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Ahab's Wife, Or the Star-Gazer
Sena Jeter Naslund. Harperperennial Library: 2000. ISBN: 0688177859. 688 pages.
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About the Author
A page of detailed biographical information on Moby Dick, including excerpts from interviews in which Naslund interprets her own work.
Naslund explains that she wanted to write Melville’s story from a woman’s point of view: “I didn’t feel intimidated by Melville’s accomplishment,” she says, “I felt inspired by it.”
All in the Family
A synopsis of the literary traditions and genres with which Ahab’s Wife is affiliated and a brief explanation of these connections, giving your book group the opportunity to understand Naslund’s novel in a larger literary perspective.
Do writers have the right to write about anything? Should they be allowed to revise “great literature” like Moby Dick? This section includes a fascinating debate—originally published in The New York Times—about this old controversy.
Talk Back to the Critics
Excerpts of some major critical reviews of Ahab’s Wife from authoritative journals, newspapers, and magazines. We encourage your book group to enjoy the opportunity to argue with expert opinion.
One critic claims that “too often in reading this megabook, I found myself saying, ‘Call me exhausted.’” As you’ll see, it’s a testament to the quality of Naslund’s novel that even disenchanted critics were inspired to be especially clever when reviewing Ahab’s Wife.
Character Tree
A list of major characters and their dominant characteristics and values, showing characters’ relationships to each other.
You’ll read about characters who appear in both Moby Dick and Ahab’s Wife, and we’ll help you keep track of Una’s kin, Una’s friends, the next generation, and the people who make their lives on sea and on land.
Streams of Themes
A breakdown of potential major discussion themes in Ahab’s Wife, including ways these themes are interconnected.
Ahab’s Wife is full of complex themes about power, and we explore them in-depth: the power of words, the might of Mother Nature, the vigor of individual freedom, and the force of madness.
Doorways to Discussion
A chronologically and thematically organized list of discussion questions, which function to explore, in a logical and thoughtful manner, the questions and possibilities that Ahab’s Wife evokes.
Don’t worry—we won’t torture you with questions like “What does the white whale mean?” Here’s one example of the 50 questions featured in this section: “How does the color, shape, and size of a person or thing contribute to the ways in which Naslund’s characters interpret or understand this person or thing?”
Taste Test
A selection of other books on subjects similar to those in Ahab’s Wife to consider for future book group meetings or for private reading.
If you like American epics, strong female characters, and books about deep philosophical and cultural issues, we’ve included lots of books we think you’ll enjoy!
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