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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
To say that I knew very little about Hawaiian history prior to reading this book would be saying too much. I knew Hawaii was a state, that it became a state in 1959, that it is a group of islands located in the Pacific Ocean, and that's about it. This book isn't just about the strict history of Hawaii, though; it's more about the political, cultural, and economic influences on it that turned it from a group of nearby islands to a unified kingdom to a US territory to a full-fledged US state.
One of the big focuses of Vowell's book is the increasing Westernization of Hawaii over the years, brought about by both the development of economic trade and the changes in industry that caused and the the arrival of missionaries and the book learning they brought with them. The missionaries were not just an influence in religious and moral issues, such as the worshiping of one God versus many, or their strange insistence on wearing clothes, but they also brought about the most literate culture in the world for a time. Once the missionaries had developed a written form for the Hawaiian language (which was necessary at first just for Bible translation), they set about teaching it to both the royalty and the common folk. At one point, 75% of the population in Hawaii could read and write their own language, an astounding figure when you consider that at the same time, less than 60% of Europeans could say the same thing.
Unfortunately, literacy and knowledge were one of the few improvements the missionaries and other haoles (aka white people, including the military and traders) brought with them. Epidemics of disease swept through the country, as did the alcoholism that increased exposure to strong drink brought. As the native Hawaii population decreased, their bloodlines became so intermingled that fewer and fewer full-blooded Hawaiian babies were born. Eventually, even Hawaiians with only partial native blood were in the minority in their own country.
The saddest part of Hawaiian history, though, is the slow loss of control over their own country. If left to their own devices, the Kingdon of Hawaii had a feudal system so entrenched that the lower classes would never have even thought of rebelling and seizing control of their own country. Eventually, when control was stolen from the monarchy, it wasn't given to the people, even if their new country was called a "republic." Instead, it was taken by the white sons of those first missionaries and traders that moved to Hawaii in the 1700s, and it was never given back.
Sarah Vowell writes with her typical dry, humorous style, stating the facts while still letting us know her underlying opinion of those facts. Really, the only reason why I have to rate this book a "liked it" instead of a "really liked it" is because in the end, the story of Hawaii made me pretty sad. This is definitely a book I'd recommend if you are interested in Hawaii, but not one for light reading, I'd say.
One of the big focuses of Vowell's book is the increasing Westernization of Hawaii over the years, brought about by both the development of economic trade and the changes in industry that caused and the the arrival of missionaries and the book learning they brought with them. The missionaries were not just an influence in religious and moral issues, such as the worshiping of one God versus many, or their strange insistence on wearing clothes, but they also brought about the most literate culture in the world for a time. Once the missionaries had developed a written form for the Hawaiian language (which was necessary at first just for Bible translation), they set about teaching it to both the royalty and the common folk. At one point, 75% of the population in Hawaii could read and write their own language, an astounding figure when you consider that at the same time, less than 60% of Europeans could say the same thing.
Unfortunately, literacy and knowledge were one of the few improvements the missionaries and other haoles (aka white people, including the military and traders) brought with them. Epidemics of disease swept through the country, as did the alcoholism that increased exposure to strong drink brought. As the native Hawaii population decreased, their bloodlines became so intermingled that fewer and fewer full-blooded Hawaiian babies were born. Eventually, even Hawaiians with only partial native blood were in the minority in their own country.
The saddest part of Hawaiian history, though, is the slow loss of control over their own country. If left to their own devices, the Kingdon of Hawaii had a feudal system so entrenched that the lower classes would never have even thought of rebelling and seizing control of their own country. Eventually, when control was stolen from the monarchy, it wasn't given to the people, even if their new country was called a "republic." Instead, it was taken by the white sons of those first missionaries and traders that moved to Hawaii in the 1700s, and it was never given back.
Sarah Vowell writes with her typical dry, humorous style, stating the facts while still letting us know her underlying opinion of those facts. Really, the only reason why I have to rate this book a "liked it" instead of a "really liked it" is because in the end, the story of Hawaii made me pretty sad. This is definitely a book I'd recommend if you are interested in Hawaii, but not one for light reading, I'd say.
I should say from the outset that I love Sarah Vowell. I have listened to her on This American Life and seen her tell stories at The Moth. She never fails to make me laugh, so naturally, I expected that the same would be true when I read one of her books.
I bought Unfamiliar Fishes on remainder at my favorite bookstore McNally Jackson. I purchased it because my parents moved to Hawaii late last year, and my Mom and I have had a few conversations about her encounters with the culture and attitudes of the native Hawaiians. I often share books with my mom, and since I’ve enjoyed Sarah Vowell’s work on radio and at The Moth, I figured Vowell’s book would make a good gift for my mom.
Now, with all books that I give my mom, I read them first and generally write in them. She’s commented many times in the past on her enjoyment of my marginalia, and on the few occasions where I’ve enjoyed a book so much that I wanted to keep the copy with my notes and so sent her a new copy of her own, she’s complained about the lack of annotations.
Well, my mother will be complaining again. But for a whole different reason. Though the book was very informative and I learned a number of facts about the history of Hawaii, it lacked Vowell’s voice, and I just didn’t find much to underline or write notes about. I’ve always thought that Vowell has a distinctive one, both in the sense of the quality of the sound—nasal and not at all what you’d expect out of such a small woman—but also in the sense of a distinctive way of looking at the world and expressing what she sees there. After reading this book, I have begun to wonder how much of Vowell’s voice in the second sense is a result of her voice in the first sense.
The book was circular and repetitive. Yes, the names of the native Hawaiians are distinctly different, and yes, that makes them harder to remember and keep track of. And yes, there were so many damned missionaries, and yes, since many were related and have the same last names, that can create some confusion. But dear lord, please don’t tell me every time you mention someone that he was born on the school grounds. It was an interesting factoid the first time; after that it was repetitive.
Also, though I did very much enjoy her nephew Owen’s insights, I’m not sure how well integrated her personal stories were with the historical information. I love commentary by writers on the information they are giving you, especially when they have interesting insights or can tell you personal anecdotes that make the dry facts come to life, but much as I wanted and expected that from Vowell based on my acquaintance with her spoken work, I didn’t find it to be the case in her written work.
I do have her book The Wordy Shipmates. I received it as part of a boatload of birthday books from my boyfriend. I will read it, and I’ll read it with an open mind, trying to find that same spark that Vowell brings to her spoken work. Hopefully, I’ll have a better review for that book.
I bought Unfamiliar Fishes on remainder at my favorite bookstore McNally Jackson. I purchased it because my parents moved to Hawaii late last year, and my Mom and I have had a few conversations about her encounters with the culture and attitudes of the native Hawaiians. I often share books with my mom, and since I’ve enjoyed Sarah Vowell’s work on radio and at The Moth, I figured Vowell’s book would make a good gift for my mom.
Now, with all books that I give my mom, I read them first and generally write in them. She’s commented many times in the past on her enjoyment of my marginalia, and on the few occasions where I’ve enjoyed a book so much that I wanted to keep the copy with my notes and so sent her a new copy of her own, she’s complained about the lack of annotations.
Well, my mother will be complaining again. But for a whole different reason. Though the book was very informative and I learned a number of facts about the history of Hawaii, it lacked Vowell’s voice, and I just didn’t find much to underline or write notes about. I’ve always thought that Vowell has a distinctive one, both in the sense of the quality of the sound—nasal and not at all what you’d expect out of such a small woman—but also in the sense of a distinctive way of looking at the world and expressing what she sees there. After reading this book, I have begun to wonder how much of Vowell’s voice in the second sense is a result of her voice in the first sense.
The book was circular and repetitive. Yes, the names of the native Hawaiians are distinctly different, and yes, that makes them harder to remember and keep track of. And yes, there were so many damned missionaries, and yes, since many were related and have the same last names, that can create some confusion. But dear lord, please don’t tell me every time you mention someone that he was born on the school grounds. It was an interesting factoid the first time; after that it was repetitive.
Also, though I did very much enjoy her nephew Owen’s insights, I’m not sure how well integrated her personal stories were with the historical information. I love commentary by writers on the information they are giving you, especially when they have interesting insights or can tell you personal anecdotes that make the dry facts come to life, but much as I wanted and expected that from Vowell based on my acquaintance with her spoken work, I didn’t find it to be the case in her written work.
I do have her book The Wordy Shipmates. I received it as part of a boatload of birthday books from my boyfriend. I will read it, and I’ll read it with an open mind, trying to find that same spark that Vowell brings to her spoken work. Hopefully, I’ll have a better review for that book.
I'm going through some major Hawaii withdrawals since my mother moved back to the mainland, so I was eager to pick up a book that would put me back into Hawaii and its issues. Hawaiian issues and tension surrounding statehood was something I was pretty unfamiliar with until I spent a chunk of time there. How does an island paradise retain its cultural integrity while welcoming outsiders? Does it have any choice? In Vowell's book, there is an interesting overview of Hawaii's colonizing history. Everyone from missionaries to militarys found Hawaii to be the perfect, fruitful field. The opportunities in the island were too many to pass up, and the location in the Pacific made it an ideal home base for a variety of groups. It quickly becomes obvious that as with most colonization, this was about money and power.
One thing I liked about Vowell's history-heavy narration of the development of modern-day Hawaii was her personal and sometimes snarky modern perspective behind the history of the islands. It's not as though these tensions are foreign to the people of Hawaii, at least from my experience. In the few years that my mother lived in Hawaii, we had many conversations--from day one--about the love and hate, give and take relationship that native Hawaiians have with outsiders and tourists. There is money to be gained from Hawaii's exploitation, and yet there is sorrow each time another step is lost in its preservation.
Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed the reading experience I had with Sarah Vowell's Unfamiliar Fishes. Having read Jamaica Kincaid's enlightening book A Small Place (on the beaches of Hawaii, ironically enough), I began to realize how complex the issues are that surround the consumption of these beautiful places. Told from a more historical perspective, Unfamiliar Fishes is a great read and an approachable way to learn more about the complicated history of our 50th state.
One thing I liked about Vowell's history-heavy narration of the development of modern-day Hawaii was her personal and sometimes snarky modern perspective behind the history of the islands. It's not as though these tensions are foreign to the people of Hawaii, at least from my experience. In the few years that my mother lived in Hawaii, we had many conversations--from day one--about the love and hate, give and take relationship that native Hawaiians have with outsiders and tourists. There is money to be gained from Hawaii's exploitation, and yet there is sorrow each time another step is lost in its preservation.
Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed the reading experience I had with Sarah Vowell's Unfamiliar Fishes. Having read Jamaica Kincaid's enlightening book A Small Place (on the beaches of Hawaii, ironically enough), I began to realize how complex the issues are that surround the consumption of these beautiful places. Told from a more historical perspective, Unfamiliar Fishes is a great read and an approachable way to learn more about the complicated history of our 50th state.
Not my favorite from Vowell. I've liked her other works but this really could have used some chapters.
Turns out America made some mistakes in the past!?!? This book focuses on often overlooked topics in US History high school classes and as a result are little known. It overs broad topics, such as the extermination at worst/forced assimilation in the name of religion at best of native peoples all over the US, but what was most interesting was the special focus on a Hawaii. Also, provides interesting information on American imperialism and the difficult to come to terms with racism that goes about with said policy. An important read for all, but especially for people planning to visit Hawaii as I think it allows for a glimpse of what Hawaii is truly meant to be.
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
I probably liked this better because it was in the audiobook format, with all the different voices reading those historical documents, but Sarah Vowell is still good at making a person interested in a subject that one might not seek out otherwise.
Content Warnings
Minor: Incest
Sarah Vowell has always done something no others can do for me. She has made history interesting. In this particular instance, she is recounting the history of Hawai'i. From when it was discovered by the Westerners, to when it was annexed by the US and eventually became the 50th state (does that count as a spoiler?).
Highly recommended to anyone interested in history, Hawai'i, or wants to win a trivial pursuit game.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in history, Hawai'i, or wants to win a trivial pursuit game.
Glad I rescued it from the clearance section. Truly interesting, and the bibliography has added some more items to my "to-read" list.
I have read at least 3 other Sarah Vowell books, and liked them a lot, but for some reason, Unfamiliar Fishes, did not hold my attention well. I started and finished at least 3 other books in the time it took me to finish this one. I certainly learned a lot about the history of Hawaii, and the oppression with which it was colonized was a story that Americans should be more aware of. So Vowell suceeds in that. But in many ways the book reads like her previous book "The Wordy Shipmates" (about the Puritan pilgrims), but on a polynesian island. I think I missed the (dark) humor and wittiness that is more apparent in other Vowell books.