I just finished reading
The Signature of All Things, by Elizabeth Gilbert, and enjoyed it very much. I loved learning or re-learning some history, botany, biology, and evolution theory through the fun of a novel, and a sprawling, rollicking one at that. Alma Whittaker, the main character, is a contemporary of Charles Darwin, and a sense of discovery and change is present throughout. I was delighted that Alma's main question has to do with something contemporary cell biologist
Lynn Margulis has also addressed. I love
Mystery Dance: On the Evolution of Human Sexuality, by Lynn Margulis and her son, Dorion Sagan (Carl Sagan's son). If you love science, read both books to find out what that central question is!
Speaking of Darwin, Gilbert, and books, you might enjoy
"South Seas Serendipity," a 3-book review by Seana Graham over at
Escape Into Life.
The Signature of All Things visits Tahiti, a paradise of green. The paradise of green you see here is by
Paul Sierra, a Cuban painter we met in Chicago. Artist Watch editor Maureen Doallas nabbed him for EIL a while back. His paintings also grace our announcement of the
Best of the Net poetry nominees from EIL for work published this past year. Congrats to all!
4 comments:
I'm glad you enjoyed The Signature of All Things. It was definitely a winner with my book group,, although I personally had my quibbles. I will have to look for the Lynn Margulis book.
And beautiful paintings!
Thanks, Seana. I marveled at Alma's relative ease and safety as a woman walking around alone in the world at that time, but I enjoyed it.
Well, I guess Gilbert would be the one to write about that if anyone could.
I was thinking the other day that it works better as a fable, although a rather long one, than as naturalistic fiction. Despite there being a few naturalists in it.
Yes!
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