Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Note: For those looking to listen to this book you’ll get a good deal! At 49 hours this book provides good bang for the credit!
I was a little hesitant in committing to this long book, but it was so interesting to me it felt like a shorter book. It starts out at the formation of the actual island, which read as almost prose. It then skips thousands(millions) of years to a story of the people making their way onto the island (one of my favorites). Then onto missionaries (also a favorite), and finally the longest portion to their descendants. I fell in love with some of the characters, particularly the women characters. There is a theme of true committed love throughout as the couples come together in unusual circumstances. The women are strong, committed and live their lives loving their families and husbands despite hardships. I enjoyed learning about the Japanese WW2 Soliders and how valiantly they fought for the United States and their viewpoint on the war. I loved the story of the leprosy island, how in horrendous circumstances they survived. The ending I did get a little bored/confused as there were so many characters it was difficult to follow (problems with audiobooks sometimes). But overall this book surprised me with just how much I loved it!
I was a little hesitant in committing to this long book, but it was so interesting to me it felt like a shorter book. It starts out at the formation of the actual island, which read as almost prose. It then skips thousands(millions) of years to a story of the people making their way onto the island (one of my favorites). Then onto missionaries (also a favorite), and finally the longest portion to their descendants. I fell in love with some of the characters, particularly the women characters. There is a theme of true committed love throughout as the couples come together in unusual circumstances. The women are strong, committed and live their lives loving their families and husbands despite hardships. I enjoyed learning about the Japanese WW2 Soliders and how valiantly they fought for the United States and their viewpoint on the war. I loved the story of the leprosy island, how in horrendous circumstances they survived. The ending I did get a little bored/confused as there were so many characters it was difficult to follow (problems with audiobooks sometimes). But overall this book surprised me with just how much I loved it!
A sudden but positive conclusion. I feel like I learnt quite a bit about Hawaii's culture, but from a rather one-sided perspective. Certainly makes me want to visit. After you are several hundred pages in, each large section starts to feel like a repeat. This group immigrates, and this happens. That group immigrates, and basically the same thing happens. Also some extremely (as expected for the time, but in odd contrast with a writing style that does well at dodging racism) sexist attitudes. However, this book felt LONG. And I haven't felt that way about a book in a while, even ones that ARE this long in number of pages.
slow-paced
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The first 80% was glorious. I had to struggle to get through the last 20%, and I'm now just about sworn off Michener. As a lover of Hawaii and Hawaiian history, it left me unsatisfied.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
By far the worst book I have ever read. Can't believe I finished all 1095 pages. Should have burned it long ago.
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is really looong, and I would say that 90% of it is quite good. It's typical James Michener. You get a comprehensive idea of the history of Hawaii, if not the details, and it's also a pretty fun read. Not high literary style, but not badly written either. My favorite character shows up about halfway through the book, and lives to be over 100 and sticks around to almost the end. So if you're slogging through this one, at least stick around for Nyuk Tsin and her adventures as the Pake Kokua. She's amazing, but not as angelic as she first seems. Abner Hale is also a good character, although I had to get past some of my initial distaste for his missionary zeal.
So what do we get in the book Hawaii? An abridged geologic history of the islands. The first settlers from Bora Bora, and their brutish yet charming ways. The missionaries, especially the overly-righteous Abner Hale. Merchants, shippers, real-estate tycoons and power-hungry politicians. Chinese workers, gamblers, and prostitutes (from destitution in China to oppression in Hawaii). Lovers! Sex! Japanese nationalists and World War II heros. Union leaders. Legal reformers. And of course, the Hawaiians, although not as much as you would think.
I give it 4 stars and not 5 because the writing just isn't that good, and getting through some of it is like walking through a field of molasses. Also some of the characters aren't that well developed, and there are too many of them. I would have given it 3 stars if it weren't for some of the amazing characters though, who make this book more than worth sticking it out for 1100+ pages.
Now I want to go back to Hawaii.
So what do we get in the book Hawaii? An abridged geologic history of the islands. The first settlers from Bora Bora, and their brutish yet charming ways. The missionaries, especially the overly-righteous Abner Hale. Merchants, shippers, real-estate tycoons and power-hungry politicians. Chinese workers, gamblers, and prostitutes (from destitution in China to oppression in Hawaii). Lovers! Sex! Japanese nationalists and World War II heros. Union leaders. Legal reformers. And of course, the Hawaiians, although not as much as you would think.
I give it 4 stars and not 5 because the writing just isn't that good, and getting through some of it is like walking through a field of molasses. Also some of the characters aren't that well developed, and there are too many of them. I would have given it 3 stars if it weren't for some of the amazing characters though, who make this book more than worth sticking it out for 1100+ pages.
Now I want to go back to Hawaii.