Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Drags a little in the middle, but a fun, short reflection on American imperialism.
what i've learned from hawaii's history and history in general: if a white religious nut asks to move next door, say hell no
I am a fan of Sarh Vowell and was very excited to read her latest, "Unfamiliar Fishes." It was a bit of a let down as it failed to capture my attention. I think this book would be very interesting to people who are not familiar with Hawaii's tumultuous History. I grew up visiting Hawaii for several weeks every year and it feels like a second home, so most of this book was not new information for me. I did like reading about places that I have visited, but my mind wandered as I read this book. I would still recommend it, as I think Vowell is generally great at making History come alive to her readers and everyone in the United States should know the History of Hawaii.
Probably more than I ever thought I wanted to know about Hawaii. Sarah Vowell has the ability to entertain and educate in a sly schoolmarm voice, equal parts chastisements and forgiveness for not having researched this yourself.
This was a slog. I like Sarah Vowell. She's quirky and smart. I like Hawaii. It's got an important history. I didn't love this book.
As with all Vowell books she gets a little tangential at times. But in this one I think she got too off-topic at points. Also, there was, to me, this sense of weird superiority or know-it-allness in Vowell's reading that gave the impression that she was just trying to show off how cool she was for liking Hawaii and having native Hawaiian friends. I don't know, this whole book felt weirdly braggy? Which is a weird thing to say about what is ostensibly a pop-history book, but nonetheless that's how I felt.
As with all Vowell books she gets a little tangential at times. But in this one I think she got too off-topic at points. Also, there was, to me, this sense of weird superiority or know-it-allness in Vowell's reading that gave the impression that she was just trying to show off how cool she was for liking Hawaii and having native Hawaiian friends. I don't know, this whole book felt weirdly braggy? Which is a weird thing to say about what is ostensibly a pop-history book, but nonetheless that's how I felt.
I am torn on this. Because now I feel like I know SO MUCH about Hawaii, which came SO MUCH in handy while a) watching The Descendants and b) talking to all the people I knew honeymooning in Hawaii this season. But also every time I sat down to read this book, I inevitably fell asleep within five pages.
I really enjoy listening to Vowell's work, narrated by Vowell and her celebrity friends. I learn a lot and her humor makes for some fun listening, even during difficult subject matter.
I enjoyed this book more than Assassination Vacation (which I really enjoyed, some presidential stories more than others), and I have no doubt I will enjoy Lafayette in the Somewhat United States. I'll save that gem for later. I got a little bogged down with the Hawaiian laws and annexation/eminent domain but that's only a small part. My favorite part was the early Hawaiian history and any time Vowell talked about her nephew's opinion.
Vowell is preachy but she owns it and is transparent about it. It can get a little old but I get it. I also got a bit tired of the Christian bashing but it's part of Hawaiian/American history and it's better to air out all the dirty laundry instead of burying it.
Overall, if you like history with a bit of humor and don't mind a liberal bias, check her out! I certainly will and hope she writes, and narrates, more.
I enjoyed this book more than Assassination Vacation (which I really enjoyed, some presidential stories more than others), and I have no doubt I will enjoy Lafayette in the Somewhat United States. I'll save that gem for later. I got a little bogged down with the Hawaiian laws and annexation/eminent domain but that's only a small part. My favorite part was the early Hawaiian history and any time Vowell talked about her nephew's opinion.
Vowell is preachy but she owns it and is transparent about it. It can get a little old but I get it. I also got a bit tired of the Christian bashing but it's part of Hawaiian/American history and it's better to air out all the dirty laundry instead of burying it.
Overall, if you like history with a bit of humor and don't mind a liberal bias, check her out! I certainly will and hope she writes, and narrates, more.
I think I should have gotten this as an audiobook, especially if it’s read by Sarah Vowell. She tends to write books without chapter breaks, and when I hear her speak, I can hear how her mind works and how things tie together, but it’s somehow more challenging without an occasional forced break in the text. Her research is impeccable and her grasp of history is vast.
Short review: I really like Sarah Vowell as an author and narrator. I listened to this on audiobook and enjoyed it, but not as much as some of her other books. The middle dragged a bit and the jumping around in time got a bit confusing.
Full review at http://bookwi.se/unfamiliar-fishes-vowell/
Full review at http://bookwi.se/unfamiliar-fishes-vowell/
Missed the wry voice that I've loved in her previous books. This is a much more serious book about the questionable tactics used by both missionaries and the US government that led to the annexation of Hawaii.
There weren't any people who joined weird communes, so not a lot of jokes (fave chapter in Assassination Vacation is the one about the guy who joins the Oneidas and winds up being too nuts even for them). Kind of hard to come up with witticisms for a culture being trampled under imperialism.
There weren't any people who joined weird communes, so not a lot of jokes (fave chapter in Assassination Vacation is the one about the guy who joins the Oneidas and winds up being too nuts even for them). Kind of hard to come up with witticisms for a culture being trampled under imperialism.