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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Love Sarah Vowell's writing - sharp and funny. Learned much about Hawaii in the 19th C, the missionaries, the crazy land grab the U.S. made in 1898, and two handy pieces of trivia: the Hawaiian written language has 12 letters and Samuel Morse was an accomplished portrait painter who was late to his beloved wife's deathbed and channelled the pain of that experience into improving communication speed through invention of the telegraph and Morse Code.
I was super interested in this book, love Hawaii, love Sarah Vowell, what could go wrong. I guess I just wanted it to start earlier than the arrival of the first white man and go on past American annexation. That seems to me to be a very small sliver of the history of the place.
finished 9/28/12
Similar to the other Sarah Vowell book I recently listened to, she reads it and special guest stars give voice to quotes. This book is about the history of Hawaii and how it became a state. Interesting background on a topic I had no knowledge about.
Similar to the other Sarah Vowell book I recently listened to, she reads it and special guest stars give voice to quotes. This book is about the history of Hawaii and how it became a state. Interesting background on a topic I had no knowledge about.
Couldn't get into it, but here are my favorite quotes:
"Typical--the only thing more European than spreading VD is documenting it"
"...would use the empirical data and maps of European explorers like Cook and La Perouse to fan out evangelists across the Pacific to spread the fear of God as far and wide as Cook's men had spread the clap."
"Typical--the only thing more European than spreading VD is documenting it"
"...would use the empirical data and maps of European explorers like Cook and La Perouse to fan out evangelists across the Pacific to spread the fear of God as far and wide as Cook's men had spread the clap."
I really tried to get into this book, but despite my usual love for Sarah Vowell, she completely lost me on this one. I don't know if it was the subject matter not holding my interest or the way Vowell told the story, but it couldn't keep my attention and I gave up 30 pages from the end.
I have increased my rating of this audiobook. I don't quite remember what led to the 4 stars the last time, but my opinion has grown in the last year.
Lots of good history here, and told in Sarah V's great humorous way. You can practically hear her voice while you read, and the prose is wonderful. The only thing keeping it from 5 stars is the utter dismissiveness of religious faith and missionaries. Yes, I will freely admit that the missionaries were terrible and behaved badly and helped undermine Hawaiian culture and independence and are in many ways worthy of being dismissed. But that does not need to translate into dismissing all of us. A few jabs here and there? fine. Humorously noting the irony inherent in the many things they did? fine. Taking every opportunity to mock? meh.
I learned a lot from this book and am glad I read it.
I learned a lot from this book and am glad I read it.
I think this is the first book I've given up on this year! I just simply could not get into it. I love Sarah Vowell's writing, but this did not hold my attention at all. I would find myself thinking, "Where did I shelve [b:Assassination Vacation|3110|Assassination Vacation|Sarah Vowell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1162323680s/3110.jpg|824686]? I could be reading that instead."
Part of the problem was that I have very little context to Hawaiian history. It's certainly not something I learned a lot about in school. I tried watching the movie Princess Kailani on Netflix streaming for some context. I cannot recommend that movie.
If anyone would like to take me on vacation to Hawaii, I think that would give me the context I need to finish this book.
Part of the problem was that I have very little context to Hawaiian history. It's certainly not something I learned a lot about in school. I tried watching the movie Princess Kailani on Netflix streaming for some context. I cannot recommend that movie.
If anyone would like to take me on vacation to Hawaii, I think that would give me the context I need to finish this book.
I have been fascinated by Hawaii's history since I read James Michener's Hawaii in my pre-blogging days. From the moment the Polynesians set sail to establish a new life on the islands to be called Hawaii, its history has been bound up with various invaders of all types, from other Polynesian neighbors to whalers to missionaries and other explorers. The cultural mish-mash that exists today is a result of this legacy and worthwhile for any historian to explore on one's own. Sarah Vowell does just that with her focus on the Americanization of Hawaii in Unfamiliar Fishes.
She presents her research in the form of a narrative, intertwining quotes from direct sources with her own observations made during her journeys to the various local sites on the islands. She does so with a fresh, tongue-in-cheek appreciation for the damage Americans have done to the native culture without pontificating too much. The reader gets a clear picture of what life was like before the missionaries ever set foot on the islands, and a sense of sadness at all that has been lost.
The problem, however, is the fact that those readers who do not have a detailed understanding of Hawaii's history may struggle with some of what the author is discussing. Unfamiliar Fishes works best as a companion piece to a greater, more in-depth history. Without this prior familiarity and depth of understanding, some of the cultural differences mentioned by Ms. Vowell may unfavorably bias the reader against the message she is actually trying to share. For example, the brief discussion of sister/brother marriages may so appall the reader that the message about its cultural significance is completely lost.
The other problem is the narration itself. While having the actors become a unique voice for the various real-life figures quoted in the book lends credence to the narration and gives it a true documentary-type feel, the author as the primary narrator is not a voice that lends itself well to easy listening. Her self-deprecating manner never lets up, making almost every sentence read sound unintentionally sarcastic, which again diminishes the message she is trying to make. Her voice is rather high-pitched, whiny and not necessarily soothing to the ear. The story she is telling is fascinating enough to hold any listener's attention, but there are times where Ms. Vowell's voice is a bit unnerving and detrimental to the material.
Beautifully told, Unfamiliar Fishes is well worth reading to get a better insight into Hawaii's struggle for autonomy against a country that was flexing its expansionary claws. Like most of history and one culture overpowering another, it is a tragic story that leaves the reader with a better understanding of and appreciation for the Hawaiian culture. Unfortunately, it is a story that is best read and not listened to via audio.
She presents her research in the form of a narrative, intertwining quotes from direct sources with her own observations made during her journeys to the various local sites on the islands. She does so with a fresh, tongue-in-cheek appreciation for the damage Americans have done to the native culture without pontificating too much. The reader gets a clear picture of what life was like before the missionaries ever set foot on the islands, and a sense of sadness at all that has been lost.
The problem, however, is the fact that those readers who do not have a detailed understanding of Hawaii's history may struggle with some of what the author is discussing. Unfamiliar Fishes works best as a companion piece to a greater, more in-depth history. Without this prior familiarity and depth of understanding, some of the cultural differences mentioned by Ms. Vowell may unfavorably bias the reader against the message she is actually trying to share. For example, the brief discussion of sister/brother marriages may so appall the reader that the message about its cultural significance is completely lost.
The other problem is the narration itself. While having the actors become a unique voice for the various real-life figures quoted in the book lends credence to the narration and gives it a true documentary-type feel, the author as the primary narrator is not a voice that lends itself well to easy listening. Her self-deprecating manner never lets up, making almost every sentence read sound unintentionally sarcastic, which again diminishes the message she is trying to make. Her voice is rather high-pitched, whiny and not necessarily soothing to the ear. The story she is telling is fascinating enough to hold any listener's attention, but there are times where Ms. Vowell's voice is a bit unnerving and detrimental to the material.
Beautifully told, Unfamiliar Fishes is well worth reading to get a better insight into Hawaii's struggle for autonomy against a country that was flexing its expansionary claws. Like most of history and one culture overpowering another, it is a tragic story that leaves the reader with a better understanding of and appreciation for the Hawaiian culture. Unfortunately, it is a story that is best read and not listened to via audio.