James A. Michener

A Novel

Hawaii

Nico J

The word "sweeping" is an apt one to describe just how sprawling, massive, and detailed this novel is, and I'm glad I ended up continuing with it because unfortunately the worst dip of this is in the middle and it feels like plodding through a field. The beginning and the end are great peaks, however, and it's truly a dazzling experience. The detail is vivid - it's real. That's what I was searching for to learn about Hawaii in a less boring format, and this delivered. As to the authenticity of minute details, most sources seem to say it's accurate, albeit written as a story, which makes sense. The only frustrating thing was that it lacked natural breaks and it was difficult to find a place to pause.

The first two chapters (Boundless Deep / Sunswept Lagoon) are amazing, especially the latter, containing the meat of culture, history, religion, and tradition that would set the stage for the growth of families on the islands to come. Thinking about any group of people undertaking such a crazy journey, something unexplored and perhaps proving fruitless, is the spirit of adventure that I think we lack today. Not because of cultural fault or failure to thrive so much as the simple fact that we have less and less to discover.

The third chapter is the most boring, period. It's important, but the characters are all so incredibly unlikable, sallow, and irritating. Their clashes and fights with the tradition already present in island life are interesting, but reading about them being ill on the ship and the unnecessary, strange suffering . . . incredibly boring, period. 

Four and five: From the Starving Village and From the Inland Sea were fantastic, illustrating a time of upheaval, of many traditions and ethnicities struggling and co-existing in the same place, and meshing together in something resembling a society. The overarching story of new business clashing with ingrained tradition is exciting to read, although sad in many aspects, too.

Six, the Golden Men, isn't an exciting ending, but it's a comfortable plateau to end on as Hawaii reaches statehood.

It's written richly and is a fantastic work. I would like to read other books he's written and conduct some historical research to compare the characters in the book to historical figures and see where he drew inspiration. This was completely worth the time it took to read.

Janet Doré

Wow...what a book! I picked it up after Kauai grabbed a piece of my heart on a prior visit. Michener seemingly covers it ALL in the 1,000+ pages of Hawaii...from the formation of the islands to the late 1950's (I was a bit disappointed that he did not write about King Kamehameha...must read another book about Hawaiian royalty!). The details are overwhelming at times, so I'd say that you have to have a passion for Hawaii or historical fiction in general in order to make it through this mammoth book. But, if you do, your understanding and love of the islands and their people will run so much deeper.

Hawaii A Novel

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