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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
This is quite a novel, stretching from the formation of the islands to the mid-20th century. It really brought to life the history of Hawaii through a series of enjoyable characters and families. Any time I read history now, I'm reminded of why "Make America Great Again" is such an appalling slogan. Our history--like most countries--is quite painful and filled with discrimination and social injustices. Even in today's climate, I'm confident that there are ways in which we continue as a society to move forward.
If you are heading to Hawaii, this is a fun way to get steeped in the history and culture. Michener is a masterful storyteller.
If you are heading to Hawaii, this is a fun way to get steeped in the history and culture. Michener is a masterful storyteller.
Great long read, with beautiful details about Hawaiian history and culture. At times, it moves along quickly. I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting looking for Hawaii-specific reading.
Great descriptions of the history and Geography and people’s lives in Hawaii - great to re-read in this time when international travelling is not possible
Yup, Abner Hale is still one of the most despicable characters I've read.
So very long. Took me 2 months to read! I learned a lot about Hawaii’s people and their culture. I feel bad for the poor treatment of native Hawaiians.
Oh my god I finally did it! I finished this absolute TOME of a book! As someone who typically eats up books pretty quickly it feels wild to have spent over 8 months reading this one.
This novel is truly a sweeping epic. I loved the very human stories and how the book was organized into distinct lineages that interwove over time. There absolutely are some very colonialist ideas and dated language that made me cringe. But Michener does impress me with how thoughtful and thorough he is writing a book like this as a white guy in the 1950s.
This book only made me want to learn more about the history of Hawaii, especially from more native voices.
This novel is truly a sweeping epic. I loved the very human stories and how the book was organized into distinct lineages that interwove over time. There absolutely are some very colonialist ideas and dated language that made me cringe. But Michener does impress me with how thoughtful and thorough he is writing a book like this as a white guy in the 1950s.
This book only made me want to learn more about the history of Hawaii, especially from more native voices.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
The word "sweeping" is an apt one to describe just how sprawling, massive, and detailed this novel is, and I'm glad I ended up continuing with it because unfortunately the worst dip of this is in the middle and it feels like plodding through a field. The beginning and the end are great peaks, however, and it's truly a dazzling experience. The detail is vivid - it's real. That's what I was searching for to learn about Hawaii in a less boring format, and this delivered. As to the authenticity of minute details, most sources seem to say it's accurate, albeit written as a story, which makes sense. The only frustrating thing was that it lacked natural breaks and it was difficult to find a place to pause.
The first two chapters (Boundless Deep / Sunswept Lagoon) are amazing, especially the latter, containing the meat of culture, history, religion, and tradition that would set the stage for the growth of families on the islands to come. Thinking about any group of people undertaking such a crazy journey, something unexplored and perhaps proving fruitless, is the spirit of adventure that I think we lack today. Not because of cultural fault or failure to thrive so much as the simple fact that we have less and less to discover.
The third chapter is the most boring, period. It's important, but the characters are all so incredibly unlikable, sallow, and irritating. Their clashes and fights with the tradition already present in island life are interesting, but reading about them being ill on the ship and the unnecessary, strange suffering . . . incredibly boring, period.
Four and five: From the Starving Village and From the Inland Sea were fantastic, illustrating a time of upheaval, of many traditions and ethnicities struggling and co-existing in the same place, and meshing together in something resembling a society. The overarching story of new business clashing with ingrained tradition is exciting to read, although sad in many aspects, too.
Six, the Golden Men, isn't an exciting ending, but it's a comfortable plateau to end on as Hawaii reaches statehood.
It's written richly and is a fantastic work. I would like to read other books he's written and conduct some historical research to compare the characters in the book to historical figures and see where he drew inspiration. This was completely worth the time it took to read.
The first two chapters (Boundless Deep / Sunswept Lagoon) are amazing, especially the latter, containing the meat of culture, history, religion, and tradition that would set the stage for the growth of families on the islands to come. Thinking about any group of people undertaking such a crazy journey, something unexplored and perhaps proving fruitless, is the spirit of adventure that I think we lack today. Not because of cultural fault or failure to thrive so much as the simple fact that we have less and less to discover.
The third chapter is the most boring, period. It's important, but the characters are all so incredibly unlikable, sallow, and irritating. Their clashes and fights with the tradition already present in island life are interesting, but reading about them being ill on the ship and the unnecessary, strange suffering . . . incredibly boring, period.
Four and five: From the Starving Village and From the Inland Sea were fantastic, illustrating a time of upheaval, of many traditions and ethnicities struggling and co-existing in the same place, and meshing together in something resembling a society. The overarching story of new business clashing with ingrained tradition is exciting to read, although sad in many aspects, too.
Six, the Golden Men, isn't an exciting ending, but it's a comfortable plateau to end on as Hawaii reaches statehood.
It's written richly and is a fantastic work. I would like to read other books he's written and conduct some historical research to compare the characters in the book to historical figures and see where he drew inspiration. This was completely worth the time it took to read.
In the past two months I have read two novels, one history, and one memoir about the Aloha State only to learn what I should have already known; there is only one true book on the subject: James Michener's "Hawaii". Spanning from its creation from the ocean floor to the eve of its statehood, "Hawaii" is a testament to the complexities of history that offers no easy answers. In the description of the islands' forming the narrator asserts, "Remember this: its emergence means nothing; its persistence, everything." Persistence is the key to all its inhabitants' success: from the arrival of its first people from Bora Bora, the doggedness of the New England missionaries, the iron will of the Japanese, and the determination of the Chinese. Hawaii is peopled by many others spanning from Polynesia, the Philippines, Portugal, and Scandinavia, but the focus is on the first four groups. Each has a saga starting from their home that details why they went to Hawaii, the struggles they faced, their impact on the islands, the islands' impact on them, and how relationships between each shaped the Hawaii we know today. It is gripping. I listened to the audiobook and everyday on my way to work or on my walks, I was caught up in the sweeping events and emotions as each family tries to become stakeholder in their new home. It is, first and foremost, a good story.
Michener's novel was published seventy years ago when Hawaii received statehood and part of me wondered how well the book has aged and how it would be read today. Some of the language is dated, but the novel is still, if not more, relevant to today as we revisit history and what we're taught. There are many lessons here about how history has multiple perspectives, how we need to ask critical questions of what we and others say, how we need to pause in our arguments to look back at the sources and evaluate our positions against what really happened. He does not shy away from hard issues.
The book itself is over 1,000 pages and the audiobook is 52 hours, but it is an important book to read, not just to learn about the history of Hawaii, which has to be the most unique in the world, but also to understand history-- that it is more complex and multi-faceted than anything one could ever get from a Facebook or Instagram post.
Michener's novel was published seventy years ago when Hawaii received statehood and part of me wondered how well the book has aged and how it would be read today. Some of the language is dated, but the novel is still, if not more, relevant to today as we revisit history and what we're taught. There are many lessons here about how history has multiple perspectives, how we need to ask critical questions of what we and others say, how we need to pause in our arguments to look back at the sources and evaluate our positions against what really happened. He does not shy away from hard issues.
The book itself is over 1,000 pages and the audiobook is 52 hours, but it is an important book to read, not just to learn about the history of Hawaii, which has to be the most unique in the world, but also to understand history-- that it is more complex and multi-faceted than anything one could ever get from a Facebook or Instagram post.
Very interesting. Timeless ideas on race and power. Sometimes long winded. Keeping track of characters got confusing.