The 19th Wife: A Novel
by David Ebershoff
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.83 You Save: $10.17 (68%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The 19th Wife: A Novel
Book Review: Disappointingly Boring
Summary: 3 Stars
In my own little mind I've always conceptualized Mormonism as the love child of the Pope and Ron L. Hubbard. You have these devoutly Christian followers with some pretty Sci-Fi beliefs. Throw in the polygamy factor and I am perversely fascinated. It's no surprise, then, that I was instantly drawn to The 19th Wife.
Here we have dual story lines: The trials and tribulations of Brigham Young's infamous 19th Wife, Ann Eliza, partnered with the trials and tribulations of a 19th wife from a modern day polygamous cult accused of murdering her "husband". For all the research the author did in preparation for this novel (and it is obvious he did his homework) and with all the intrigue that currently surrounds these polygamist sects, the book truly fell short of the glory it could have been.
Whereas the modern-day plot completely captivated me (Warren Jeffs meets Murder She Wrote) the fictitious excerpts from Ann Eliza's book, The 19th Wife, just blatantly dragged. One does get an education about the origins of Mormonism, the exodus of the Mormons to Salt Lake City, and the "philosophy" behind polygamy, but there is so much added fluff that the focus of the whole story gets bogged down. By the time the murderer in the modern day plot was revealed, I was so eager for the book to be over, I didn't even care.
Overall this was a good book, but it could have been soooo much better.
Book Review: An Excellent Third-Person Look
Summary: 5 Stars
I was scanning through some of the reviews, and let me begin by saying that this book worked for me because it was partially entertaining and partially a historical study. At the end, I wasn't really sure how the author felt about the Mormons or Brigham Young or even polygamy really. And much of what he comes up with for themes could be applied to "blindnesses" of any kind be they ethnic, religious, or political. If you are looking for a book that will make you think, this is one for you. Much of the opinions I came away with on my own, a reflection of my own makeup as a non-Mormon, spiritual (but not religious), modern female, as the author, at least with the older material, was using one set of "documents" to rebut another set of documents, so nothing is one sided. And no, this book does not show LDS in a bad light. It does however show extremist devotion and abuse of power as negatives, but I am not sure who could argue those aren't negatives in any situation. What I particularly enjoyed was the ending of the "mystery," which I won't spoil, but that the author did not make it cut and dried and that it ended up being a conflict of individuals and not principles showed that the author had taken a lot of time to consider his subject and did not want to leave the reader with a pat answer, which in this day of quickly churned out, mindless materials is much appreciated.Book Review: Modern Mystery and a Historical Twist
Summary: 5 Stars
The Nineteenth Wife is both a modern mystery novel set in a fictionalized Utah town in southern Utah, and a historical novel about the role that polygamy played in nineteenth century United States. The mystery part has a classical "whodunit?" element which maintains interest. The historical novel part had me going back and for the google and Wikipedia to try to figure out what was true about the story of Brigham Young's nineteenth wife, Ann Eliza Young. The book is written well, and easy to read. It can be read on a plane, or other casual setting, or as I did before going to bed.
But the real strength of the novel is in how it wrestles with the morality of polygamy both in the nineteenth century, and today. The polygamy practiced in Utah in both centuries is very much embedded in questions of religious freedom and privacy. But at the same time, as Ebershoff's characters point out, it is also embedded in questions about the rights of children to have stable relationships with their parents, women to have a loving long-term relationship with her husband, and finally the need for polygamous communities to expel adolescent boys in order that the remaining men can have multiple wives. And in fact, Ebershoff does come down firmly against the institution of polygamy, although not without exploring it in a sensitive and interesting way.
Book Review: Great novel that weaves in multiple story lines and keeps the reader engaged
Summary: 4 Stars
The 19th Wife is a work of fiction which weaves historical facts into a narrative that is both compelling and unique. While following the story of one of the first plural wives of mormonism, Elizabeth Young, you are also in present day time setting following a homosexual ex-Mormon's quest to solve his father's murder in order to prove his mother's innocence. In addition, you are learning about Ann Eliza Young's crusade to end polygamy in the United States in 1875. Ebershoff proves to us that time travel IS possible, at least in his novel.
What Ebershoff succeeds in so beautifully is weaving multiple stories, settings, and perspectives into one novel. It keeps the reader completely enthralled while learning about Mormonism, a topic most wouldn't normally run out to the stands to read about.
While the novel doesn't paint the Mormon religion in a very good light, he gives his characters (even the hateful zealots) depth and empathy. Every character's actions, however unbelievable or apprehensible, are carefully drawn out so that the reader can see the deeper reasoning behind the actions. To put it simply, Ebershoff's characters are real people. Their faults, memories, hopes, and regrets are clear. There's nothing flat or dull about any of them.
To read more of this review and other reviews of modern fiction, go to : [...]
Book Review: Modern day portion not captivating enough
Summary: 3 Stars
In this book the author flips back and forth between two stories, both revolving around the Mormon doctrine of plural marriage; one is historical and the other modern day. The well researched historical storyline was compelling and thought provoking with insightful, fascinating details on polygamy. It showed the damaging effects of plural marriage on women and children, and also it's toll on some men, which came as a surprise to me. Polygamy is something I could never personally accept, but after reading this book I do have a better understanding of the devout, unquestioning faith underlying its existence and the daily challenges of practicing this faith. I found the main character Ann Eliza engaging; it was easy to get lost in her clear engaging voice, and forget you were reading fiction. Although I loved the historical part of the book, Ebershoff also used several other narrators though out this part, which at times, was confusing, and he tended to rambled a bit, especially towards the end. I did not enjoy the modern day portion of the book nearly as much. The main character Jordan was shallow and the contrast to the historical portion too diverse, which weakened the connection between the two stories. Although it did add some pivotal information about present day polygamy, overall the modern day subplot detracted from the book.