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Songs Of The Humpback Whale (Hardcover)

by Jodi Picoult (Author) "Hawaiian and West Indian humpbacks seem less unhappy to me that the whales off the coast of New England ..." (more)

3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 343 pages
Publisher: FSAndG (Sep 1 1992)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0571129277
ISBN-13: 978-0571129270
Product Dimensions: 24.1 x 15.9 x 3.2 cm
Shipping Weight: 704 g

Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

As Picoult uses five voices to tell a complex tale of love, friendship and a Faulknerian family history, her mastery of language strongly individuates her characters. The primary voice in this accomplished first novel belongs to Jane Jones, a speech pathologist living in San Diego, Calif. Other narrators are her daughter Rebecca; her husband, Oliver, a marine biologist renowned for his research on the songs of humpback whales; her brother Joley; and her lover, Sam. When an argument between Jane and Oliver culminates in her striking him, Jane is shattered. A childhood victim of physical and sexual abuse, Jane has tried to submerge her memories, but this outbreak of violence causes her to reexamine her life. On a cross-country automobile trip, Jane and Rebecca travel to Stow, Mass., where Joley is living and where each woman meets the man she believes is her destiny. Jane relates the events that occur from San Diego to Stow, while Rebecca tells the story in reverse, flashing back from the climax. Their stories intersect in an Iowa cornfield that still bears the wreckage of the airliner on which then-three-year-old Rebecca was being sent back to her father during her parents' earlier separation; she was one of five survivors. This powerful and affecting novel demonstrates that there are as many truths to a story as there are people to tell it.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This uniquely constructed first novel, the literary equivalent of counterpoint in music, is told in five voices whose polyphonic development delineates a multifaceted love story on different levels for different individuals. These voices belong to five characters--Jane, who has sacrificed her life to her oceanographer husband's career; her daughter, Rebecca, whom Jane seeks to protect; and three very different men in their lives. As Jane heads east from San Diego with her daughter, having abandoned her husband to his whale tapes, the characters' contrapuntal recollections offer psychological insights into their lives. These insights lead to growth, second chances, and love. Charming and poignant, Picoult's novel is even better after a second reading. For public libraries.
- Ellen R. Cohen, Rockville, Md.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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First Sentence
Hawaiian and West Indian humpbacks seem less unhappy to me that the whales off the coast of New England. Read the first page

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

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3.8 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Confusing and repetitive, Jun 1 2003

By	Japan Reader (eastern Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Songs of the Humpback Whale: A Novel (Paperback)

I came to this after reading "The Pact," which had its problems too (occasionally cardboard characters/unbelievable situations) but was quite readable overall and kept me awake too late at least one night! This, while the idea was good enough, was a real disappointment. Having Rebecca tell it backwards took away all the suspense, so I was kind of like, who cares? Plus, we didn't really get a sense that Hadley and Rebecca had such a wonderful romance. "show, not tell," is the basic principle of fiction (and non-fiction) writing, yet all of this was just based on Rebecca telling us what a romance it was -- we didn't actually see it. Also, the different voices -- while not a bad idea -- Weren't handled well here. The best way of using different voices is to give you truly new insights into a situation, not to just repeat the same scene twice or even three times. As someone struggling with fiction writing myself, I may be too sensitive, but it seemed that this book should have been structured differently, and perhaps edited more comprehensively, to be truly effective. Jodi has certainly gone on to bigger and better things, which is good to know, but don't start with this one if you want to read her stuff.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Jodi's Debut..., Sep 18 2002

By	Diane "dianemax" (Newfoundland, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Songs of the Humpback Whale: A Novel (Paperback)

I am a huge fan of Ms. Picoult's work but her first novel, while good, didn't win me over like her other works of fiction.

I liked the idea of writing the story from five different points of view but unfortunately parts of the book became repetitive. While we did get to know the characters very well and were able to understand why they acted the way they did, I found parts of the book a little confusing. Having Rebecca's character tell the story backwards took away from the ending. I knew what was going to happen.

Jodi does come through however in her beautiful and lyrical writing. She has a way of conveying a feeling that is both touching and honest.

While this book is not my favorite by this author, I will continue to read her novels. Her work only got better from here. Harvesting the Heart is a shining example of her true writing ability.

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4.0 out of 5 stars An impressive debut, April 26 2002

By	Dianna Johnston "Compulsive Reader" (Joplin, MO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Songs of the Humpback Whale: A Novel (Paperback)

I've only read one other book by Jodi Picoult (Plain Truth) that I absolutely loved, so I wasn't sure what I would think reading her debut novel. Most authors get increasingly better and more honed writing skills with each novel, so I wasn't expecting Songs of the Humpback Whale to live up to my Plain Truth expectations. However, even though I still liked Plain Truth better (gripping and compelling), Jodi Picoult's debut effort was nothing short of wonderful.

Unique in its telling, Songs of the Humpback Whale portrays a woman, Jane Jones, whose marriage to Dr. Oliver Jones plays second-fiddle to his lucrative career as a San Diego marine biologist. The fact that Oliver won't be around to share in his daughter, Rebecca's, 15th birthday, strikes a nerve with Jane, and after a devastating argument, Jane and Rebecca are in the station wagon preparing for a cross-country escape to Jane's brother, Joley, in Massachusetts. Interesting people are met along the way as Joley's letters waiting in different post offices assists Jane's and Rebecca's journey. But the most surprising is what awaits for Jane and Rebecca once they arrive in Massachusetts.

Songs of the Humpback Whale is a novel told in five different perspectives. What is unique, however, is Rebecca's tale, which is told from end to beginning. Sounds confusing, but after a few of her chapters, the reader will be resting comfortably in the story. Songs is an omnipotent tale with awakenings around every corner. I highly recommend this book to all Jodi fans -- no courtroom drama here, but fascinating nonetheless.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars My first Jodi Picoult Book.
I had heard a lot about Jodi Picoults books and happy to finally start one. This book is told in 5 diffrent voices and at times the book will repeat it's self quite a bit. Read more

Published on April 6 2002 by Lizzie

3.0 out of 5 stars not my favorite Picoult
While still a good read, Songs of the Humpback Whale is far from my favorite Picoult. In this novel, Picoult uses a number of different points of view to tell the same story... Read more

Published on Feb 4 2002

3.0 out of 5 stars Good - but not by favorite Picoult
I did like thie book, but not as much as I love Picoult's other novels (my favorites were The Pact and Plain Truth). Read more

Published on Jan 28 2002

4.0 out of 5 stars An Apple Never Falls Far From The Tree
I know this area like the back of my hand, having lived in the Stow/Concord area all my life. In truth I enjoy reading books by local authors about local areas. Read more

Published on Jan 21 2002 by Charles Hickey