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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
The descriptions of the land were amazing. The story was interesting, but did tend to drag in places. I particularly liked how the different storylines intertwined and came together in the end.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The huge description of the epic saga of Hawaii since its discovery by some natives coming from Bora Bora up to the birth of an American state.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A sprawling novel with a grand plan to lay out the history of Hawai'i for a modern (in the 50's) reader. It should be clear that this is a very big read, and may take several attempts to get through. I appreciate Michener's detail, but I found myself with a few complaints, and at least one kudos.
The kudos is that his explanation in the early sections about the Polynesian navigators would have been progressive for the time (that is, the idea that they knew where they were going because they were skilled seafarers, rather than that they were hapless wanderers who lucked out to get washed up on the beach). By the 1970's it was generally regarded in academia that the native Hawaiians got there by sheer luck on current-borne rafts, which we now know through both a good historical record and experimental archeology to be false. I was glad to hear Michener holding his fellow humans to a high standard and assuming that they had the same drive to develop skills and knowledge that he has.
That said, it is still the 50's and his descriptions tend toward a bit of Orientalism. I'm not sure how many times he refers to native Hawaiians as "moon faced" but I got a bit tired of it after a while.
All said and done, I felt like I understood more about the history of Hawaii, and it provided a bit of a cultural framework on which to hang other important works like Hawai'i's Story by the last Queen Lilioukalani. What I really regret, however, is that the book is a work of fiction. It seems a great missed opportunity to have written a detailed history, rather than a novel. It must have taken a lot of effort to research the history the way he did, and if he just went a bit further we could have had a true lasting reference, rather than just a novel.
The kudos is that his explanation in the early sections about the Polynesian navigators would have been progressive for the time (that is, the idea that they knew where they were going because they were skilled seafarers, rather than that they were hapless wanderers who lucked out to get washed up on the beach). By the 1970's it was generally regarded in academia that the native Hawaiians got there by sheer luck on current-borne rafts, which we now know through both a good historical record and experimental archeology to be false. I was glad to hear Michener holding his fellow humans to a high standard and assuming that they had the same drive to develop skills and knowledge that he has.
That said, it is still the 50's and his descriptions tend toward a bit of Orientalism. I'm not sure how many times he refers to native Hawaiians as "moon faced" but I got a bit tired of it after a while.
All said and done, I felt like I understood more about the history of Hawaii, and it provided a bit of a cultural framework on which to hang other important works like Hawai'i's Story by the last Queen Lilioukalani. What I really regret, however, is that the book is a work of fiction. It seems a great missed opportunity to have written a detailed history, rather than a novel. It must have taken a lot of effort to research the history the way he did, and if he just went a bit further we could have had a true lasting reference, rather than just a novel.
I have such mixed feelings about James Michener. On one hand he writes these methodically researched incredibly detailed tomes of historical fiction that really put the reader in a different time and place. On the other hand, they are so darn long! Granted covering 1,100 years of history is no easy feat, but there was an unevenness to the narrative. It would be the year 838 and then the 1800s! How does he determine what to include and what to leave out? I can't help but feel I missed some event in the intervening centuries.
Despite that, Hawaii was an awesome read. I learned a great deal about the island and its history, particularly the politics of land reform which I never thought too much about, but now understand how crucial that was to the island.
And I was psyched there was some mention of my home town - New Bedford, MA - the whaling industry had a strong connection to Hawaii and I appreciated the way Michener incorporated that into the story.
Despite that, Hawaii was an awesome read. I learned a great deal about the island and its history, particularly the politics of land reform which I never thought too much about, but now understand how crucial that was to the island.
And I was psyched there was some mention of my home town - New Bedford, MA - the whaling industry had a strong connection to Hawaii and I appreciated the way Michener incorporated that into the story.
I haven't read a Michener since college. I had forgotten how thorough he is. I read this after a trip to Hawaii....awesome and amazing!
Considering I was trying a book I wasn't sure I would like, Hawaii really surprised me. It's compelling in both plot and character, and from this end of this doorstop of a novel, I almost want it to keep going. The book was published in 1959 and the story in it ends in 1954. Is Michener dead? Can we get a short sequel to cover the last sixty years?
Definitely a long book, but really quite fascinating. It tells of Hawaii through different periods of time....the first people to live on Hawaii, the missionaries who brought Christianity, how Oriental labor shaped the community, the fight to join the US and gain statehood, overcoming racial prejudice, etc. Great story. This is not a quick read, but well written and a good, interesting story.