It’s A Wild Wednesday Bookmobile!
Look at the title of this book! How can you not love it! This “Wednesday Bookmobile” heads to the South Seas – not quite as exotic as you might imagine!
Great travel writer J. Maarten Troost got to actually live in the South Seas when his wife was there as a official for the US government…and he found an interesting fact about the place:
“The man was eaten for his ‘mana’, that is the invisible power that resides in the head.”
Yes, it was home to cannibals! But that’s what makes the adventure so much fun, right? I mean, there has to be SOME price to pay for living here:
Time For Great Troost Travel!
Troost has written many travel books, all based on his personal experience of living in the South Pacific with his wife…here, for example is a short passage from the beginning of one book – the Author speaking to a french man about what makes the french the french:
“Dreams, he said, while pale and smelling of regurgitated chicken, do sometimes come true and this, he concluded, was how we endure the tragedy, the comedy, of life, and for a moment I was reminded of why I love the French – not even blowing chunks will ruin ‘la grande romance’ of it all.”
I love this Writer! J. Maarten Troost has written four terrific travel books – I will share his other work in a moment, but his most recent took him back to the South Seas:
“Headhunters On My Doorstep” is the story of Troost returning to the islands where he lived when he wrote his “Cannibals” book…
Roost returns to his old island home after several years away to see how his life changed since he lived there. Troost has changed as well – and the book is far more personal than any he has written before, but as always, beautifully written…
Here is an idea of Troost’s writing style, from page 159 of the book:
“Do you have some time?” Celine asked. Oh, I don’t know. I’m on an island in the middle of nowhere, without an ongoing ticket or a way off, amusing myself by going on desultory hikes to the set of ‘Survivor: Marquesas’ in the drenching rain. Yeah, I think I’ve got a couple of minutes to spare…
Yes, one of the areas explored by the Author is the location of the 4th season of the reality show “Survivor”…but Troost isn’t there to play a game – he brings to life a culture that is vibrant, proud, and nearly decimated by their interaction with white people.
As you can see, he’s got a way with words, which is why the book is so much fun to read, and full of fascinating information – about cannibalism, for example.
“The man was eaten for his ‘mana’, that is the invisible power that resides in the head.”
There is so much to love about this book, but it is a cautionary tale as well…as the world’s climate threatens to destroy an entire way of life…
In many ways, this is his most personal – and important – work. Of course, this should leave you breathless to read ALL of Troost’s books, so just click on my link below for my story about them all!
I recommend you read them in order!
Categories: Books / Media, Exotic Travel, Memoirs, nature, Pop Culture, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir, Uncategorized
johnrieber 
They sound like great reads all, John. The idea of those island ‘paradises’ has never really appealed to me for long-term living, I confess.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, the concept of “paradise” is great, the reality a bit less so indeed!
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Thanks for sharing, what was your favorite thing about this book?
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His self-deprecating tone – he’s a real “fish out of water” in all of his writing – and that style works well as he describes the realities of life on a tropical island…his most recent book is more sobering because it returns him to the island of the “Sex Lives” book, and it’s slowly flooding…meaning a bleak future for those who live on it…ALL of his books are great, I tried to include examples of his style…thanks for the comment!
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