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jayisreading's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
As someone who has little familiarity with Oceania (and I don’t say this with particular pride either), I found this varied collection of works by Hau’ofa to be an eye-opening one. A lot of the essays featured in this collection were originally given as talks, so there definitely was a more conversational tone to them. It was clear from Hau’ofa’s prose that he was an academic (more specifically, an anthropologist) in the way he approached the histories and cultures of his community, but the writing was quite accessible, all things considered. Regarding history and culture, I really appreciated the way Hau’ofa reflected on the impact of colonization on this region, considering how few people discuss it. I was especially taken to the way he navigated his identity and positionality in his community and in academia, the unique situations that come up as one of the only anthropologists from the Pacific Islands.
I have to admit that I felt the first half of this book was significantly stronger than the second half, though this might be because I didn’t particularly enjoy his creative writing. More specifically, in the third section, there were two excerpts featured from his novel, Kisses in the Nederends, that some may find really grotesque, since the novel placed significant focus on all things anal. I think I understand the reason for featuring these excerpts, especially in relation to the other featured works, but I still felt that I lacked context to fully appreciate their inclusion.
I think this book is worth picking up to better understand Oceania, especially for the first two sections. And, if you’re at all interested in anthropology, Hau’ofa’s writing is one that’s well worth looking into, especially for his critiques of the discipline.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and Classism
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