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rosiefpb's review against another edition
5.0
It's not the greatest book I have ever read, nor would I be in a hurry to read it again, but it was a truly excellent read. I found it interesting, engaging and moving. Really enjoyed it.
christinamartin's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
lostinfrance's review against another edition
3.0
This book has been my albatross...ok, a bit extreme, but this book has haunted me since I lived in Bali. While, there I downloaded the book to my tablet with the thought "should I ever not have access to a book..." and kept putting it off in case there was a literary emergency....then I grabbed a cheap copy at the library book fair....and kept tripping over it around my apartment. Earlier this fall, I decided to read any hardcover on the shelf....and so I found myself, dragging this book around, slowly reading it.
It wasn't the writing....or the topic, the book started out good...but the length! This book....there were parts that were page-turning and others that put me to sleep (and I still think could have been edited out). I enjoy plants, 19th century scientist....yay, but lord. This book should have been 100 pages shorter....and I am still not sure I understood the point of her obsession with sex. Nope, not a prude, but why was her sexuality such a big part of the story? And couldn't she have met someone!!??
This is the story of Alma, the daughter of a rich explorer, botanist, collector...she searches for meaning in plants and her love has her dive deep into mosses and travel to the other side of the world.
She leads a fascinating life (thanks inheritance) and goes in search of answers after her husband dies...which lead her on her own mission.
I enjoyed parts of this book, but also found parts extremely slow...and superfluous. I wanted to yell "cut!" a couple of times...but helas. I figured it would all tie together in the end. Sigh.
Read if you enjoy historical fiction about female scientists...or you love botany.
It wasn't the writing....or the topic, the book started out good...but the length! This book....there were parts that were page-turning and others that put me to sleep (and I still think could have been edited out). I enjoy plants, 19th century scientist....yay, but lord. This book should have been 100 pages shorter....and I am still not sure I understood the point of her obsession with sex. Nope, not a prude, but why was her sexuality such a big part of the story? And couldn't she have met someone!!??
This is the story of Alma, the daughter of a rich explorer, botanist, collector...she searches for meaning in plants and her love has her dive deep into mosses and travel to the other side of the world.
She leads a fascinating life (thanks inheritance) and goes in search of answers after her husband dies...which lead her on her own mission.
I enjoyed parts of this book, but also found parts extremely slow...and superfluous. I wanted to yell "cut!" a couple of times...but helas. I figured it would all tie together in the end. Sigh.
Read if you enjoy historical fiction about female scientists...or you love botany.
cjrivers's review against another edition
3.0
"This life is a mystery, yes, and it is often a trial, but if one can find some facts within it, one should always do so--for knowledge is the most precious of all commodities."
Wish I could rate this 3.5 stars as I was overall enthralled with this book. At times I would've rated it a 4/5. I enjoyed the main character, Alma, although I couldn't fully relate to her. There were parts of the book that I don't think contributed positively to the storyline or to the characters. However, I really enjoyed the themes of discovery and the quest for knowledge, described perfectly by Gilbert's beautiful writing style.
Wish I could rate this 3.5 stars as I was overall enthralled with this book. At times I would've rated it a 4/5. I enjoyed the main character, Alma, although I couldn't fully relate to her. There were parts of the book that I don't think contributed positively to the storyline or to the characters. However, I really enjoyed the themes of discovery and the quest for knowledge, described perfectly by Gilbert's beautiful writing style.
westonculture's review against another edition
3.0
This was a tough one. It took me almost 3 weeks to read and while many parts of the story are interesting (and meticulously researched), I often felt I was caught inside Alma Whitacker's very slow growing moss. I loved a lot of the themes (the signature of the title and evolution, the divine, women in science, the growth of a pharma empire and so many more) and the lives of these unconventional 19th century characters but ... As a whole, the book just didn't pop for me.
jennicajackson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
racytay's review against another edition
2.0
Love all the science that engulfs this story, and how "survival of the fittest" does not explain altruism, but I wish the characters had come to some explanation where the REAL signature of all things truly comes from. I kept waiting and waiting for someone to have an epiphamy, even to the last page, but this book left me disappointed.
janiceinwonderland's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
i came to this book after going on a garden tour that inspired me to read from a pov similar to the gardener that lead the tour
this did not disappoint in the way that got the perspective that i wanted
on the other hand, as a brown girl, i found some of the older notions that come from a white woman from the 1700’s pov a little off putting, but there was something bout alma’s constant stumbling that drew me in. i just wanted better for her! she didn’t get fully there, and, if anything, i stayed to watch the world change around her.
and my girl was so spoiled!! i definitely preferred the older alma and can understand if people get so annoyed with the younger alma that they leave the book entirely
this did not disappoint in the way that got the perspective that i wanted
on the other hand, as a brown girl, i found some of the older notions that come from a white woman from the 1700’s pov a little off putting, but there was something bout alma’s constant stumbling that drew me in. i just wanted better for her! she didn’t get fully there, and, if anything, i stayed to watch the world change around her.
and my girl was so spoiled!! i definitely preferred the older alma and can understand if people get so annoyed with the younger alma that they leave the book entirely
emperfectionist's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.0
This is the sweeping life story of Alma, but it felt difficult to understand the supporting characters and therefore hard to understand their actions and decisions. The narrative unfolds around the idea that people are essentially unknown to each other and there is so much about the world that cannot be explained or completely understood, even though we, like the characters, strive to know. The book feels aligned with it's central concept, but I think it could have remained true to the concept and still given us more insight into characters feelings and motives. I can see why this book appeals to so many people, it is a grand and engaging narrative, but for my personal taste it came up a bit short. This book has breadth but not as much depth.