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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Sarah Vowel's writing is like having a chat with a good friend, filled with great little sarcastic asides. While I was not very aware of the nature by which Hawaii became a state and found the history interesting, I also thought that the explanation was strung out more than it needed to be. Basically the Hawaiian royalty had as much of a hand, albeit often unknowingly, in directing the eventual fate of the islands down the traditional path of conquest and colonization as did the imperialistic "haole". And, gasp, not everyone wants to be part of the U.S. of A.!?!
slow-paced
Part historian, travel writer and quirky iconoclast, Vowel dives deep into Hawaii history and the birth of American international imperialism. Funny, sad, thought provoking and anger kindling. A worthy read.
Didn't love as much as her others (got confused & bogged down with names & dates), but still very interesting and often funny. I knew virtually nothing about Hawaiian history before, so all new!
Vowell does a great job incorporating wit, sarcasm, and humor into her writing. If this book had just been a straight telling of the events, I would of stopped at the first chapter, but her writing pulled me in. And I am glad it did because it was really interesting stuff.
Ever since I first understood that there were people and places outside of my home state, I’ve been intrigued by those outsiders’ impressions of Hawai’i. So for me, Sarah Vowell’s latest historical spree Unfamiliar Fishes is a trove of mainlander commentary, but it should also interest her fellow continentals as an introduction to the islands’ complicated, and often troubled, history.
Vowell doesn't attempt to hide her outsider status, presenting herself as a tourist who just happens to spend a lot of time in libraries, and this allows her to keep her informal and personable style mostly intact, even as she navigates touchy subjects. Occasionally this casualness chafes, but Vowell is a quick study and she usually recognizes she’s getting close enough to still-delicate issues to tone down the irreverence. This astuteness also leads her to several insights into the local culture that makes Hawai'i so unique but sometimes difficult to convey to those who haven't seen it. These observations and asides about modern-day Hawai'i, the end product of that tumultuous, not-so-distant past, are among the best moments of the book and they go a long way to make up for the more somber tone.
Vowell doesn't attempt to hide her outsider status, presenting herself as a tourist who just happens to spend a lot of time in libraries, and this allows her to keep her informal and personable style mostly intact, even as she navigates touchy subjects. Occasionally this casualness chafes, but Vowell is a quick study and she usually recognizes she’s getting close enough to still-delicate issues to tone down the irreverence. This astuteness also leads her to several insights into the local culture that makes Hawai'i so unique but sometimes difficult to convey to those who haven't seen it. These observations and asides about modern-day Hawai'i, the end product of that tumultuous, not-so-distant past, are among the best moments of the book and they go a long way to make up for the more somber tone.
I adore Sarah Vowell and she delivers again with her spin on the history of Hawaii. There is no one else who is as effective at using original sources, personal travelogue, interviews, commentary and wit that cuts through the historical details to make them relevant today. Hoping I get her new Lafayette book for Xmas.
This is good, although it doesn't have quite as much of the sarcastic loving wit that Vowell is known for.
I've only read Assassination Vacation by Vowell before, but judging by what others have said, her humor is less frequent in this book. This can probably be attributed to Vowell's respect and mindfulness of Hawaiian culture.
Still, this was an interesting read. I had recently become interested in Hawaii's unique culture and thought this might be a good place to start. It doesn't offer as much about culture as it does history, but it's still fascinating read since I had pretty much no knowledge of Hawaiian history. I think the only real issue I had with this was that Vowell would go back and forth and I lost track of the monarchical succession at times (or is that my fault?).
If you're interested in Hawaiian history (or even if you're not), I suggest you give this a shot.
Still, this was an interesting read. I had recently become interested in Hawaii's unique culture and thought this might be a good place to start. It doesn't offer as much about culture as it does history, but it's still fascinating read since I had pretty much no knowledge of Hawaiian history. I think the only real issue I had with this was that Vowell would go back and forth and I lost track of the monarchical succession at times (or is that my fault?).
If you're interested in Hawaiian history (or even if you're not), I suggest you give this a shot.