All the World Beside: A Novel

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars | 83 ratings

Price: 15.75

Last update: 11-04-2024


About this item

“A heart-wrenching story of love, family, and spirituality.”—People Magazine

From the New York Times bestselling author of Boy Erased, an electrifying, deeply moving novel about the love story between two men in Puritan New England.

Cana, Massachusetts: a utopian vision of 18th-century Puritan New England. To the outside world, Reverend Nathaniel Whitfield and his family stand as godly pillars of their small-town community, drawing Christians from across the New World into their fold. One such Christian, physician Arthur Lyman, discovers in the minister’s words a love so captivating it transcends language.

As the bond between these two men grows more and more passionate, their families must contend with a tangled web of secrets, lies, and judgments which threaten to destroy them in this world and the next. And when the religious ecstasies of the Great Awakening begin to take hold, igniting a new era of zealotry, Nathaniel and Arthur search for a path out of an impossible situation, imagining a future for themselves which has no name. Their wives and children must do the same, looking beyond the known world for a new kind of wilderness, both physical and spiritual.

Set during the turbulent historical upheavals which shaped America’s destiny and following in the tradition of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, All the World Beside reveals the very human lives just beneath the surface of dogmatic belief. Bestselling author Garrard Conley has created a thrilling, vividly imagined historical tale that is both a love story and a crucible.


Top reviews from the United States

pamela
5.0 out of 5 stars What American Fiction Ought to Be
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2024
The lyrical, lush language and deep characterization in this well-crafted novel ought to be enough. But Conley also gives us a well researched, thoughtful and important view on religion, sexuality and American history. Certainly one of the best novels of the year, perhaps the decade.
Tara Peace
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Written
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2024
I have to confess I did not read Boy Erased, despite having heard of it. So I did not know exactly what I was walking into with this book. But it was hauntingly beautiful - the tragic love story, the rigidity of Cana, the disruption of the two families - it was exquisitely described and I felt that I was there.

While at times a little slow, which could be more on me than the book itself, it was beautifully written.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Published for providing me with a digital ARC!
ABPH
5.0 out of 5 stars Affecting
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024
In the early 1800s, against the backdrop of Puritan New England, where religion held paramount importance, ‘All the World Beside’ unfurls in a society where love between men was condemned as a mortal sin. Religion served as the focal point, shaping and dictating societal norms and values. Within this rigid structure, Rev. Nathaniel Whitfield, the founder of the town of Cana, and Arthur Lyman, a doctor who followed Nathaniel, grapple with their beliefs, questioning doctrines, and ultimately discovering a broader perspective on life beyond the confines of religious dogma.

The author’s clear perspective on exploring themes of faith, family, and love is depicted with remarkable realism in this undeniably well-researched and beautifully written prose. Its narrative does not shy away from portraying the complexity and struggles faced by queer relationships, as seen from the perspectives of those around them. Through these viewpoints, readers gain insight into and understanding of their connection.

I found this aspect of the book to be a brave choice by the author. While I personally would have liked to delve more into the main characters’ points of view, I thoroughly enjoyed these perspectives, which somehow felt more human.

Ultimately, I would give this book a solid five-star rating. It stands as a strong follow-up to the author’s acclaimed autobiography, “Boy Erased.” It offers another brave and intelligent narrative that genuinely compels readers to root for its main and supporting characters. It tells a story of forbidden love, evoking deep emotions and offering a glimpse into the struggles of those caught in its grip. Conley, yet again, was able to present a strong point of view with emotional and poignant lessons in humanity.
Customer image
ABPH
5.0 out of 5 stars Affecting
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024
In the early 1800s, against the backdrop of Puritan New England, where religion held paramount importance, ‘All the World Beside’ unfurls in a society where love between men was condemned as a mortal sin. Religion served as the focal point, shaping and dictating societal norms and values. Within this rigid structure, Rev. Nathaniel Whitfield, the founder of the town of Cana, and Arthur Lyman, a doctor who followed Nathaniel, grapple with their beliefs, questioning doctrines, and ultimately discovering a broader perspective on life beyond the confines of religious dogma.

The author’s clear perspective on exploring themes of faith, family, and love is depicted with remarkable realism in this undeniably well-researched and beautifully written prose. Its narrative does not shy away from portraying the complexity and struggles faced by queer relationships, as seen from the perspectives of those around them. Through these viewpoints, readers gain insight into and understanding of their connection.

I found this aspect of the book to be a brave choice by the author. While I personally would have liked to delve more into the main characters’ points of view, I thoroughly enjoyed these perspectives, which somehow felt more human.

Ultimately, I would give this book a solid five-star rating. It stands as a strong follow-up to the author’s acclaimed autobiography, “Boy Erased.” It offers another brave and intelligent narrative that genuinely compels readers to root for its main and supporting characters. It tells a story of forbidden love, evoking deep emotions and offering a glimpse into the struggles of those caught in its grip. Conley, yet again, was able to present a strong point of view with emotional and poignant lessons in humanity.
Images in this review
Customer image
rusereviews
3.0 out of 5 stars lyrical and lush prose
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2024
All the World Beside by Garrard Conley is a queer historical fiction novel set in 18th-century Puritan New England.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I borrowed the audiobook from my library, as read by Pete Cross. I think he did a great job overall, and I inhaled this book in one sitting. It's a little dense, so I followed along with my physical copy while listening.

You can tell the author researched very well prior to writing this book. Sometimes historical fiction leans into modern points of view, but this one truly felt like a lived-in time capsule. I really liked the nods to The Scarlet Letter and the Salem witch trials. The book really moved me at times (I cried at least once), and the author's prose is lush and lyrical.

However, there were a few things that didn't quite hit for me. I wanted to see more development between the two men whose relationship the entire book is based around. We are told that they were the loves of each others lives, but we weren't really shown that. We mostly spend time with their wives and children, which feels a bit tangential to the story the author was trying to tell.

Additionally, the pacing felt off in the first half and the ending felt very disjointed to me. I especially wish there was something to better bridge the gap between the final chapter and the epilogue, which has a significant time jump.

This is the author's debut historical fiction novel; he previously wrote a memoir.
Good Fun
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, shocking, great
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2024
Turns all your expectations on their head. Beautiful writing and a rich story with marvelously real characters, tragic and true depth.
Randall H.
2.0 out of 5 stars Unfriendly book design
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
Can't yet review this book for content, though I bought it for that reason re: book reviewers' rave comments. Planned to move it to the top of my stack until I opened it to page one. Having paid for the hardcover, I guess I'll need the kindle too, because as laid out the size of the typeface, despite ample leading and unusually wide margins, can be only described as punishing, -- and I have perfectly good spectacles.
Sonny Vukic
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful writing. Engrossing story.
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
An extraordinary story with deftly drawn characters and their life stories. I didn’t want it to end.
Therese M. Zocchi
5.0 out of 5 stars Pulitzer Prize?
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2024
This is an incredible book; the writing is beautiful and elicits a wide range of emotions from the reader. The story, though historical, is relevant to today. The author deserves a Pulitzer!!

Best Sellers in

 
 

Evocation: Summoner's Circle, Book 1

4 4 out of 5 stars 324
18.37
 
 

Hello Forever: Hello Goodbye, Book 2

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1613
11.57
 
 

Off Limits: Secrets Kept, Book 1

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2623
17.46
 
 

Confetti Hearts

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2380
17.46
 
 

On the Mountain

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1623
 
 

Dead Serious Case #3: Mr Bruce Reyes: Crawshanks Guide to the Recently Departed, Book 3

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1230
21.83
 
 

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3813
17.72
 
 

Scandalous Park Avenue Prince: Park Avenue Princes, Book 3

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1983
21.83