An odd book, one of that sub-genre of fiction that borrows characters from another work of fiction, in this case Melville's Moby Dick. The best recent example I have read of this sub-genre is "March" by Geraldine Brooks - an excellent book that borrows characters from "Little Women". "Ahab's Wife" centers around the women who was barely mentioned in "Moby Dick", the wife of Ahab.
The writing is excellent, the author a real craft person, but the big is big and loose and self-indulgent. Melville's book is also big and somewhat self-indulgent, but it had the focus of a harponeer on it's destination. At times I had to wonder where "Ahab's Wife" was headed - it wandered all over the literary landscape. But still, it is a good read and worth the time.
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