Her 1999 novel, ahab s wife, and her 2003 novel, four spirits, were each named a new york times notable book of the year. Sena jeter naslund is the new york times bestselling author of five novels, including ahabs wife 1999 and abundance. And una spenser, the transcendent hero at the center of ahab s wife may well become every bit as memorable as ahab. University of louisville english faculty harpercollins author page. Throughout ahabs wife, una makes reference to the works of great writers such as william shakespeare, john keats, and homer. Captain ahab was neither my first husband nor my last. Author says ahabs wife is an epic story of an american woman. Sena jeter naslund s homage to melville is steeped in his work and at the same time explores a world that melville left largely uncharted. It is the romantic adventure of a young woman setti. How does it enhance, deepen, and expand ahabs wife. Her mother taught music and her father, who died when she was 15, was a doctor. Oct 01, 2000 sena jeter naslund has created an entirely new universe with a transcendent heroine at its center who will be every bit as memorable as captain ahab.
Naslund, the author of four previous books of fiction, is most successful here. The result is a sprawling yarn, providing a feminine perspective on mid19th century new england, where people depended on the sea for their livings and frequently found their deaths there as well. In ahab s wife, sena jeter naslund has taken less than a paragraph s worth of references to the captain s young wife from herman melville s mobydick and fashioned from this slender rib not only a woman but an entire world. Sena jeter naslund is enjoying overwhelming success as her book ahab s wife and story collection the disobedience of water are soaring in. Sherlock in love by sena jeter naslund booksamillion. The first edition of the novel was published in september 22nd 1999, and was written by sena jeter naslund. See all books authored by sena jeter naslund, including ahabs wife, or, the stargazer, and abundance. She has published seven novels and two collections of short fiction. From ahabs wife to the french revolution artists of utahs 15 bytes the utah museum of fine arts and the umfa book club, in partnership with the utah humanities council, will host new york times bestselling author sena jeter naslund at 7 pm on thursday, september 26, as part of the utah humanities book festival. Ahabs wife is a softer version, one probably more suited by a pacifist, beginning a new story where melville left off. Sena jeter naslund is a cofounder and program director of the spalding university louisville briefresidency mfa in writing, where she edits. In ahab s wife, author sena jeter naslund takes that barelymentioned, never seen character and gives us her whole life. Pdf ahabs wife, or the stargazer book by sena jeter.
Inspired by a brief passage in moby dick, sena jeter naslund has created an entirely new universe an epicscale, enthralling, and compelling saga, spanning a full, rich, eventful, and dramatic life. And una spenser, the transcendent hero at the center of ahabs wife may well become every bit as memorable as ahab. 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. Sena jeter naslund books list of books by author sena. Buy a cheap copy of ahabs wife, or, the stargazer book by sena jeter naslund. Ahab s wife is a novel that uses a brief mention of mobydick s captain ahab s wife back at home in nantucket, and from this builds a slow burn of a back story around her. Ahabs wife has yet to hit the shelves, but knowing she accomplished all she set out to do in it, naslund d snt need sales figures to measure the book s success. Sena jeter naslund has thoroughly imbibed the spirit of herman melville, and that spirit permeates every scene of her novel. Ahab s wife, sena naslund s epic work of historical fiction, honours that aphorism, using herman melville s mobydick as looking glass into early 19thcentury america. She disguises herself as a boy and runs away to sea to work as a cabin boy and has many adventures. Inspired by a brief passage in moby dick, sena jeter naslund has created an entirely new universe an epicscale, enthralling, and compelling saga, spanning a. Nothing in naslunds previous fiction the disobedience of water, p. Highly recommended books, best books of the 20th century. Sena jeter naslund has 12 books on goodreads with 100719 ratings.
Download ahabs wife audiobook by sena jeter naslund. Ahabs wife by sena jeter maslund is the story of a woman named una whose life was dominated by the sea from an early age. A novel i read in high school, the red tent by anita diamant, had the same kind of basis took a minor biblical character and told her life story, and i loved that book wholeheartedly. Ahabs wife, or, the stargazer by sena jeter naslund.
Sep 22, 1999 a magnificent, vast, and enthralling saga, sena jeter naslund s ahab s wife is a remarkable epic spanning a rich, eventful, and dramatic life. Free download or read online ahabs wife, or the stargazer pdf epub book. Ahabs wife by sena jeter naslund overdrive rakuten. But great as her debt to melville may be, ahabs wife stands alone, intact and vital. I strongly feel this is better appreciated if one has already read mobydick, as there are other characters, not just captain ahab, here. Inspired by a brief passage in mobydick, sena jeter naslund has created an enthralling and compellingly readable saga, spanning a rich, eventful, and dramatic life. Ahabs wife was a main selection of the book of the month club, chosen by time magazine as one of the top five novels of 1999, selected by book sense as one of the top five books of the year, chosen by the new york times as a notable book of 1999, and chosen as a best book by publishers weekly. 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. It has been said that one can see farther only by standing on the shoulders of giants. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 704 pages and is available in paperback format.
Sena jeter naslund has created an entirely new universe with a transcendent heroine at its center who will be every bit as memorable as captain ahab. Nov 08, 1999 a 20th century response to a 19th century novel author says ahab s wife is an epic story of an american woman november 8, 1999 web posted at. Ahabs wife ebook by sena jeter naslund rakuten kobo. Her 1999 novel, ahabs wife, and her 2003 novel, four spirits, were each. In ahabs wife, sena jeter naslund has taken less than a paragraphs worth of references to the captains young wife from herman melvilles mobydick and fashioned from this slender rib not only a woman but an entire world. Through the eye of an outsider, a woman, she suggests that new england life was broader and richer than melville s manly world of men, ships and whales. Ahabs wife, or the stargazer by sena jeter naslund goodreads.
Ahabs wife, sena naslunds epic work of historical fiction, honours that aphorism, using herman melvilles mobydick as looking glass into early 19thcentury america. In ahabs wife, sena jeter naslund has taken less than a. Sena jeter naslund author of ahabs wife, or the stargazer. Sena jeter naslund took a brief reference in moby dick which you dont need to read first to the wife of captain ahab, and created an entire historical fictional life for that character.
Inspired by a brief passage, in moby, dick, sena jeter naslund has created an entirely new universe an epicscale, enthralling and compelling. In sena jeter naslunds new novel, ahabs wife, the invented female narrator, una spenser, begins dashingly. Ahab s wife joins a distinguished tradition of literary works inspired by mobydick. The protagonist, and primary narrator, is una spenser whose bookish mother named her after the heroine of the faerie queene, whom we first meet in. A magnificent, vast, and enthralling saga, sena jeter naslunds ahabs wife is a remarkable epic. She is the writer in residence at university of louisville and the program director for the mfa in writing at spalding university. Sena jeter naslund is an american writer, born in birmingham, alabama. A magnificent, vast, and enthralling saga, sena jeter naslund s ahab s wife is a remarkable epic spanning a rich, eventful, and dramatic life. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read ahabs wife. Cnn author says ahabs wife is an epic story of an american. Nov 03, 2000 ahab s wife brings sena jeter naslund epic success. Sena jeter naslund books list of books by author sena jeter.
Inspired by a masterpiece, it is a masterwork in its own right. In this extraordinary novel, sena jeter naslund, author of the critically acclaimed national bestseller ahab s wife, brilliantly reweaves the colorfully cryptic, fogenshrouded world of sherlock in love is at once a rewarding entertainment and a remarkable homage to the greatest sleuth in literature. Sena jeter naslund is the new york times bestselling author of five novels, including ahab s wife 1999 and abundance. Ahab s wife is a novel on a grand scale that can legitimately be called a masterpiece. What is the effect of drawing on all these other books.
Ahabs wife, sena naslunds epic work of historical fiction, honors that. In ahabs wife, author sena jeter naslund takes a barelymentioned, never seen character and gives us her whole life. Author says ahabs wife is an epic story of an american. The main characters of this historical, historical fiction story are captain ahab. Inspired by a brief passage in moby dick, it is the story of una, exiled as a child to live in a lighthouse, removed from the physical and emotional abuse of a religionmad father. How does una reconcile the inevitable animal within p. Ahabs wife, or, the stargazer book by sena jeter naslund. It is the romantic adventure of a young woman setting sail in a cabin boy. This is destined to be remembered as one of the mostrecognized first sentences in literature along with call me ishmael. Through the eye of an outsider, a woman, she suggests that new england life was broader and richer than melvilles manly world of men, ships and whales. She is currently distinguished teaching professor and writer in residence at the university of louisville and program director of the spalding university briefresidency. Books by sena jeter naslund author of ahabs wife, or the star.
Sena jeter naslund born june 28, 1942 is an american writer. New york times bestselling author sena jeter naslunds novel, the fountain of st. Sena jeter naslund takes on the biggest fish in the pond of american fiction with a brazenness and tenacity worthy of her eponymous heroine. Sena jeter naslunds most popular book is ahabs wife, or the stargazer. In ahab s wife, author sena jeter naslund takes a barelymentioned, never seen character and gives us her whole life. New york times bestselling author sena jeter naslund s novel, the fountain of st. Atlanta cnn sena jeter naslund was in 10th grade when her english teacher gave the class an assignment to rewrite a scene from. I encourage you to take the adventure offered in naslunds latest novel. 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 ahabs wife, a finalist for the orange prize.
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