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I love this place and it will be forever in my heart.I think this has been the perfect book to read as my island living experience comes to an end. P.T. has been right on the money in his descriptions of Oahu. I just finished this book and I loved every chapter.I read Darkstar Safari over the summer and loved it too.I plan on reading another Paul Theroux book next. He is able to shed light on an experienceI would never be brave enough to venture on but I don't mindreading about his travels (I don't think I could kayak all alonein the ocean). I just love theway this man writes. I have been living on an island for three years now and its time to go.
Having said that, his descriptions of the islands I've been to were right on. This book is certainly interesting. I especially liked his account of his time in Tonga. I can't speak for all of them, of course, but I can say I did enjoy the book. While the author does his fair share of whining, as previous reviewers have mentioned, I think it is important to remember how he traveled. He chose to see the islands of the Pacific by kayak - certainly not an easy task, and probably a task which colored some of his views.
Theroux's writing is engaging, honest, and educational -- and I'm enjoying every page. Again, Paul Theroux has done a magnificent job of combining his travel experiences with a truthful look at the verious islands' population characteristics and the social, political, financial, and governmental issues of each area he visits. I heartily recommend it. Again, I'm not fond of some of the language used, but all in all, it's a great book. This book has provided me with a much deeper look into areas I formerly saw only as romantic getaways of beautiful beaches, lush mountains and valleys, and a low-key and stressless lifestyle. Mr.
I can understand how this book would offend some people from Oceania, as there are lots of unflattering descriptions of people Mr. I found the statement, "While the threat of rape does exist". There are, however, lots of lovely and interesting people and places described. One man told me that his brother had been and didn't feel safe and thought it would be really unsafe for women.
Of course, in the wrong neighborhood almost anywhere in America, these things occur, but that's not the point here. taking precautions like not walking around alone on empty beaches, etc, should keep women safe. So I bought this travel book to get a more thorough description from someone opinionated and a little cranky, like me (I read Dark Star Safari and respect his opinion) and I found it really enlightening. These kinds of things are really useful for an outsider (especially a female) to know going in and I really appreciated being able to read this book and radically readjust my naive idea of the Happy Isles as looking and feeling like a Gauguin painting. Yes, it's slanted, but it's slanted from the point of view of an American who isn't used to the more unfortunate and seemingly common aspects of some Pacific Islands' cultures, with their stealing, with their often nasty treatment of outsiders (jeering and insults), and with the threat of violence. Theroux encountered on his journey.
That it even needed to be mentioned seemed telling to me. I recommend this book. In any event, I had the opportunity to take a trip to Tonga and I heard some negative things about it from several people. I was surprised, but went back to reading my Lonely Planet guide with a more critical eye.
A terrific read, Theroux has the courage to be politically incorrect in an age where Americans fear speaking the truth of their own experience.As a travel writer myself, I am always astonished when someone is angered because my travel experience does not mirror his own, as is the case with other reviewers here.
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