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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
funny
informative
slow-paced
After barely making it through Vowell's last book about Puritans in New England, I was worried that I'd be disappointed by a book about Puritan missionaries in Hawaii. I'm unnecessarily protective of my birthplace and didn't want to be bored by a book about its history.
Fortunately either Vowell perked up, or I was excited enough about the subject matter that I didn't care if it was boring or not. I find the history of Hawaii absolutely fascinating - from the natives and their history to the coming of the missionaries and the almost immediate turn around of the culture.
Vowell's book is fairly short and she sometimes spends more time on tiny details than on the whole story. And often that's the best part of her books - learning the details and meaning behind the feathered cape used on the monarch's casket, and President Obama's love of the plate lunch.
Much of the history I actually learned initially from James Michener's [b:Hawaii|12658|Hawaii|James A. Michener|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166508247s/12658.jpg|1056841], although in a slightly veiled fictionalized form. If you want more about the history on a continuum, and don't want to read a history book, I can't recommend that book enough. It provides several perspectives from missionaries, natives, immigrants working in the fields, all across several eras.
Vowell's strength is giving an outsider's view and digging into the little details. She asks the questions we all want to know after reading the short museum exhibit plate. And I always enjoy following her nephew Owen's growth.
Fortunately either Vowell perked up, or I was excited enough about the subject matter that I didn't care if it was boring or not. I find the history of Hawaii absolutely fascinating - from the natives and their history to the coming of the missionaries and the almost immediate turn around of the culture.
Vowell's book is fairly short and she sometimes spends more time on tiny details than on the whole story. And often that's the best part of her books - learning the details and meaning behind the feathered cape used on the monarch's casket, and President Obama's love of the plate lunch.
Much of the history I actually learned initially from James Michener's [b:Hawaii|12658|Hawaii|James A. Michener|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166508247s/12658.jpg|1056841], although in a slightly veiled fictionalized form. If you want more about the history on a continuum, and don't want to read a history book, I can't recommend that book enough. It provides several perspectives from missionaries, natives, immigrants working in the fields, all across several eras.
Vowell's strength is giving an outsider's view and digging into the little details. She asks the questions we all want to know after reading the short museum exhibit plate. And I always enjoy following her nephew Owen's growth.
Like I said in my review of [b:Lafayette in the Somewhat United States|24602886|Lafayette in the Somewhat United States|Sarah Vowell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1429537612s/24602886.jpg|44212156] Vowell is the definition of my audiobook wheelhouse. Funny but substantive non-fiction with public radio roots? Always, all the time please. This is the third book of hers I've listened to but sadly, it's my least favorite.
I've spent the past few days trying to figure out why. The problem may be me - I didn't know much about Hawaiian history and didn't have mental scaffolding to hang the narrative on. I don't think that's everything, though, as Vowell isn't at her best. While there are some personal stories they aren't as funny or interesting as in [b:Assassination Vacation|3110|Assassination Vacation|Sarah Vowell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1440616283s/3110.jpg|824686]. The history is outlined and gentle fun is poked, but it lacks the oomph of previous efforts.
Thinking about it, maybe Vowell is pulling her punches out of respect to Hawaiian culture. It's much easier to lampoon your own, and the last thing a marginalized people need is more skewering. So in that sense, yea! I'll take a drop in laughs for that if I must.
Beyond the content this is my least favorite audiobook of hers so far. It's not Vowell's fault, she's as lovely as ever, but the supporting cast is large and each person only gets a few lines. And despite the large cast it sounded like there was only one woman voice actor doing several roles, which confused my wandering attention.
All in all... enh. Not awful, but I expected much better.
I've spent the past few days trying to figure out why. The problem may be me - I didn't know much about Hawaiian history and didn't have mental scaffolding to hang the narrative on. I don't think that's everything, though, as Vowell isn't at her best. While there are some personal stories they aren't as funny or interesting as in [b:Assassination Vacation|3110|Assassination Vacation|Sarah Vowell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1440616283s/3110.jpg|824686]. The history is outlined and gentle fun is poked, but it lacks the oomph of previous efforts.
Thinking about it, maybe Vowell is pulling her punches out of respect to Hawaiian culture. It's much easier to lampoon your own, and the last thing a marginalized people need is more skewering. So in that sense, yea! I'll take a drop in laughs for that if I must.
Beyond the content this is my least favorite audiobook of hers so far. It's not Vowell's fault, she's as lovely as ever, but the supporting cast is large and each person only gets a few lines. And despite the large cast it sounded like there was only one woman voice actor doing several roles, which confused my wandering attention.
All in all... enh. Not awful, but I expected much better.
The book offers a perspective on how the theft of Hawaii fits into the larger picture of American imperialism and I learned so much about the history of colonialism in this text, for that reason I'm really glad I read it. That said, sometimes the author's tone can feel too flip for the subject matter and, while I appreciate her own struggle with the meaning of America, I also sometimes struggle with her desire (belief?) for America to be better than it is.
Wow. People are bastards. The more I learn about missionaries and American Imperialism the more disgusted I am. Sure, I wouldn't have a job without Imperialism (teaching English in Asia), but...just bastards.
Really good read, if a bit disjointed at times due to the sheer complexity of the issue.
And not everyone mentioned in the book is a bastard. Aside from a few disjointed transitions and the difficult nature of all the Hawaiian names, this was a fairly easy and enjoyable read - in terms of how many times I had to go back and re-read a section for comprehension. It was very educational, I felt I learned a lot from one book.
If you're interested in the history of Hawaii, world naval conquest, the consequences of missionaries around the globe, or simply Hawaii, you must read this book.
Really good read, if a bit disjointed at times due to the sheer complexity of the issue.
And not everyone mentioned in the book is a bastard. Aside from a few disjointed transitions and the difficult nature of all the Hawaiian names, this was a fairly easy and enjoyable read - in terms of how many times I had to go back and re-read a section for comprehension. It was very educational, I felt I learned a lot from one book.
If you're interested in the history of Hawaii, world naval conquest, the consequences of missionaries around the globe, or simply Hawaii, you must read this book.
Vowell has a unique writing style that didn't work for me. I could read a wandering piece of fiction, but it's a bit weird in nonfiction. I also like to have chapters and something to help organize the flow of the book. I do think I learned a bit about the history of Hawaii, but I think I would have learned more if the book was less of a collection of random thoughts.
dark
funny
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Better than Wordy Shipmates, not as good as Assassination Vacation. The narration of the various and multiple ways in which the American missionaries and settlers suppressed and exploited Hawaii felt relentless after a while, although Vowell does her best to avoid that. I would have liked some chapter breaks: there were none, only occasional text breaks (seems an odd choice).