Ahabs Wife, Sena  Jeter Naslund
Ahabs Wife, Sena  Jeter Naslund
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Ahab's Wife

Author: Sena Jeter Naslund

Narrator: Maryann Plunkett

Abridged: 6 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/01/1999


Synopsis

This is destined to be remembered as one of the most-recognized first sentences in literature -- along with "Call me Ishmael." And Una Spenser, the transcendent hero at the center of Ahab's Wife may well become every bit as memorable as Ahab.

Inspired by a brief passage, in Moby, Dick, Sena Jeter Naslund has created an entirely new universe -- an epic-scale, enthralling and compelling saga, spanning a full, rich, eventful, and dramatic life. In the "soprano voice" whose absence critics lamented in Moby Dick -- the strong intelligent voice of a woman whose life is dominated by the sea -- Naslund tells many stories.

She narrates a family drama, as the child Una is sent away to live in a lighthouse to escape the blows of her religion-mad farther. She spins a romantic adventure, as Una finds early passion with a sailor, and disguised as a cabin boy, runs away to sea. She paints a portrait of a real, loving marriage, as through Una's eyes we see Ahab before the White Whale takes his leg and sends him into madness. Finally, she gives us a new perspective on the American experience, as the widowed Una makes a new life for herself in the company of Margaret Fuller, Frederick Douglass, Emersion and others.

Sena Jeter Naslund has thoroughly imbibed the spirit of Herman Melville, and that spirit permeates every scene of her novel. But great as her debt to Melville may be, Ahab's Wife stands alone, intact and vital. Inspired by a masterpiece, it is a masterwork in its own right.

About The Author

Sena Jeter Naslund is Distinguished Teacher Professor at the University of Louisville and is on the MFA faculty of Vermont College. She is co-founder of The Louisville Review and of the Fleur-de-Lys Press. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mary on March 07, 2008

Whoa-finally finished this baby. Reading this is quite an investment in time; at least 1000 words could easily be sliced out to create a more coherent epic. Word of warning; whenever you have a novel, based on an american classic (and an infamously difficult one at that) written by an english profes......more

Goodreads review by Marin on August 22, 2007

The first portion of this book was fascinating and well-written. Naslund's imagining of the details of the ill-fated travels of Captain Ahab and his wife are picturesque, with just the right gothic touches thrown in to lend horror where horror should be. I liked the main character and was rooting for......more

Goodreads review by Colleen on June 24, 2008

I'm an English major who never read Moby Dick, but I did recognize the iconic characters on the periphery of Una's (Ahab's wife) epic. And what a story it is! Written in the vernacular of Herman Melville and Ralph Waldo Emerson, I learned much about 19th century Nantucket, whaling, and typical hards......more

Goodreads review by Triffany on October 27, 2007

When I started reading this book, I was thinking, "How could anyone give this any fewer than 4 to 5 stars?!?!" The writing was so beautiful and the world through the main character's eyes, although difficult, was beautiful and new and she was chameleon-esque changing and adapting to every day that s......more