“The Signature of All Things” by Elizabeth Gilbert – An Extraordinary Family’s Journey
We may have the impression that our lives are long and full of adventure, the truth is that they are mere singular parts in comparison to the great journeys traveled by entire families throughout the centuries. The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert is partly based on that concept, telling the story of the Whittaker family throughout two centuries (the 18th and 19th) and the journey they travel, going from rags to riches all while making countless extraordinary encounters and living through many historical events.
During the first century, the family is led by the enterprising Henry Whittaker who started off as a poor-born Englishman, but soon became the richest man in Philadelphia through the Quinine trade.
Throughout the nineteenth century, Henry passes on the reigns of his family to his daughter, Alma, who seems to have inherited not only her father’s fortune, but also his great wits and charm. Those of you who have read family sagas before really should know what to expect out of this book.
It is incredibly grand in its scope, taking us around the entire world including places such as London, Philadelphia, Peru, Amsterdam, Tahiti, and many others. And we don’t just pass by these places; each and every time the family or one of its members settles somewhere, we are treated to exquisite descriptions and thoroughly researched information about the place and how it was at the time.
There are countless different characters the main actors of the story come into contact with throughout the unraveling of the plot, including adventurers, astronomers, explorers, missionaries, insane people, geniuses, sailors, captains, and more. In other words, it’s an epic story with an incredible amount of variety and movement in it, something that helped to keep me interested throughout the whole thing.
When it comes to scratching beyond the surface, the reader will find that both halves of the book deeply explore life during periods that are now partially lost to us. The first one, following Henry, shows us basically what it was like to be a businessman in the 18th century, what it is to found a family from scratch and bring it all the way to glory.
There are countless different characters the main actors of the story come into contact with throughout the unraveling of the plot, including adventurers, astronomers, explorers, missionaries, insane people, geniuses, sailors, captains, and more. In other words, it’s an epic story with an incredible amount of variety and movement in it, something that helped to keep me interested throughout the whole thing.
When it comes to scratching beyond the surface, the reader will find that both halves of the book deeply explore life during periods that are now partially lost to us. The first one, following Henry, shows us basically what it was like to be a businessman in the 18th century, what it is to found a family from scratch and bring it all the way to glory.
As for the second half, we get to see the age of enlightenment and the industrial revolution which follows, and what it was like to live during a time when all of our pre-conceptions, beliefs and ideas where aggressively put to the test, and when the world of possibilities which can explain how our universe functions expanded into infinity.
All in all, The Signature of All Things is an interesting family saga to read, one you probably won’t devour like other books but will rather pace yourself, taking in bits and pieces at a time due to the magnitude of its scope. At this stage, I’d be more pressed to call it an actual adventure rather than a mere book.
All in all, The Signature of All Things is an interesting family saga to read, one you probably won’t devour like other books but will rather pace yourself, taking in bits and pieces at a time due to the magnitude of its scope. At this stage, I’d be more pressed to call it an actual adventure rather than a mere book.
 | Elizabeth GilbertPersonal site Elizabeth Gilbert is an American writer who has dabbled in everything from short stories and essays to whole novels, memoirs and biographies. She is certainly best known for her 2006 memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, which has spent more than 199 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers list. |
This book is just the one you would like to read if you are in for century long most well written story of all time. You would be tempted to what the next chapter says and the way of writing is simply marvellous.The book is worth your money and time.
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