don't believe that." Otherwise, a fine read, whether on the beach or curled on front of a fire. The physical book is lovely, as well, with rich illustrations.
    • 3/5
      I started liking this book at about page 290. The first half was difficult to slog through. Then it got pretty good before slowing to a slog again at its inevitable conclusion, which could only be Ahab's death and Una's rising over her grief to love again--cue the violins. It was all just a bit too put together, a bit too pat, a bit too "magic" for me to buy.
    • 4/5
      An excellent, epic novel. The story is so elaborate and so deeply woven. It is engrossing, but a long read!
    • 5/5
      I have never read moby dick, but enjoyed this book very much. Now I have to read moby dick. a bit long (650 pages).
    • 4/5
      I loved this book! I spent my childhood summers on Nantucket so that was certainly part of my delight. As the mother of two teenage girls I enjoyed the exploration of mother-daughter relationships. The glimpse into life on a whaling boat made me want to read Moby Dick. The emotional roller-coaster ride brought on by dashed hopes, tragic events, and the realities of life was well portrayed.
    • 4/5
      What a wonderful book! Though it was a little long, it was totally engrossing. I enjoyed imagining how it was to live in Una's time and admired Una's spirit.
    • 5/5
      Liked the writing. Good storytelling. Will read others by author.
    • 3/5
      There were definitely instances in which the book wowed me, and Naslund's descriptions of both the places and characters were lovely. However, overall I felt the book was too contrived and pedantic; I disliked the fact that the author added too many historical figures and events (all connected to Una), and Una marrying her third husband was a struggle for me because it was hard to believe. Also, it would have done some good if I saw more of Una's flaws. To repeat what a previous reviewer had said, no one is just that perfect.
    • 2/5
      The beginning of this book was very readable - I quite enjoyed the story of a girl growing up with her aunt, uncle and cousin in a lighthouse. However, as soon as the author got into the story of Ahab's wife, everything fell apart. Anytime there was a chance for a plot where the protagonists could have an actual story, the writer came in with her magic eraser and fixed anything that could be any soft of conflict. I gave this a 2 for the first 1/3 of the book.
    • 4/5
      I have not read Moby Dick, the great American novel, so my comments on Ahab’s Wife are without benefit of insights from Melville’s work.For me, the essence of Ahab’s Wife focused on two things: nature versus the dogma of religion and the author’s use of color, white, and light versus blackness. Una, our heroine, leaves her parents home at an early age to live with relatives, relatives who are tied to an island as keepers of the lighthouse. The move is precipitated by the realization that Una’s view of the dogma of religion runs counter to her grim father’s view. Rather than focus on a strict, stern religion of rules and pronouncements, she places her trust in nature. Her father is described in the darkest of terms, literally. Throughout the book, this dark description follows any and all proponents of dogmatic religious beliefs.Una thrives while with her relatives on the island, as she begins to view the lighthouse – a provider of light and guidance in times of darkness and confusion – as almost God-like. We see her become intensely energized by nature, by things that reflect color and light. Her descriptions of all things natural and colorful are inspiring. She places her faith in nature. Yet, as her experiences accumulate, she is challenged by experiencing unnatural things. (Are they?) This includes her deceptive admittance to a whaler crew by pretending she is a boy. It includes the realization that two young men she has admired and loved from afar, each in their own way, have engaged in sexual acts together. It includes one of those young men forcing her to have anal sex in the same way he was forced. It ultimately includes cannibalism – the most unnatural act, but an act that keeps Una alive in the face of horror at sea.It is during this horrific experience at sea, an experience fueled by the death of one after another in order for Una, Giles and Kit to have sustenance, that Una realizes black is a color as well. “It is true. Our boat is more dull than black. Black, after all, is a color and can have its glory and sheen. All around us in the sea and the sky, there is a black glory we do not share.”That is the first positive description of darkness, as Una experiences one of the darkest experiences imaginable.A key character in Una’s life is Susan. Susan is black – a color that represents the oppression of dogmatic religious beliefs in many descriptions within this book. Yet, Susan is full of love and giving. She selflessly comes to the aid of Una as she is about to give birth. She provides warmth (literally and figuratively) and encouragement. She even suckles Una in order to assist in producing milk for her ill-fated newborn. Susan is a Christian. Una is predisposed to think of her father’s limiting view of Christianity, but suddenly realizes that Susan’s Christianity is different. It is filled with softness and love. It is accepting. Susan does not try to force her beliefs on Una, yet she demonstrates her strong beliefs without fail. I can’t find it now, but there is an interesting description of Susan by Una, where Una realizes that Susan has black skin, but it is not uniform in color. It has shades and nuance; it has dark colors, none of which are strictly black. Una moves from her faith in nature and nature alone, toward a softer view of religion – a more spiritual rather than dogmatic view. She admits to the possibility of a greater plan, to the healing power of forgiveness – even to the presence of a God. It is interesting that David provides the first opportunity for Una to feel forgiven for her cannibalism, as she forgives him for his incest. This marks a turning point for Una – a turning point inspired by this unnaturally short man.I found the book to be an interesting description of a most difficult life – generically for those who lived at that time and specifically Una’s incredible life. Her spiritual journey involves the coming together of light and dark – whiteness, color, and blackness. In the end she is stronger, but not arrogant. She learns about humility, love, and forgiveness. She remains, in the end, one who resists convention but has a more mature understanding of the important role spirituality plays in her cosmos.
    • 5/5
      Best when Mrs. Ahab is gazing at the stars or the sea. It's a very long book, and the busy plot sort of runs out of steam. But this is how she describes the stars: "Like cloves in an orange, they are the preservers of the skin and of the black flesh of space."
    • 2/5
      I am ashamed to say I was sucked into this book almost right away. That being said, it was entirely too long, and worse than that, jam-packed with entirely too much stuff, especially in the last 100 pages where it felt as if the author tried to get in every historical event of that era before someone told her to stop. A good editor could have pared this down into a great story. In addition, the main charcter, Una, was perfect in every way no matter what she did throughout the book. There was no way to elicit a good sense of the type of person she really was because no one is that good. Everyone loved her and she loved everyone. Perfect men fell at her feet (and then went mad). Feh!The inclusion of so many historical people was very much over the top and completely inane. Maybe the author thought she had but one chance to write a book and she was determined to include everything she could think of. Sad.But worse were all the anachronisms. Naslund's characters were spouting ultra-feminist 21st-century opinions that were never even thought of in the 19th century. Sure, some women were particularly rebellious and accomplished wondrous things in that century but none so like Una. And the adults who should have at least looked askance at her opinions, never said a word. But in the end, Una ended up as the contented domestic goddess women of those times were meant to be. What happened to her lofty goals? Naslund even had Una using slang from modern times. Again, an intelligent editor could have prevented most of these.This book reminded me of the historical novels I used to love getting lost in as a teenager, completely oblivious to what fit and what didn't. I've matured.
    • 5/5
      This book made me want to read Moby Dick. Right there is some pretty high praise, because I attempted to read Melville’s whale of a snoozer in high school, and didn’t make it past page 13. And I’m a reader!!!After reading Ahab’s Wife the first time, I tried again, and made it to page 22 this time. Each time I read it, I think about reading Melville again, just to get that one nugget of story that isn’t part of this one. That said, this is a beautiful book, gorgeously written and completely engaging. The structure is a little hard to manage at first, with a center section of the story at the beginning of the book, the beginning of the story told in the center as a flashback, and then a return to the middle of the story on to the end. But this book has it all- adventure, romance, loss, danger, shipwrecks, cannibalism, insanity, redemption, and a subtle wit.
    • 5/5
      One of my favorite books. Well written, complex characters and believable characters, and it takes place on the sea!