Caribbean
by James A. Michener
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Book Summary Information
Author: James A. MichenerEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1990-12-25
ISBN: 0449217493
Number of pages: 832
Publisher: Fawcett
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780449217498
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Book Reviews of Caribbean
Book Review: To understand the Caribbean, start, but don't stop, here...
Summary: 4 Stars
I read this book to familiarize myself with the history of the area while visiting. It's a fairly easy read, just ridiculously long (yet I feel it still wasn't long enough to cover everything it should have). This is my first Michener read.
What I enjoyed most was the sea battle and pirate section. They were an adventure and now I can see why people like pirates so much - I never quite understood the romanticism attached to them before, only the terror. A huge component of this was being given a detailed background of the movements of the Spanish fleet as well as the industry & attitude of the budding colonial islands immediately beforehand, which allowed me to fully appreciate the situation.
I think this is where the rest of the book fails. I feel it does not provide adequate background for it's black, mixed or non-white characters, and their voices and characterization fall flat. I was also extremely dissatisfied with the first two chapters on Arawak and Maya life, which seemed very forced and uninspired to me. Since I read this book to get a little history and feel for the place, and since I only encountered black or mixed people on my visit to the Caribbean, it appears there was much lacking in this telling of the Caribbean story.
However, I did learn many other things and was able to gain a little more perspective on history I already knew about the colonial European powers, so it was definitely not a complete loss. Perhaps the reason many of the main characters were written as outsiders looking in was because that is what Michener was, simply an outsider, armed with an armada of historical publications and research, looking in. In reality, Michener is doing our job for us... researching and delivering, in an entertaining way, 700 years of history in a convenient 800 small pages. Honestly that is not an easy feat, and I applaud his efforts. Instead of complaining more about the perspectives this book lacks, I should seek them out from the history books and Caribbean authors myself, to which Michener provides ample references at the end of his book.
In conclusion, the book gives a good overview of the European history in the region and a snapshot of its "current" situation (c 1980's). It also gave me a useful feel for the historical time line and geographical orientation of the islands. I found it easy and interesting to read and would recommend it to an outsider looking for a place to start understanding the Caribbean...
Summary of Caribbean
"A grand epic."THE CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER
Master storyteller James A. Michener sweeps us off to the Caribbean,with a magnificent novel that captures the eternal allure of that glittering string of islands and their tumultuous history. Beginning in 1310 and continuing through Columbus's arrival and the bloody slave revolt of Haiti to the rise of Castro, CARIBBEAN carries us through 700 dramatic years in a tale teeming with revolution and romance, slavery and superstition, heartfelt characters and thunderous destinies.
A Dual Main Slection of the Book-of-the-Month Club
Michener, James Books
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