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88 reviews for:
Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art
Carl Hoffman
3.46 AVERAGE
88 reviews for:
Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art
Carl Hoffman
3.46 AVERAGE
I got this book through a firstreads giveaway.
I'm not entirely sure what I expected of this book--my husband is a subscriber of conspiracy theories, and 'Rockefeller' stood out to me.
Conspiracies aside, this book was fantastic. It was so much more than "rich man vs. savages". I can't imagine anyone reading this as nonfiction, though, as I originally thought it might be (I judge by the cover, so sue me.)
All in all this was an entertaining book and interesting addition to our 'possible but probably not true' conspiracy collection.
I'm not entirely sure what I expected of this book--my husband is a subscriber of conspiracy theories, and 'Rockefeller' stood out to me.
Conspiracies aside, this book was fantastic. It was so much more than "rich man vs. savages". I can't imagine anyone reading this as nonfiction, though, as I originally thought it might be (I judge by the cover, so sue me.)
All in all this was an entertaining book and interesting addition to our 'possible but probably not true' conspiracy collection.
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Colonisation
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
This book was a little slow at first, but the last half went faster and was interesting. It was difficult to keep all of the people, places and stories straight, but overall this was an intriguing book.
While Hoffman in this book claims to “illuminate a culture transformed by years of colonial rule,” the whole narrative itself seems to further perpetuate it. Hoffman is quick to criticize the decades of Dutch colonial rule in this area and points out that the “pull of the primitive” is outdated, but his descriptions of the Asmat and being around them read like a 19th century anthropological account. Here, cannibalism is still being treated like an oddity in a very voyeuristic and almost sensationalized way. It felt wrong and kind of off-putting to me. I understand what Hoffman was trying to do, but I don’t think that there was much awareness on the part of Hoffman as to his position; A white male, asking questions about another white male who died 50 years earlier. By framing his story this way, with the focus on the murder of Michael Rockefeller, Hoffman is essentially shaming the culture for their ritual practice of cannibalism, whether he intends to or not.
Read Full Review: https://mybookbagblog.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/carl-hoffman-savage-harvest-2014/
Read Full Review: https://mybookbagblog.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/carl-hoffman-savage-harvest-2014/
Savage Harvest is notable more for its exploration of headhunting as a dying vestige of the Asmat culture and its evocation of one of the remotest corners of the world than for its attempt to solve the mystery of what happened to Michael Rockefeller.
This was a very intriguing book about the disappearance of Michael Rockefeller while collecting art in primitive Asmat. Shrouded in mystery and secrets, cultural barriers, and taboo, Hoffman explores the circumstances surrounding Rockefeller's disappearance. Hoffman takes a look at historical events leading up to Rockefeller's arrival in Asmat, as well as the culture of the Asmat people to show that while official reports suggest Rockefeller drowned, he was most likely cannibalized.
Two things stuck out to me as I read this book, and that I think Hoffman pointed out very well. First, Michael Rockefeller's arrival in Asmat left the region and the people forever changed. His arrival and subsequent disappearance had a lasting impact on the people and the culture. The search and the helicopters and in influx of white men to the region coupled with their superstitious nature, left the people guarded and fearful. As whites imposed their values and culture on the people, the Asmat people's fear was also coupled with shame and a sense of a loss of history and culture. Things would never be the same after Michael Rockefeller's quest for primitive art.
Second, that the Rockefeller family, despite their wealth and resources, searched so little for Michael. They readily accepted the drowning cause and hurried back to America despite the evidence to the contrary. Even if they questioned the cannibalism theories, they only remained in Asmat for less than 2 weeks and never returned again to question or search. As Hoffman points out, they had the power and resources to conduct a more thorough and intensive investigation. Most people would agree, that if this was our son or brother, we'd exhaust all leads until we had concrete answers or until we'd exhausted all resources.
A compelling and great read.
Two things stuck out to me as I read this book, and that I think Hoffman pointed out very well. First, Michael Rockefeller's arrival in Asmat left the region and the people forever changed. His arrival and subsequent disappearance had a lasting impact on the people and the culture. The search and the helicopters and in influx of white men to the region coupled with their superstitious nature, left the people guarded and fearful. As whites imposed their values and culture on the people, the Asmat people's fear was also coupled with shame and a sense of a loss of history and culture. Things would never be the same after Michael Rockefeller's quest for primitive art.
Second, that the Rockefeller family, despite their wealth and resources, searched so little for Michael. They readily accepted the drowning cause and hurried back to America despite the evidence to the contrary. Even if they questioned the cannibalism theories, they only remained in Asmat for less than 2 weeks and never returned again to question or search. As Hoffman points out, they had the power and resources to conduct a more thorough and intensive investigation. Most people would agree, that if this was our son or brother, we'd exhaust all leads until we had concrete answers or until we'd exhausted all resources.
A compelling and great read.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
A savage tale of the fate of Michael Rockefeller. Very, very detailed.