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cemoses's review against another edition
4.0
It is a comedy of errors. I wanted to read something that was neither contemporary nor from the nineteenth century and this book hit the mark.
Some modern novels dont get the social norms of the 1960s correctly which this novel did(I am old enough to remember the 1960s).
Some modern novels dont get the social norms of the 1960s correctly which this novel did(I am old enough to remember the 1960s).
katrinaburger's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jbarr5's review against another edition
4.0
Don't stop the carnival by Wouk_ Herman
Like this book because it's about a Carribean island where a lot of people visit for various reasons and they find want they were looking for.
One man, has had a heart attack and is recuperating but he knows business and helps others out by expanding their places to allocate more space for more beds, etc and it brings in a lot more money.
Like the descriptions of the area and the culture.
Money is in land deals and they are abundant-using others money to get the land, what a concept and it's working-for some.
Job and workers always need more money and there are diasters every day with help and land.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Like this book because it's about a Carribean island where a lot of people visit for various reasons and they find want they were looking for.
One man, has had a heart attack and is recuperating but he knows business and helps others out by expanding their places to allocate more space for more beds, etc and it brings in a lot more money.
Like the descriptions of the area and the culture.
Money is in land deals and they are abundant-using others money to get the land, what a concept and it's working-for some.
Job and workers always need more money and there are diasters every day with help and land.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
chiarareadz's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Don’t Stop The Carnival is a timeless classic and still accurate representation of Island Life in the Caribbean. Herman Wouk through his time and experience in the islands has effortlessly exemplifies the ups and downs of island life. This book is one of my favorites and a classic example of “United States to Caribbean” literature.
angola's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
friendlypoet's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, and Colonisation
paigereitz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I struggled with how to rate this book. I didn't hate it. But it's very clearly dated, a relic of another time that does not hold up particularly well. As a Buffett Bookcase staple, I felt obliged to give it a shot - the story of a white man who buys a hotel on a whim in the Caribbean and gets his ass handed to him in his white superiority nonsense is, in fact, an important story. But the dated racial and homophobic language was gross, and the story dragged at times. It took me a while to chew through, in starts and stops, but it wasn't all bad. But it wasn't a top read of 2023 either.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism, Deportation, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Death, Racism, Infidelity, and Homophobia
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
5.0
This book... objectively is a 3-4 star read but I’m too close to it to be objective (this is a reread for me). Bad news first: its attitudes towards women, Caribbean people, and the LGBTQ community are ANTIQUATED. Capitalized. Underlined. Antiquated.
However, considering that it was written in 1965 it’s ‘forgivable’ in that it does accurately capture the zeitgeist of the time.
The good news: the story is a tragicomedy about the illusionary paradise of running a hotel as an outsider in the Caribbean and it really, really is just like that. What can go wrong will go wrong and often in the most uproarious ways. The author would know as Herman Wouk did spend some time running a hotel (The Royal Mail Inn) on Hassel Island in the US Virgin Islands before writing the novel.
The title of the book is a cheeky play on the Caribbean meaning of the word carnival = party / fete, and the western meaning = circus. Hotels really are sort of like freak shows... especially down here where people tend to take on their ‘cutting loose’ vacations with vehemence.
I was handed this book with a wink and a smile when I started in the Caribbean hospitality industry and read it then, and now a few years in it warranted a reread to see just how accurate this ‘field guide’ is. And it is. Unfortunately here in the Caribbean a lot of the antiquated attitudes are still accurate too, but that aside, whenever something goes wrong at one of the hotels I work with (which it inevitably will, even things you never imagined could go wrong) I often hear the phrase (or I say it myself) ‘don’t stop the carnival’ uttered in reference to this book. When nonsense occurs that you want to fix, ignore, or mask you simply don’t stop the carnival!
However, considering that it was written in 1965 it’s ‘forgivable’ in that it does accurately capture the zeitgeist of the time.
The good news: the story is a tragicomedy about the illusionary paradise of running a hotel as an outsider in the Caribbean and it really, really is just like that. What can go wrong will go wrong and often in the most uproarious ways. The author would know as Herman Wouk did spend some time running a hotel (The Royal Mail Inn) on Hassel Island in the US Virgin Islands before writing the novel.
The title of the book is a cheeky play on the Caribbean meaning of the word carnival = party / fete, and the western meaning = circus. Hotels really are sort of like freak shows... especially down here where people tend to take on their ‘cutting loose’ vacations with vehemence.
I was handed this book with a wink and a smile when I started in the Caribbean hospitality industry and read it then, and now a few years in it warranted a reread to see just how accurate this ‘field guide’ is. And it is. Unfortunately here in the Caribbean a lot of the antiquated attitudes are still accurate too, but that aside, whenever something goes wrong at one of the hotels I work with (which it inevitably will, even things you never imagined could go wrong) I often hear the phrase (or I say it myself) ‘don’t stop the carnival’ uttered in reference to this book. When nonsense occurs that you want to fix, ignore, or mask you simply don’t stop the carnival!