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Songs of the Humpback Whale
Sometimes finding your own voiceis a matter of listening to the heart....Jodi Picoult's powerful novel portrays an emotionally charged marriage that changes course in one explosive moment....For years, Jane Jones has lived in the shadow of her husband, renowned San Diego oceanographer Oliver Jones. But during an escalating argument, Jane turns on him with an alarming volatility. In anger and fear, Jane leaves with their teenage daughter, Rebecca, for a cross-country odyssey charted by letters from her brother Joley, guiding them to his Massachusetts apple farm, where surprising self-discoveries await. Now Oliver, an expert at tracking humpback whales across vast oceans, will search for his wife across a continent -- and find a new way to see the world, his family, and through her eyes.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published March 25, 1992
1931 people are currently reading
19902 people want to read
About the author
Jodi Picoult
111 books94.6k followersJodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight novels, including Wish You Were Here, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. Picoult lives in New Hampshire.
MAD HONEY, her new novel co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan, is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on October 4, 2022.
Website: http://www.jodipicoult.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodipicoult
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jodipicoult
MAD HONEY, her new novel co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan, is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on October 4, 2022.
Website: http://www.jodipicoult.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodipicoult
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jodipicoult
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,780 reviews
February 13, 2025
The title of the book sounds poetic and romantic, but after reading the synopsis, I realized it's a book about broken relationships and marriage, making the theme quite heavy. I've been seeing many posts on social media about men and women breaking free from marriages recently. The general pattern goes like this: "In the beginning, women sacrifice for their families while their husbands focus on their careers, often neglecting their wives. Eventually, affairs happen, and the women, seeking to rebuild themselves, start focusing on self-improvement and divorce their husbands. They find new love, and the men, having lost their wives, start to reminisce about their good qualities and try to win them back….”
Of course, Songs of the Humpback Whale doesn't follow this narrative exactly, but it has similarities. I remember I once had a misunderstanding with a female friend. When we reconciled, we realized our reasons for arguing were different - my focus was on principles, while she was concerned about my attitudes. It suddenly dawned on me that men and women really are from different planets.
Each chapter of this novel is centered around the individuals involved in the events, avoiding the limitations of third-person narration in capturing character psychology. However, this approach can lead to character confusion, as different temperaments lead to different perspectives and emotions. This was a concern for me while reading. However, the book doesn't follow a linear timeline; instead, it weaves together different people and events, telling the story in a comprehensive, mutually supportive manner. Initially, it seems disjointed, but it gradually becomes engaging and challenging. Although I sometimes felt lost, the story points would vividly come to mind when reminded. It was quite a fascinating experience.
The storyline itself isn't complicated. Oliver, who studies whales, is obsessed with his work, throwing himself into his research on whale songs and neglecting his family. It wasn't until his wife left with their daughter that he realized his mistake and began his search. Meanwhile, his wife, Jane, and their daughter, Rebecca, are also on a journey. They travel different paths - one lonely and persistent, the other passionate and lively. Whether their destinations will coincide and how their lives will change can only be answered by the book.
As a standalone story, it's not very remarkable or captivating. However, Judy Picoult uses the perspectives of each person involved, detailed writing, and clever chapter structures to explore the theme of "loss and search." I think the book doesn't "discuss" this theme but instead presents each character's attitudes and actions, allowing me to experience it through gains and losses.
In reality, the pace of life often confuses our hearts about what we truly want. Sometimes, loss is inevitable. Is it a punishment or a price? Perhaps it's an understanding and transcendence. The search is also full of uncertainties - there will be hopes and disappointments. Searching is merely an attempt to make up for something; the result may not be forgiveness, but rather, it is a form of relief and redemption - a kind of comfort.
3.8 / 5 stars
Of course, Songs of the Humpback Whale doesn't follow this narrative exactly, but it has similarities. I remember I once had a misunderstanding with a female friend. When we reconciled, we realized our reasons for arguing were different - my focus was on principles, while she was concerned about my attitudes. It suddenly dawned on me that men and women really are from different planets.
Each chapter of this novel is centered around the individuals involved in the events, avoiding the limitations of third-person narration in capturing character psychology. However, this approach can lead to character confusion, as different temperaments lead to different perspectives and emotions. This was a concern for me while reading. However, the book doesn't follow a linear timeline; instead, it weaves together different people and events, telling the story in a comprehensive, mutually supportive manner. Initially, it seems disjointed, but it gradually becomes engaging and challenging. Although I sometimes felt lost, the story points would vividly come to mind when reminded. It was quite a fascinating experience.
The storyline itself isn't complicated. Oliver, who studies whales, is obsessed with his work, throwing himself into his research on whale songs and neglecting his family. It wasn't until his wife left with their daughter that he realized his mistake and began his search. Meanwhile, his wife, Jane, and their daughter, Rebecca, are also on a journey. They travel different paths - one lonely and persistent, the other passionate and lively. Whether their destinations will coincide and how their lives will change can only be answered by the book.
As a standalone story, it's not very remarkable or captivating. However, Judy Picoult uses the perspectives of each person involved, detailed writing, and clever chapter structures to explore the theme of "loss and search." I think the book doesn't "discuss" this theme but instead presents each character's attitudes and actions, allowing me to experience it through gains and losses.
In reality, the pace of life often confuses our hearts about what we truly want. Sometimes, loss is inevitable. Is it a punishment or a price? Perhaps it's an understanding and transcendence. The search is also full of uncertainties - there will be hopes and disappointments. Searching is merely an attempt to make up for something; the result may not be forgiveness, but rather, it is a form of relief and redemption - a kind of comfort.
3.8 / 5 stars
January 17, 2009
This book is awful. Jodi Picoult has written too many books too quickly - she's lacking a good story and apparently doesn't research her material. The book is written from five different perspectives - which would be fine but she doesn't go in chronological order and she doesn't consistenly date the entries. You have to guess the time frame.
Next, when the mom and daughter arrive in Salt Lake she gives an AWFUL description of the people and the main attraction - the Great Salt Lake. She says the religion is stifling - no description as to why. The mom faints in the post office and awakens to a polygamist doctor and his three wives, one of which is a nurse. They don't have any children with them. She's obviously not met the polygamists. Then, they take a ride to the Great Salt Lake with the polygamist doctor and his wives, which also happen to be heading there for a swim. As they arrive at the lake she mentions all the people swimming. WHAT? When was the last time you went for a swim in the lake, or for that matter, met anyone who was heading out for a day on the beach? Also, she fails to mention the stench or the annoying bugs that surround this lake! (I've ridden my bike around Antelope Island - probably a more popular tourist attraction than the fine swimming!)
Next we come the the part where 15-year-old Rebecca gets down to bed business with Hadley, who is 10 years her senior. Where I'm from, this is statuatory rape ---- and I'm done. I've officially lost interest in this book. I don't know that I'll read another book by this author.
This book is offensive and poorly researched!
Next, when the mom and daughter arrive in Salt Lake she gives an AWFUL description of the people and the main attraction - the Great Salt Lake. She says the religion is stifling - no description as to why. The mom faints in the post office and awakens to a polygamist doctor and his three wives, one of which is a nurse. They don't have any children with them. She's obviously not met the polygamists. Then, they take a ride to the Great Salt Lake with the polygamist doctor and his wives, which also happen to be heading there for a swim. As they arrive at the lake she mentions all the people swimming. WHAT? When was the last time you went for a swim in the lake, or for that matter, met anyone who was heading out for a day on the beach? Also, she fails to mention the stench or the annoying bugs that surround this lake! (I've ridden my bike around Antelope Island - probably a more popular tourist attraction than the fine swimming!)
Next we come the the part where 15-year-old Rebecca gets down to bed business with Hadley, who is 10 years her senior. Where I'm from, this is statuatory rape ---- and I'm done. I've officially lost interest in this book. I don't know that I'll read another book by this author.
This book is offensive and poorly researched!
April 14, 2024
Catching up…
I think this is it in my Jodi Picoult phase of reading and re-visiting her books. I almost feel like after re-visiting so many of her past books, I have been sitting with an old friend and conducting a heart-felt conversation about all these different characters that have been in this amazing author’s repertoire.
And now, I come to this book. Her debut novel. This was our introduction to her. She was unknown to the world. How would we react to her?
For many, this book wasn’t noticed initially. It probably took a few more Picoult novels before this one was even read. And then, when it was finally read, it may not have been particularly cared for because of the multiple P.O.V.’s. (5).
And because each narrator had a story to tell, it wasn’t even clear whose story was in current or past tense. So, by the time we got to the end of the story, we weren’t sure if there was any satisfactory resolution, for any of the characters.
And for this reader, I felt completely left in the dark. Which considering the subject matter, was not a safe place to be left.
I had so many questions. To reveal my questions would give away spoilers.
Let’s just say, this is a story of love, loss and self-discovery. It is also a story of abuse.
The characters felt shallow, oblivious and flat, and unlikable for the most part. So, whether my questions get answered or not, I’m not sure I would be invested enough to care.
Sadly, this was not a great debut. Thankfully, Picoult grew as an author with later novels and found a way to create better voices for her characters in future stories.
I think this is it in my Jodi Picoult phase of reading and re-visiting her books. I almost feel like after re-visiting so many of her past books, I have been sitting with an old friend and conducting a heart-felt conversation about all these different characters that have been in this amazing author’s repertoire.
And now, I come to this book. Her debut novel. This was our introduction to her. She was unknown to the world. How would we react to her?
For many, this book wasn’t noticed initially. It probably took a few more Picoult novels before this one was even read. And then, when it was finally read, it may not have been particularly cared for because of the multiple P.O.V.’s. (5).
And because each narrator had a story to tell, it wasn’t even clear whose story was in current or past tense. So, by the time we got to the end of the story, we weren’t sure if there was any satisfactory resolution, for any of the characters.
And for this reader, I felt completely left in the dark. Which considering the subject matter, was not a safe place to be left.
I had so many questions. To reveal my questions would give away spoilers.
Let’s just say, this is a story of love, loss and self-discovery. It is also a story of abuse.
The characters felt shallow, oblivious and flat, and unlikable for the most part. So, whether my questions get answered or not, I’m not sure I would be invested enough to care.
Sadly, this was not a great debut. Thankfully, Picoult grew as an author with later novels and found a way to create better voices for her characters in future stories.
December 7, 2009
Sorry, Jodi, but you get one star for this book and one star only.
Issues:
Organization:
News flash! Confusing time skips, where you've got four POVs telling the story chronologically and one telling it backwards, are confusing AND annoying. It took me at least half of the book to figure out that what Rebbeca was talking about hadn't happened yet, and I didn't know exactly what was up with Rebbeca's chapters until I read the Q&A with the author at the back of the book. Instead of progressing chronologically like the other four "voices", Miss. Rebecca's POV begins at the end and works backwards. I had a major problem with this because once I'd figured out that Rebecca's chapters hadn't happened yet, the ending held no surprises for me because I knew what had to happen.
Characters:
Why do I always hate Picoult's mothers so much? I've read exactly eight of her books, and I have yet to find a mother figure that I really like. The Tenth Circle: Laura has the most devoted husband in the world, yet she feels this strange compulsion to fall into one of her student's arms until she suddenly, mysteriously recognizes the error of her ways; Change of Heart: June spends 9/10 of the book saying she'd rather her daughter die than take the heart of such a monster; My Sister's Keeper: Sara would have performed the operation on Anna herself if she'd had a scalpel and a basic knowledge of human anatomy; and then we have Songs of the Humpback Whale, and Jane, whiny, whiny brat of a woman who wouldn't know real love if it threw itself in front of a van to save her life.
I had a hard time with Jane. Supposedly her husband mistreats her: we have the one slap in the very beginning of the book to support that theory and the fact that he spends a lot of time absorbed in his work. Meanwhile, Jane decides to travel cross-country with her daughter to her brother's apple orchard, where she meets a man and proceeds to fall completely in love with him in the space of about five days, the first two of which were spent hating each other's guts. She sleeps with him, blabs on and on about how different she feels with him compared to her husband, and generally makes herself insufferable.
I have much more sympathy for the supposed abusive husband: he, too, had the chance to cheat on his wife as he chases her across the country, but he walks out because, for some inexplicable reason, he loves his wife. He walks in on her sleeping in another man's arms and is still willing to forgive her. He's the real sufferer in this book.
Too Much Backstory:
Picoult has a long history of trying to make her characters three-dimensional through the use of tiring flashbacks and backstory, a tradition that clearly began with this book. Rebbeca supposedly survived a plane crash as a three-year-old (How convenient for Picoult! A perfect excuse for the happy family to take a circuituous car trip instead of a plane flight, and a chance to visit Salt Lake City and other shoddily-researched locales!). Jane's father was a big fat pervert. The first time Jane decided to have sex with her boyfriend and later husband, a trip to the beach Jane went on with her brother. The trend becomes tiring after a while: just as people would prefer to date someone without a whole lot of heavy baggage, occassionally readers would like to read about a comparitively unencumbered character, who develops as the story progresses rather than before it ever even starts.
The book gets one star, and although the rest of her books (that I've read) seem better, I give them four stars at most and average around 2.5-3 stars for each. I don't see the point in reading any more of her books: they become so repetitive as to be predictable after a while. If you read a Picoult book, you'll generally be reading about: a big, controversial issue and a big, dramatic law suit or trial, mother figures that make you want to scream Take a look at a real mother, just one glance, and you'll see that they're not all monsters! multiple viewpoints, backstories and subplots galore (did anyone really care about the lawyer finding her birthmother in Handle With Care?), characters who can't make up their minds about anything, and fair, but not top-notch writing. I started keeping track of the number of times the phrase "it was a catch-22" showed up in Handle With Care, but after hitting a dozen different times under different character viewpoints, I gave up.
Issues:
Organization:
News flash! Confusing time skips, where you've got four POVs telling the story chronologically and one telling it backwards, are confusing AND annoying. It took me at least half of the book to figure out that what Rebbeca was talking about hadn't happened yet, and I didn't know exactly what was up with Rebbeca's chapters until I read the Q&A with the author at the back of the book. Instead of progressing chronologically like the other four "voices", Miss. Rebecca's POV begins at the end and works backwards. I had a major problem with this because once I'd figured out that Rebecca's chapters hadn't happened yet, the ending held no surprises for me because I knew what had to happen.
Characters:
Why do I always hate Picoult's mothers so much? I've read exactly eight of her books, and I have yet to find a mother figure that I really like. The Tenth Circle: Laura has the most devoted husband in the world, yet she feels this strange compulsion to fall into one of her student's arms until she suddenly, mysteriously recognizes the error of her ways; Change of Heart: June spends 9/10 of the book saying she'd rather her daughter die than take the heart of such a monster; My Sister's Keeper: Sara would have performed the operation on Anna herself if she'd had a scalpel and a basic knowledge of human anatomy; and then we have Songs of the Humpback Whale, and Jane, whiny, whiny brat of a woman who wouldn't know real love if it threw itself in front of a van to save her life.
I had a hard time with Jane. Supposedly her husband mistreats her: we have the one slap in the very beginning of the book to support that theory and the fact that he spends a lot of time absorbed in his work. Meanwhile, Jane decides to travel cross-country with her daughter to her brother's apple orchard, where she meets a man and proceeds to fall completely in love with him in the space of about five days, the first two of which were spent hating each other's guts. She sleeps with him, blabs on and on about how different she feels with him compared to her husband, and generally makes herself insufferable.
I have much more sympathy for the supposed abusive husband: he, too, had the chance to cheat on his wife as he chases her across the country, but he walks out because, for some inexplicable reason, he loves his wife. He walks in on her sleeping in another man's arms and is still willing to forgive her. He's the real sufferer in this book.
Too Much Backstory:
Picoult has a long history of trying to make her characters three-dimensional through the use of tiring flashbacks and backstory, a tradition that clearly began with this book. Rebbeca supposedly survived a plane crash as a three-year-old (How convenient for Picoult! A perfect excuse for the happy family to take a circuituous car trip instead of a plane flight, and a chance to visit Salt Lake City and other shoddily-researched locales!). Jane's father was a big fat pervert. The first time Jane decided to have sex with her boyfriend and later husband, a trip to the beach Jane went on with her brother. The trend becomes tiring after a while: just as people would prefer to date someone without a whole lot of heavy baggage, occassionally readers would like to read about a comparitively unencumbered character, who develops as the story progresses rather than before it ever even starts.
The book gets one star, and although the rest of her books (that I've read) seem better, I give them four stars at most and average around 2.5-3 stars for each. I don't see the point in reading any more of her books: they become so repetitive as to be predictable after a while. If you read a Picoult book, you'll generally be reading about: a big, controversial issue and a big, dramatic law suit or trial, mother figures that make you want to scream Take a look at a real mother, just one glance, and you'll see that they're not all monsters! multiple viewpoints, backstories and subplots galore (did anyone really care about the lawyer finding her birthmother in Handle With Care?), characters who can't make up their minds about anything, and fair, but not top-notch writing. I started keeping track of the number of times the phrase "it was a catch-22" showed up in Handle With Care, but after hitting a dozen different times under different character viewpoints, I gave up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2020
I think I missed a trick here because this was an average read for me which never happens with a JP book however I have a feeling this was her debut novel so that could be why I felt it wasn't to the standard of her other books.
I would call this a sunbed read. Light, easy reading which isn't what i think of when i head into a JP book.
I would call this a sunbed read. Light, easy reading which isn't what i think of when i head into a JP book.
February 24, 2018
This was a hard Picoult book to get into. I kept putting it down to read other books instead. The story (when it finally comes together) is a good but that skipping around and then hearing different POVs was just not an attention getter. I only have two more of her books to read and will have read all of her work but I can already say that I like her later work much better than her earlier work. This one was one of my least favorites. The characters had some likeability but for the most part no and they were hard to connect with.
My quick and simple overall: not her best but once you tread through the story and it comes together, it’s not bad at all.
My quick and simple overall: not her best but once you tread through the story and it comes together, it’s not bad at all.
February 23, 2012
As an avid Jodi Picoult reader, I was deeply disappointed by this book. Usually I love her books and can't put them down. I found the characters to difficult to relate to and therefore difficult to care about. Some of them were just plain creepy and disturbing; Joely who is apparently madly in love with his own sister, and Hadley a 25 year old man who thinks it is okay to have a sexual relationship with a naive, emotionally immature fifteen year old girl. That's called statutory rape.
The narrative is written from five characters' points of view. The way the story is set out is also hard to follow - what the character of Rebecca starting at the future and working backwards, but all the other characters giving their version of the story in real time. The ending was very flat and boring and had no direction. I didn't understand why Jane went back to her husband, especially since it was an unhappy marriage and she was in love with another man. Why have the character make the same mistake twice? The novel finishes where it started and none of the characters really evolved or changed for the better.
I was surprised this novel was published. I felt that the book had not been edited or proof read at all and could do with a major re-write. My advice: don't bother reading this novel, instead read some of Jodi Picoult's better novels like My Sister's Keeper, The Plain Truth, and Salem Falls.
The narrative is written from five characters' points of view. The way the story is set out is also hard to follow - what the character of Rebecca starting at the future and working backwards, but all the other characters giving their version of the story in real time. The ending was very flat and boring and had no direction. I didn't understand why Jane went back to her husband, especially since it was an unhappy marriage and she was in love with another man. Why have the character make the same mistake twice? The novel finishes where it started and none of the characters really evolved or changed for the better.
I was surprised this novel was published. I felt that the book had not been edited or proof read at all and could do with a major re-write. My advice: don't bother reading this novel, instead read some of Jodi Picoult's better novels like My Sister's Keeper, The Plain Truth, and Salem Falls.
June 25, 2025
Parts were great. Other parts were awful. Some big misses too - like how Jane’s characters needed to be fleshed out even more given the very specific kind of childhood trauma she had - some of the classic symptoms were missing. Felt like the author researched whales more than the psychology of this trauma. Also hated the ending 100%. I usually love Picoult's work. This was a rare disappointment for me.
March 4, 2009
I need to start this review by saying that Jodi Picoult is one of my absolute favorite authors. Two summers ago I borrowed nearly every book she'd ever written from the library, and devoured them all. The way she writes - the subjects she writes about - they're real, and timely, and relevant. Her kind of fiction is the kind I would want to write... if I were a fiction author.
To my knowledge, Songs of the Humpback Whale is the first novel that she published. Having read most of her later novels, I can say that this is definitely a "first book": it's not quite as well-edited, and from having knowledge of how her writing style has evolved, I can see that this was a really good first novel for a previously unpublished author.
This is the story of a 35-year-old woman who is accomplished in her professional life and as a mother, but has lost herself within the context of her marriage. After a fight with her husband, she and her teenage daughter set off on an impulsive cross-country journey from California to Massachusetts to see her younger brother who is working on an apple farm.
The storyline itself is interesting, but mostly because this saga is told from the point of view of five of its characters. We learn not just about the characters from their own voices, but also from the voices and opinions of the others who recount the same scenes but with a different perspective. I've read novels in which a story is told in different voices, but never one in which one of those voices begins telling the story from the end of the novel and working itself back through time to the beginning.
I think that particular backwards storytelling could be a really great concept for a novel if all the characters were telling their stories in the same way, but unfortunately, for me, knowing the outcome of the novel before it really even started meant that there was no climax at the end. What four of the characters worked up to throughout the novel was already discussed in detail within the first 100 pages of the book, and left me with a sense of anticipation as to when it would actually occur and why, but not the how. It was a bit of a letdown, in the end, since the end had been spoiled so early on for me.
All in all, this was definitely a novel worth reading, if you're already a Jodi Picoult fan. But if you're new to reading her works, this is not the one to start with . There are others that are much more developed and easy to fall headfirst into (like Plain Truth, My Sister's Keeper, or Nineteen Minutes.
That being said, I just saw on her website that her newest novel - also told from the point of view of several characters - was just released to bookstores yesterday, March 3rd. I can't wait to pick it up.
To my knowledge, Songs of the Humpback Whale is the first novel that she published. Having read most of her later novels, I can say that this is definitely a "first book": it's not quite as well-edited, and from having knowledge of how her writing style has evolved, I can see that this was a really good first novel for a previously unpublished author.
This is the story of a 35-year-old woman who is accomplished in her professional life and as a mother, but has lost herself within the context of her marriage. After a fight with her husband, she and her teenage daughter set off on an impulsive cross-country journey from California to Massachusetts to see her younger brother who is working on an apple farm.
The storyline itself is interesting, but mostly because this saga is told from the point of view of five of its characters. We learn not just about the characters from their own voices, but also from the voices and opinions of the others who recount the same scenes but with a different perspective. I've read novels in which a story is told in different voices, but never one in which one of those voices begins telling the story from the end of the novel and working itself back through time to the beginning.
I think that particular backwards storytelling could be a really great concept for a novel if all the characters were telling their stories in the same way, but unfortunately, for me, knowing the outcome of the novel before it really even started meant that there was no climax at the end. What four of the characters worked up to throughout the novel was already discussed in detail within the first 100 pages of the book, and left me with a sense of anticipation as to when it would actually occur and why, but not the how. It was a bit of a letdown, in the end, since the end had been spoiled so early on for me.
All in all, this was definitely a novel worth reading, if you're already a Jodi Picoult fan. But if you're new to reading her works, this is not the one to start with . There are others that are much more developed and easy to fall headfirst into (like Plain Truth, My Sister's Keeper, or Nineteen Minutes.
That being said, I just saw on her website that her newest novel - also told from the point of view of several characters - was just released to bookstores yesterday, March 3rd. I can't wait to pick it up.
March 5, 2011
Some said that Jodi Picoult's early works were not as good as her present novels. Which I do agree that in fact I'm still in a process of discovering her own world of writing. What I mean is, I'm not quitting, I have the feeling that her present works were better and she's still in a process of discovering her own inner ideas to write a book. I don't believe that her books were written badly and in fact, I find it okay but the problem with this book is the strangling minds of the characters. I can't feel the unity between them, they differ - of course, everyone does - but what I mean of differ is their own situation, there is something between them that the story broke its continuity. It makes the story lost its sense of continuity between characters, they are only puppets and I can't feel the true people experiencing such situation.
According to the book or the-forgotten-source that Songs of the Humpback Whale is a book of five voices and it hit my back and started reading her book, maybe I expected much and trying to level it with my own standard. Five voices? Yes, there are five main characters in the story. But for me there are only four of them, the other character only showed in the story by his letter to the other character. He wasn't been developed well by the author but it develops the character of Jane and that makes him special to others or maybe less special.
The whole story only evolved to their broken relationship and finding the true meaning of family, love and itself. The whole idea was better, sharing their daughter Rebecca, the symbol of their marriage and the reason of their relationship. They always see themselves to Rebecca, she is the mixture of their love and their traits. Nobody can separate them no matter how far they'd go, love always one step apart.
Oliver, a marine biologist and husband of Jane. Obsessed in researching humpback whales and loosing his own time to his wife and daughter. Imagine 4 years of having no sex to her wife, it was like hell to Jane wanting the relationship back to normal. One day Jane hit Oliver and escaped with her daughter planning to a road trip to her brother Joley, the brother who only sent letters to emphasize their childhood and their brother-sister relationship in the past.
She met Sam and have a short relationship, if possible the shortest relationship but I think Britney Spears won the competition if you can still remember her issue. He is 25 and Jane is 35 and they have this mother and son relationship, kidding. But their age differ and 10 years of gap makes the whole thing breakable. Same with her daughter, Rebecca, fall in love to a 25 year old man which is Hadley and his character is still a mystery to me. He only appeared to some part of the book and he just died. The story was so hilariously fast and Sam's reaction to the decision of Jane makes me think that the both characters only wanted extra problem and stopped like they don't cared anymore.
I don't really liked to discuss the ending of the book but seriously everything was in a hurry, I think everything was occurred just for a day and everything was a happy ending. I loved happy endings but the story is quite rush to be ended like that, imagine after the falling action of the book the story only ended in 20 pages. I don't know how she wrote the whole ending of the book. Maybe she was overwhelmed by her own talent to write and she can't wait to publish her first book.
I never been in an orchard before but I really wished to visit one at least just a glimpse to satisfy my curiosity. Wish Jodi will sponsor my trip to America. Kidding. Yum, yum, those yummy apples can't stop my salivary gland to produce saliva! Watery mouth.
Rating - Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult, 1 Sweets and the lonely songs of the humpback whale, loosing but soundly affecting. (I don't mind if people hated Jodi Picoult and compared to other writers. Everyone have their own desired taste and nobody can force you to change it. I think everyone should try her novels before giving negative comments like don't judge the book by its cover. I respect everyone's opinion if they really tried to read those author's books.)
Challenges:
Book #40 for 2011
Book #24 for Off the Shelf!
Book #1 for Jodi Picoult Reading Challenge 2011
According to the book or the-forgotten-source that Songs of the Humpback Whale is a book of five voices and it hit my back and started reading her book, maybe I expected much and trying to level it with my own standard. Five voices? Yes, there are five main characters in the story. But for me there are only four of them, the other character only showed in the story by his letter to the other character. He wasn't been developed well by the author but it develops the character of Jane and that makes him special to others or maybe less special.
The whole story only evolved to their broken relationship and finding the true meaning of family, love and itself. The whole idea was better, sharing their daughter Rebecca, the symbol of their marriage and the reason of their relationship. They always see themselves to Rebecca, she is the mixture of their love and their traits. Nobody can separate them no matter how far they'd go, love always one step apart.
Oliver, a marine biologist and husband of Jane. Obsessed in researching humpback whales and loosing his own time to his wife and daughter. Imagine 4 years of having no sex to her wife, it was like hell to Jane wanting the relationship back to normal. One day Jane hit Oliver and escaped with her daughter planning to a road trip to her brother Joley, the brother who only sent letters to emphasize their childhood and their brother-sister relationship in the past.
She met Sam and have a short relationship, if possible the shortest relationship but I think Britney Spears won the competition if you can still remember her issue. He is 25 and Jane is 35 and they have this mother and son relationship, kidding. But their age differ and 10 years of gap makes the whole thing breakable. Same with her daughter, Rebecca, fall in love to a 25 year old man which is Hadley and his character is still a mystery to me. He only appeared to some part of the book and he just died. The story was so hilariously fast and Sam's reaction to the decision of Jane makes me think that the both characters only wanted extra problem and stopped like they don't cared anymore.
I don't really liked to discuss the ending of the book but seriously everything was in a hurry, I think everything was occurred just for a day and everything was a happy ending. I loved happy endings but the story is quite rush to be ended like that, imagine after the falling action of the book the story only ended in 20 pages. I don't know how she wrote the whole ending of the book. Maybe she was overwhelmed by her own talent to write and she can't wait to publish her first book.
I never been in an orchard before but I really wished to visit one at least just a glimpse to satisfy my curiosity. Wish Jodi will sponsor my trip to America. Kidding. Yum, yum, those yummy apples can't stop my salivary gland to produce saliva! Watery mouth.
Rating - Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult, 1 Sweets and the lonely songs of the humpback whale, loosing but soundly affecting. (I don't mind if people hated Jodi Picoult and compared to other writers. Everyone have their own desired taste and nobody can force you to change it. I think everyone should try her novels before giving negative comments like don't judge the book by its cover. I respect everyone's opinion if they really tried to read those author's books.)
Challenges:
Book #40 for 2011
Book #24 for Off the Shelf!
Book #1 for Jodi Picoult Reading Challenge 2011
April 21, 2008
February 2007 BotM. I tried to remain optimistic while reading this book. It wasn't one I voted for, but I read it anyway. It's been read, and I'm glad it's over and done with. It wasn't the type of book that I like, and while I usually don't give a book a bad opinion, this one, as much as I hate to say this, stank. OMG! All of it was in the first person; there were no dividing chapters, just the characters themselves. Everything was written in the first person. While you don't pay that much of attention when reading the actual chapter heading (like chapter 1, etc...), which this one, you had no choice to pay attention, or you didn't know who was talking! Not only did it jump from characters, it also skipped around in the same timeline - nothing followed. While I don't find jumping timelines confusing in any way, add jumping with characters as much as timelines and I hated it. But that wasn't the part I hated most. It was finding out the ending before reaching the ending of the book, and hating the decision made that just made me feel like I wasted my time reading it! I'm sorry, but if you're that unhappy, would you really go back? If you were really unhappy, and your daughter was old enough to understand... would you go back? This character did - for her daughter. Come on - she's fifteen! Nope, I didn't like this book. There are so many more points that I could attach to this review, but I don't have a half hour to write it all down. Suffice to say, I was disappointed. I thought there was way more to the story than there actually was.
August 26, 2021
Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite novelists. The first I read was Salem Falls (2001) which was her eighth novel. Eventually, I read (and re-read) them all except this one, her debut offering, from 1992. I was quite surprised to see so many negative reviews and 1 and 2 star ratings, so I decided I'd better finally read it, and I'm very glad I did.
I really, really liked it and give it 4 stars only because it is not as polished and complex as much of her later work. While it is plot and theme-driven, it is, most of all, character-driven. The reader must pay attention as the narrative style is intricate. The story is told in the voices of five individuals, all damaged or flawed in various ways, each one recounting the same events from his or her perspective. Four of them tell their story as memory while Rebecca, the adolescent daughter, begins hers in reverse order-present to past. Where Picoult shines, as she does in all her work, is the extraordinary empathy she shows to her beautifully-drawn characters, including those we deem cruel or despicable. The themes in this story are perhaps simpler than in her later books where her hallmark is choosing an often controversial topic- organ donation, sexual and physical abuse, capital punishment, a school shooting, reproductive choice, white supremacy, autism, eugenics-which she examines from every angle through her characters in an objective, almost disinterested way, leaving conclusions up to the reader. While some reviewers objected to the title as ill-suited, I found it entirely fitting; the whales, their precarious condition, and their mysterious songs are metaphorical and mirror the plight of these unhappy humans.
I really, really liked it and give it 4 stars only because it is not as polished and complex as much of her later work. While it is plot and theme-driven, it is, most of all, character-driven. The reader must pay attention as the narrative style is intricate. The story is told in the voices of five individuals, all damaged or flawed in various ways, each one recounting the same events from his or her perspective. Four of them tell their story as memory while Rebecca, the adolescent daughter, begins hers in reverse order-present to past. Where Picoult shines, as she does in all her work, is the extraordinary empathy she shows to her beautifully-drawn characters, including those we deem cruel or despicable. The themes in this story are perhaps simpler than in her later books where her hallmark is choosing an often controversial topic- organ donation, sexual and physical abuse, capital punishment, a school shooting, reproductive choice, white supremacy, autism, eugenics-which she examines from every angle through her characters in an objective, almost disinterested way, leaving conclusions up to the reader. While some reviewers objected to the title as ill-suited, I found it entirely fitting; the whales, their precarious condition, and their mysterious songs are metaphorical and mirror the plight of these unhappy humans.
May 27, 2025
Songs of Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult is an amazing novel of love, selfishness, forgiveness and redemption. If you can get past the first few chapters about the whales this novel will not let you down.
November 8, 2022
I have officially read all of Jodi Picoult’s books���until she publishes her next one!
There were elements of this one that I really liked, but her ability to craft a story and develop the plot has come so far in the last 3 decades.
I’m here to enjoy the rest of the journey!
There were elements of this one that I really liked, but her ability to craft a story and develop the plot has come so far in the last 3 decades.
I’m here to enjoy the rest of the journey!
January 3, 2021
WOW, I have read 3 other books by this author and loved them all. This was disappointing but I know it was her debut novel. I could fall into the cover and I hoped to do the same thing with the story. But it was hard to connect with any of the characters as the story was told from multiple POVs -SIX!- and not with a linear story line. Jane narrates the most linear, Rebecca goes backwards, Joley provides most of the historical background of their lives etc . Just jumps around too much.
Jane marries very young to escape an abusive father, so she carries baggage into this marriage. Her husband Oliver becomes renown in the world of biology for his work with humpback whales and becomes a distant husband and father. Jane snaps and is fearful of her response and what that means about her character and basically runs away, she has reached out to her brother, Joley, whom she is very close to and is currently working on an Apple farm in MA and that's where she is heading. Her 15 y/o daughter, Rebecca, comes with her. There is a circuitous trip across country and then the fateful time spent at Sam Hansen's apple farm. The ending is contrived.
There is symbolism here with the whales and apples...that could have been mined more.
What did I like: learning more about humpback whale songs and the description of life around Hansen's. Reminded me of visiting my Grandparents in the Syracuse, NY countryside when I was a child.
Jane marries very young to escape an abusive father, so she carries baggage into this marriage. Her husband Oliver becomes renown in the world of biology for his work with humpback whales and becomes a distant husband and father. Jane snaps and is fearful of her response and what that means about her character and basically runs away, she has reached out to her brother, Joley, whom she is very close to and is currently working on an Apple farm in MA and that's where she is heading. Her 15 y/o daughter, Rebecca, comes with her. There is a circuitous trip across country and then the fateful time spent at Sam Hansen's apple farm. The ending is contrived.
There is symbolism here with the whales and apples...that could have been mined more.
What did I like: learning more about humpback whale songs and the description of life around Hansen's. Reminded me of visiting my Grandparents in the Syracuse, NY countryside when I was a child.
May 30, 2007
I've been reading some of Jodi Picoult's books and generally find them fairly entertaining, on the trashy side with some good lines thrown in every now and then. this one, reprinted due to her recent popularity, however, is not a winner. it took me forever to read and the style was annoying and inconsistent. supposedly told backwards from five different perspectives, it's actually in a jumbled chronology with confusing skips back and forth between characters, resulting in the reader not feeling very attached to any of the narrators. oh well.
July 21, 2016
As a debut novel, this book shows definite promise. Having said that, I have read several of Picoult's later works and found this to be the weakest thus far. I enjoyed the premise of the mysterious world of humpback whales and wondered how Picoult would weave them into the storyline, but in fact the whales don't feature nearly as much as I had hoped.
In typical Picoult style, the story is told from multiple perspectives. I initially warmed to Jane and her daughter Rebecca, but soon found them both to be flaky and rather annoying. I didn't hold the sympathy the author tried to garden for Jane.
Some parts of the book were repetitive, to the extent that the exact same conversations were repeated - word for word - by different characters in their respective chapters.
The book touches on difficult themes, in the authors true style, but the absence of any courtroom based drama means some readers will be disappointed.
One interesting aspect I enjoyed was the mother and daughter trek cross country, visiting many famous destinations. I understand the author faced criticism for her supporting character stereotypes.
For new readers looking to explore Picoult's writing, I would recommend one of her later books such as The Pact, My Sisters Keeper or Leaving Time.
In typical Picoult style, the story is told from multiple perspectives. I initially warmed to Jane and her daughter Rebecca, but soon found them both to be flaky and rather annoying. I didn't hold the sympathy the author tried to garden for Jane.
Some parts of the book were repetitive, to the extent that the exact same conversations were repeated - word for word - by different characters in their respective chapters.
The book touches on difficult themes, in the authors true style, but the absence of any courtroom based drama means some readers will be disappointed.
One interesting aspect I enjoyed was the mother and daughter trek cross country, visiting many famous destinations. I understand the author faced criticism for her supporting character stereotypes.
For new readers looking to explore Picoult's writing, I would recommend one of her later books such as The Pact, My Sisters Keeper or Leaving Time.
March 31, 2015
I was surprised by the 1- and 2-star reviews for this book. I loved it and could not put it down. There was strong character development, and the family struggles in their different relationships as well as the outcomes and reasons for them were realistic. I also liked the unique way the story unfolded, one story going backwards in time and the rest forward, all being told from the viewpoints of the five main characters.
July 4, 2007
Jodi Picoult's first novel, Songs of the Humpback Whale, was my latest read. In it, she establishes her writing style and tendency to use multiple perspectives. Jane Jones is a speech pathologist, living in California in the shadow of her husband Oliver's fame. Oliver does research on humpback whales, and is well-known for his discovery of whale songs and their repetition. When the book begins, Jane and Oliver get into another of their fights, and Jane strikes Oliver. Confronted by her past as an abused child, Jane and her teenage daughter Rebecca leave California in search of Jane's brother Joley. Joley directs them across the country to places he feels they need to see, including the site of the wreckage from a plane crash Rebecca was involved in the last time Jane felt the need to leave Oliver behind. Despite being three years old at the time, Rebecca recalls bits and pieces with vivid detail.
The story is told from the perspectives of Rebecca, Oliver, Jane, Joley, and Jane's lover Sam. Rebecca's voice recalls the events in reverse chronological order; whereas the remainder of the narrators tell the story in the order in which it happened. Picoult's use of multiple perspectives allows the reader to realize each character's quirks and personalities; ultimately, the stories converge at the climax, and the reader discovers that there are many different types of love that exist - the bond between a mother and daughter, the relationship of a husband and wife, and the connection between a person and the love of his life - one that can never be broken.
Overall, this was not my favorite of her books (Harvesting the Heart and My Sister's Keeper are the two I enjoyed best), but the character development was very good, and despite the fact the reader knows the end from the beginning, I found it hard to put down.
The story is told from the perspectives of Rebecca, Oliver, Jane, Joley, and Jane's lover Sam. Rebecca's voice recalls the events in reverse chronological order; whereas the remainder of the narrators tell the story in the order in which it happened. Picoult's use of multiple perspectives allows the reader to realize each character's quirks and personalities; ultimately, the stories converge at the climax, and the reader discovers that there are many different types of love that exist - the bond between a mother and daughter, the relationship of a husband and wife, and the connection between a person and the love of his life - one that can never be broken.
Overall, this was not my favorite of her books (Harvesting the Heart and My Sister's Keeper are the two I enjoyed best), but the character development was very good, and despite the fact the reader knows the end from the beginning, I found it hard to put down.
April 5, 2011
I believe this is Jodi Picoult's first novel, it's not the first one I read, but nonetheless this novel can make you fall IN LOVE with her.
Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors, with every book I read she doesn't cease to amaze me.
You always learn something new, (like in this one where you learn about humpback whales, something I never thought I'd read about.)
So, let me be more clear on what this book is actually about, because it isnt only about humpacks, :D
The main characters are Jane, Oliver Jones and Rebecca.
Jane and Oliver are married and Rebecca is their daughter. Oliver is an oceanographer, and hence the reader learns about humpbacks through him.
Jane, sadly, always comes second in Oliver's life, because he is very centered in his carreer. He and Jane have quite an argument and Jane and Rebecca end up driving across America to Uncle Joley (Jane's brother) and of course, Oliver Jones eventually figures out where they are going and decides to follow them.
The story is told through different voices, which is one of the things I love the most about Picoult, by the time you are done, you have an extremely good understanding of the events that have happened and every character involved.
I totally recommend this book!!!
Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors, with every book I read she doesn't cease to amaze me.
You always learn something new, (like in this one where you learn about humpback whales, something I never thought I'd read about.)
So, let me be more clear on what this book is actually about, because it isnt only about humpacks, :D
The main characters are Jane, Oliver Jones and Rebecca.
Jane and Oliver are married and Rebecca is their daughter. Oliver is an oceanographer, and hence the reader learns about humpbacks through him.
Jane, sadly, always comes second in Oliver's life, because he is very centered in his carreer. He and Jane have quite an argument and Jane and Rebecca end up driving across America to Uncle Joley (Jane's brother) and of course, Oliver Jones eventually figures out where they are going and decides to follow them.
The story is told through different voices, which is one of the things I love the most about Picoult, by the time you are done, you have an extremely good understanding of the events that have happened and every character involved.
I totally recommend this book!!!
September 4, 2015
Se este fosse o primeiro livro que lia de Jodi Picoult, a minha vontade de ler outros livros dela andaria ali perto do zero...
July 10, 2008
This was my first Jodi Picoult book which was recommended to me by a friend. I thought the structure of the novel was brilliant: each chapter is from a different person's viewpoint and one of the characters relates her story from present to past while all the other characters tell their story in chronological order. I loved hearing the various stories from different angles and it was neat to see the stories entertwine as we know what happens in the present (from Rebecca's viewpoint) and how we get to that point (from everyone else's viewpoints). Beyond that, I didn't care much for the plot. It deals with a woman who feels she is in a comfortable, yet loveless, marriage. She runs away from him (but herself, as well) with their daughter and they take a journey across the country to go see her brother, whose obsession with his sister borderlines perversion. This story contains a bit too much steam for my taste, from the wife's affair to the daughter's inappropriate rendezvous with a 25 year old man. It resembled the depressing stories that Oprah is so fond of. It's really too bad because the storywriting itself was done really well but the plot loses it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2009
SICK and tired of reading the same convos and scenarios again and again from each person's perspective. A LOT of it was crazy repetitive and not incredibly enlightening as to each individuals point of view. Maybe fun for Picoult to write, I don't know. Made me weary to keep reading.
Also, the characters trip to Salt Lake... Do people swim in the Great Salt Lake? And she inserts these supposed polygamists into the story... Trying to make them nice, I guess. A man and his three wives, and not a kid in sight. I'd suspect she was watching that Big Love show but I think she wrote this before that show aired... Interesting perspective. Did all you Salt Lakers know you're polygamists? lol LOVE that.
And she rationalizes statutory rape, which is just weird. She's going to point out her supposed oddity of a man committed to three wives but then one of her main characters pretty freely commits adultery and another statutory rape and those are totally rationalized. *shudder*
Also, the characters trip to Salt Lake... Do people swim in the Great Salt Lake? And she inserts these supposed polygamists into the story... Trying to make them nice, I guess. A man and his three wives, and not a kid in sight. I'd suspect she was watching that Big Love show but I think she wrote this before that show aired... Interesting perspective. Did all you Salt Lakers know you're polygamists? lol LOVE that.
And she rationalizes statutory rape, which is just weird. She's going to point out her supposed oddity of a man committed to three wives but then one of her main characters pretty freely commits adultery and another statutory rape and those are totally rationalized. *shudder*
January 13, 2017
Estou um bocado cansada desta leitura, como alguém disse aqui no Goodreads, ainda bem que este não é o primeiro livro da Jodi Picoult que leio, porque se fosse não iria ler mais livros dela.
Nem o final salvou o livro..
Nem o final salvou o livro..
August 10, 2012
Achei o titulo do livro interessante e acaba mesmo por reflectir a busca de todas a personagens presentes no livro, todas procuram o amor à sua maneira, se o encontram isso depende do entendimento de cada leitor...
A minha parte preferida é o modo como é contada a estória, enquanto Rebecca conta a sua versão da frente para trás, isto é, o inicio do seu relato é o fim da narração das restantes personagens e algures no livro ambas acabam por se cruzar. Contudo, essa situação acaba por em certos momentos termos uma repetição da estória e dos próprios diálogos.
Relativamente às personagens, a que mais apreciei foi a Rebecca que apesar dos seus 14/15 anos se revelou bastante adulta, ao contrario da sua mãe Jane que durante todos o livro se apresenta indecisa e depressiva, nem mesmo a aventura que iniciou foi uma decisão sua. O relacionamento das personagens que se apaixonam revelou-se muito repentino e sem nenhum motivo aparente para a existência de uma paixão tão avassaladora, compreendo que num livro tudo é possível independentemente da realidade, no entanto, considero que um para um livro ficcional que tenta ao máximo aproximar-se da realidade, esta situação deveria ser tomada em conta.
As escrita continua a ser simples permitindo uma leitura rápida, no entanto, tirando a parte da narração da Rebecca/Sam a primeira metade do livro revelou-se bastante aborrecida e pouco cativante.
A minha parte preferida é o modo como é contada a estória, enquanto Rebecca conta a sua versão da frente para trás, isto é, o inicio do seu relato é o fim da narração das restantes personagens e algures no livro ambas acabam por se cruzar. Contudo, essa situação acaba por em certos momentos termos uma repetição da estória e dos próprios diálogos.
Relativamente às personagens, a que mais apreciei foi a Rebecca que apesar dos seus 14/15 anos se revelou bastante adulta, ao contrario da sua mãe Jane que durante todos o livro se apresenta indecisa e depressiva, nem mesmo a aventura que iniciou foi uma decisão sua. O relacionamento das personagens que se apaixonam revelou-se muito repentino e sem nenhum motivo aparente para a existência de uma paixão tão avassaladora, compreendo que num livro tudo é possível independentemente da realidade, no entanto, considero que um para um livro ficcional que tenta ao máximo aproximar-se da realidade, esta situação deveria ser tomada em conta.
As escrita continua a ser simples permitindo uma leitura rápida, no entanto, tirando a parte da narração da Rebecca/Sam a primeira metade do livro revelou-se bastante aborrecida e pouco cativante.
December 16, 2008
I am normally a big JP fan, but this book just didn't do it for me. I know it was her first, and in my opinion, she vastly improved over time. First, I thought it was VERY difficult to be sympathetic to Jane's character. I know her backstory was supposed to make this happen, but in the end I just thought she was a whiny immature woman who didn't have the decency to just make up her mind already.
Second, I thought the Hadley-Rebecca relationship was super odd. I see the type of relationship Picoult was trying to create, but it still just seemed like an older guy was playing with a "kid". Sorry, if you want me to believe she's not a kid, don't have him giving her piggyback rides in every scene. On a similar note, I had a tough time with the Joley-Jane relationship.
Overall, I just felt less than wow'd at the end. I thought it was interesting to find out how Rebecca interpreted her parent's fight (the only real twist I noted at the conclusion), but that really wasn't enough to turn it around for me.
Second, I thought the Hadley-Rebecca relationship was super odd. I see the type of relationship Picoult was trying to create, but it still just seemed like an older guy was playing with a "kid". Sorry, if you want me to believe she's not a kid, don't have him giving her piggyback rides in every scene. On a similar note, I had a tough time with the Joley-Jane relationship.
Overall, I just felt less than wow'd at the end. I thought it was interesting to find out how Rebecca interpreted her parent's fight (the only real twist I noted at the conclusion), but that really wasn't enough to turn it around for me.
July 12, 2014
Songs of the Humpback Whale is a good read and structurally quite masterful. Multiple POV and one storyline running backwards. This was Picoult's first published work - and she pulled all this off at the age of 26! Outstanding. Stand back non-believers. Recommended.
August 5, 2011
I recently became a Jodi Picoult fan, and have since snatched up every book out there with her name on it. Oddly enough, I wasn't able to get my hands on a copy of her first novel, Songs of the Humpback Whale, until after I had read all fifteen of her other novels. I decided that it would be worth it just to see what kind of beginnings Picoult had and to see what began her career.
Songs of the Humpback Whale follows the journey (both literally and figuratively) of a woman and her daughter who are fleeing an emotionally abusive marriage. After an eye-opening experience, Jane decides to leave her husband with daughter Rebecca and drive across the country from San Diego, California, to an apple orchard in Massachusetts to stay with her brother. Not long after, Jane's husband, Oliver, chases after his family to bring them back.
Told through the eyes of five different narrators (which has become a staple of Picoult's novels), this is a story of love, loss, abuse, and relationships. However, unlike many of Picoult's later, more popular novels, there is no courtroom drama, no complex moral questions, and no suspense or mystery. Instead there is only a shallow plot wrapped in complex relationships and physiological issues that seem like they were inspired from first person experience.
Songs of the Humpback Whale has early echoes of Picoult's later success, but little beyond that. The plot is painfully boring, the timeline is somewhat confusing between flashbacks and frequent repetition of events, and an ending that feels like it resolves little. I even got the faintest sense that the entire novel accomplished nothing, and rather than adding drama to the characters, the story feels like it dragged in a continuous state of near-nothing.
Despite this, the novel is very written and does a phenomenal job of capturing believable character emotions. Despite the lack of much action, Songs has complex characters that will tug at your heartstrings. But admittedly, I wouldn't have picked up this book in the first place based on the plot alone. It was Picoult's name that got me to pick it up and, frankly, if this was the first and only Picoult I ever read, I would have little to no interest in picking up subsequent novels. As a singular piece, it simply isn't strong enough to capture my attention.
Songs of the Humpback Whale follows the journey (both literally and figuratively) of a woman and her daughter who are fleeing an emotionally abusive marriage. After an eye-opening experience, Jane decides to leave her husband with daughter Rebecca and drive across the country from San Diego, California, to an apple orchard in Massachusetts to stay with her brother. Not long after, Jane's husband, Oliver, chases after his family to bring them back.
Told through the eyes of five different narrators (which has become a staple of Picoult's novels), this is a story of love, loss, abuse, and relationships. However, unlike many of Picoult's later, more popular novels, there is no courtroom drama, no complex moral questions, and no suspense or mystery. Instead there is only a shallow plot wrapped in complex relationships and physiological issues that seem like they were inspired from first person experience.
Songs of the Humpback Whale has early echoes of Picoult's later success, but little beyond that. The plot is painfully boring, the timeline is somewhat confusing between flashbacks and frequent repetition of events, and an ending that feels like it resolves little. I even got the faintest sense that the entire novel accomplished nothing, and rather than adding drama to the characters, the story feels like it dragged in a continuous state of near-nothing.
Despite this, the novel is very written and does a phenomenal job of capturing believable character emotions. Despite the lack of much action, Songs has complex characters that will tug at your heartstrings. But admittedly, I wouldn't have picked up this book in the first place based on the plot alone. It was Picoult's name that got me to pick it up and, frankly, if this was the first and only Picoult I ever read, I would have little to no interest in picking up subsequent novels. As a singular piece, it simply isn't strong enough to capture my attention.
August 31, 2011
I'm a big Jodi Picoult fan, so I'm trying to read all of her books. This one came, and i looked at the premise and thought - eh? I started reading and thought eh! Skimming forward and reading the reviews i thought EH! And decided there was no need to finish it. Usually her books center around a moral problem that make you think, mostly with a kind of twist. This book is just about a woman who is leaving her husband, who works too much, taking her daughter with her. They are driving from CA to New England, because the daughter is too scared to fly (for a good reason). Having recently flown from SF to NH and back, i know it's a LONG trip and driving would be even longer. They don't get a map like normal people, but rely on letters from her brother in new england to guide them. they will stop at a post office in a small town, pick up the letter that leads them to another small post office in another small town, wait for a new letter, etc. OMG. seriously? also, there is no twist, no nothing. just people flipping around thinking about their feelings and writing letters. i think this was one of her earlier books before she got her style. this old style is way too boring for me, sorry jodi. i can't read this, i'm going on to the next book.
October 23, 2009
really deserves no stars this book was work to get through.
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