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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Another audio book. I enjoy listening to these more than reading them. If I read the book, I probably would have just given it 2 stars. The material just wasn't as compelling as that in some of her other books, but her narration adds a star to my review.
I listened to the audio book, read by the author*, during Thanksgiving & Christmas trips to see family. Sarah Vowell takes the reader/listener on a rambling journey through Hawaiian colonization/annexation. While the information is interesting and her wry sense of humor made me laugh out loud, the narrative sometimes feels directionless, and her delivery can get to be a bit much. (If you haven't listened to her before, I would recommend sampling before committing to 7.5 hours.)
*with excerpts from historical figures read by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, John Hodgman, Catherine Keener, Edward Norton, Keanu Reeves, Paul Rudd, John Slattery and...the star: Maya Rudolph as Queen Lili'uokalani.
*with excerpts from historical figures read by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, John Hodgman, Catherine Keener, Edward Norton, Keanu Reeves, Paul Rudd, John Slattery and...the star: Maya Rudolph as Queen Lili'uokalani.
Here’s the thing with Sarah Vowell. While I’m in the midst of her books, I’m loving them. She’s wry and smart, and the topics she chooses to write about are interesting. They’re things I only had cursory knowledge about — presidential assassinations, Hawaii, and Puritans. In the thick of her books whether I’m listening or reading, I’m all in. I love listening to her read her books. She’s a great reader & she always gets a host of co-readers which is awesome. But the thing is the moment I’m done, I have forgotten most everything she has written about. Read More.
I've been in the middle of moving to a location 2 hours from my previous home. This has meant a lot of driving back and forth, 250 miles round trip each time. For a good bit of that drive, radio reception is poor, so no NPR. So I went looking for an audio book to make the journeys a bit less onerous.
Unfamiliar Fishes is the history of Hawaii's encounter with white, Western civilization, first in the form of explorers like James Cook and later the New England missionaries sent to Christianize the natives and their descendants, who become the politicians and businessmen who finally effect the annexation of Hawaii as a territory of the U.S. Hawaii has an interesting history to begin with; Sarah Vowell tells it with her own, often quirky take and a great deal of political and personal insight. Her descriptions of the puritanical missionaries' zeal to save the Hawaiians and their reactions to Hawaiian culture are worth the price of the CD. And she also explains the origin of the plate lunch (although she doesn't mention the significance of Spam).
One of the fun things about the audio book is listening to her deadpan delivery. But as a book for long car trips, that can also be a problem. Of course it is not possible to stay completely focused on an audio book when on the road; sometimes other cars and pesky signs require one's attention. And Vowell's delivery has a certain monotony to the cadence that can make it easier for the mind to wander. As a result, I feel like what I caught of the book is a bit like swiss cheese. It makes me want to listen again--or perhaps actually read the book for myself (although I wouldn't have wanted to miss Vowell's reading).
FWIW, the audio book took two round trips to get through, about 500 miles of driving.
Unfamiliar Fishes is the history of Hawaii's encounter with white, Western civilization, first in the form of explorers like James Cook and later the New England missionaries sent to Christianize the natives and their descendants, who become the politicians and businessmen who finally effect the annexation of Hawaii as a territory of the U.S. Hawaii has an interesting history to begin with; Sarah Vowell tells it with her own, often quirky take and a great deal of political and personal insight. Her descriptions of the puritanical missionaries' zeal to save the Hawaiians and their reactions to Hawaiian culture are worth the price of the CD. And she also explains the origin of the plate lunch (although she doesn't mention the significance of Spam).
One of the fun things about the audio book is listening to her deadpan delivery. But as a book for long car trips, that can also be a problem. Of course it is not possible to stay completely focused on an audio book when on the road; sometimes other cars and pesky signs require one's attention. And Vowell's delivery has a certain monotony to the cadence that can make it easier for the mind to wander. As a result, I feel like what I caught of the book is a bit like swiss cheese. It makes me want to listen again--or perhaps actually read the book for myself (although I wouldn't have wanted to miss Vowell's reading).
FWIW, the audio book took two round trips to get through, about 500 miles of driving.
I like Sarah Vowell and when she let glimpses of her personality slip into the narrative, I enjoyed it. Overall, though, it was hard to keep the different players straight. The story seemed to jump around. Also, it was written more like a research paper and not like a story. I get that it is non-fiction. But, there are a few talented non-fiction writers that can do both-present the research and also tell a story in an engaging way. This book, in my opinion, didn't achieve that.
Not one of Sarah Vowell's most compelling reads. It kind of felt like the leftovers from The Wordy Shipmates. I wasn't expecting a book about Hawaii to have so many New Englanders in it. Maybe I was just expecting something different, but I thought it would be more about the end of Hawaii has an independent nation rather than its beginnings. Overall, not as much fun as her other books, but still interesting.
Really fascinating look at the effects of manifest destiny and how Hawaii's strategic importance to the continental US sealed its fate as annexed land. And I love Sarah Vowell, so her opinions and voice telling the story of 19th-century Hawaii was wonderful.
This was the first Sarah Vowell book I'd ever read, and I'd heard a lot of good things about her. I don't know if the subject matter wasn't that fascinating, or if I couldn't quite hear her "voice" within the book, but I found Unfamiliar Fishes to be terribly dry. I finished the entire thing and learned some interesting facts about Hawaii in the process, but I could only read it a few pages at a time before losing concentration. I will consider reading other Vowell books in the future -- any suggestions?
This was a really interesting look at the history of Hawaii, from the discovery of the islands by explorer Cooke to the over throw of the monarchy in the late 1800's. What could be a dry topic is saved by Vowell's wit, insight, and perspective. I learned so much from this book. And I also found many places I want to visit the next time we go to Hawaii. I plan on reading more books by this author.
I love Sarah Vowell. I love her writing style and distinct voice. But, that was all that let me power through this book. I'm sorry, pre-annexation Hawaiian history isn't all that interesting to me. In the hands of a lesser author, I probably would have abandoned it 100 pages in, but I persevered and am now prepared to offer up random trivia about the first missionaries to Hawaii, or the last queen of Hawaii, should the need ever arise. Aloha, Unfamiliar Fishes.