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 The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific :: 0767915305
Description
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At the age of twenty-six, Maarten Troost—who had been pushing the snooze button on the alarm clock of life by racking up useless graduate degrees and muddling through a series of temp jobs—decided to pack up his flip-flops and move to Tarawa, a remote South Pacific island in the Republic of Kiribati. He was restless and lacked direction, and the idea of dropping everything and moving to the ends of the earth was irresistibly romantic. He should have known better.
The Sex Lives of Cannibals tells the hilarious story of what happens when Troost discovers that Tarawa is not the island paradise he dreamed of. Falling into one amusing misadventure after another, Troost struggles through relentless, stifling heat, a variety of deadly bacteria, polluted seas, toxic fish—all in a country where the only music to be heard for miles around is “La Macarena.” He and his stalwart girlfriend Sylvia spend the next two years battling incompetent government officials, alarmingly large critters, erratic electricity, and a paucity of food options (including the Great Beer Crisis); and contending with a bizarre cast of local characters, including “Half-Dead Fred” and the self-proclaimed Poet Laureate of Tarawa (a British drunkard who’s never written a poem in his life).
With The Sex Lives of Cannibals, Maarten Troost has delivered one of the most original, rip-roaringly funny travelogues in years—one that will leave you thankful for staples of American civilization such as coffee, regular showers, and tabloid news, and that will provide the ultimate vicarious adventure.Editorial Descriptions are usually submitted by the manufacturers, publishers and authors. Contact us if you are one of them, and wish to change the above description. |
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Author: Guest
I picked up this book as an impulse; the title was intriguing.
It's a very funny read; I laughed out loud numerous times which I rarely do when reading. With the humor there were some social/political issues that did get one thinking. I appreciated the fact that Troost never preached or got on some political band wagon. Regardless, there were issues explored that caused me to ponder man's existence on this planet.
It is a quick read; it's hard to put down.
Troost's writing style is somewhat academic; even he makes comments on his long sentences. However, once the reader gets used to his style, it's engaging.
I can not recommend this book any more highly.
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Author: Guest
What a delightful book! It's funny, very informative without pushing an agenda or preaching, and basically gives you a slice of a life on a remote south pacific island. Since msot of us will never have this experience, it's great to have the highlights so wonderfully set forth in this little volume. Great vacation reading to pass the time on a plane or in a waiting room. It won't take long, it's easy reading, but expect to laughout loud now and then and get some looks from fellow passengers. Highly recommended, especially if you like to travel or read travelougues.
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Author: Guest
A good friend from college was in Tonga for 3 years in the Peace Corps, and visiting him in the South Pacific was scary, incredible, confusing, enlightening, and hillarious. That's exactly how this book portrays the author's reaction to his time in Kiribati when his girlfriend accepted an assignment there with an NGO. If you want to learn about the history of the South Pacific, or the culture of South Pacific Islands, this is not the book. It doesn't aim to teach hard facts. If you want a book that is entertaining and also a little educational, this is it.
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Author: Guest
Light fun read about a tropical hell hole plagued by faeces and NGO's. Just the book to read on a boring flight or in the airport lounge while you're travelling to another boring business meeting. If genuinely interested in the South Pacific then there's none better than "The Fatal Impact: The Invasion of the South Pacific, 1767-1840" (Hardcover)
by Alan Moorehead
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Author: Guest
I laughed out loud! Draws attention to enviromental and political issues but doesn't preach.
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