The Sex Lives of Cannibals : Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific

by J. Maarten Troost | Biographies & Memoirs |
ISBN: 0767915305 Global Overview for this book
Registered by herlibrary of Miami, Florida USA on 9/21/2005
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13 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by herlibrary from Miami, Florida USA on Wednesday, September 21, 2005
HERlibrary review: I found this book both hilarious and disturbing. It starts off rather dull and self-indulgent on the part of the author but it actually picks up pace with some dark laugh-out-loud humor. Some may enjoy it as I did, others (like my husband) will not be able to get beyond the first dull chapters.

Journal Entry 2 by herlibrary from Miami, Florida USA on Wednesday, September 21, 2005
From Amazon.com

Book Description
The laugh-out-loud true story of a harrowing and hilarious two-year odyssey in the distant South Pacific island nation of Kiribati—possibly The Worst Place on Earth.

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.

Journal Entry 3 by herlibrary from Miami, Florida USA on Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Reserved for bookring

Journal Entry 4 by herlibrary from Miami, Florida USA on Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Bookring is now CLOSED. Additional members may be added if they are willing to mail internationally and they will be added to the end of the list - The book is a paperback and weighs 11 ounces.

RULES OF THE BOOKRING:

1. When you receive the book please make a journal entry.

2. Read it and pass it on within 30 days. If you can't read it within 30 days, please pass on to the next person.

3. When you are finished reading it, make a journal entry giving your opinion of the book.

4. Contact the next person on the list to get their mailing address. If no response is received after two attempts, contact me and then next person on the list.

5. When you mail the book make another journal entry indicating when and to whom it was sent. The book is a paperback and weighs 11 ounces.

6. After you have actually mailed the book, PM the person you mailed the book to so they know it is on its way. If the book gets lost in the mail, please contact me.

THE CURRENT LIST OF MEMBERS:

1. tbeckross
Washington DC, USA - int'l shipping OK

2. amymaew
Pennsylvania, USA - can ship internationally

3. tobysrus
Massachusetts, USA - prefer to ship to the USA

4. buffra
West Virginia, USA - will ship anywhere

5. mellion108
Michigan, USA - can ship anywhere.

6. nancyluvsbooks
Mississippi, USA - prefer to ship within the USA

7. MysteryMish
California, USA - can ship USA only.

8. reptlian
California, USA - willing to ship anywhere. To be placed toward the second half of the list for November.

9. titihood
Montreal, Canada - will ship anywhere in Canada or to the USA

10. janey-canuck
Ontario, Canada - prefer to ship in Canada or the USA

11. boomda181
Ontario, Canada - willing to ship internationally.

12. Miss-R
Surrey, UK - prefer to ship within Europe, but will send further afield if have to

13. mirp is NO LONGER PARTICIPATING IN THIS BOOKRING
Dublin, Ireland - will ship anywhere and prefers to be near the bottom of the list

14. herlibrary(BOOK IS BACK HOME)
Florida, USA -

Journal Entry 5 by herlibrary from Miami, Florida USA on Monday, September 26, 2005
Here we go.... mailed to tbeckross today Monday, September 26, 2005 via media mail.

Journal Entry 6 by tbeckross on Monday, October 3, 2005
Received 3 October 2005 as part of a ring. Will start ASAP! Thanks!

Journal Entry 7 by tbeckross on Friday, October 14, 2005
I enjoyed this book very much. I've never been too fond of travelogues, but his wry tone and the ...interesting... conditions he finds himself in make it a very entertaining book. I couldn't put it down.

Journal Entry 8 by tbeckross on Monday, October 17, 2005
Mailed to amymaew in Pennsylvania, 17 October 2005.

Journal Entry 9 by amymaew from Worland, Wyoming USA on Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Received today! Thanks so much! I'll get started on it right away :)

Journal Entry 10 by amymaew from Worland, Wyoming USA on Tuesday, November 29, 2005
I mailed this to tobysrus a few days ago - Friday maybe? Sorry it took me so long to read it - I shouldn't do bookrings during November/December!! I really enjoyed this book though - makes me want to NEVER visit small islands in the Pacific! Thanks for sharing!!

Journal Entry 11 by tobysrus from Cambridge, Massachusetts USA on Thursday, December 1, 2005
Arrived today! The book looks very interesting! I plan to start it this week. Very unique bookmark, a $1 bill with the BCID number! I'll write more once I finish. Thanks all!

Journal Entry 12 by tobysrus from Cambridge, Massachusetts USA on Sunday, December 18, 2005
Funny book! I really enjoyed it! Fast read, cleverly written, learned a lot about a country and part of the world I knew nothing or little about. Recommended for when you are looking for a light, mindless read. I have buffra's address and will drop this in the mail tomorrow. Be on the look out for it!

Journal Entry 13 by tobysrus at mail in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, December 19, 2005

Released 18 yrs ago (12/19/2005 UTC) at mail in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed from the State House post office on my way in to work this morning. Be on the look-out for it buffra!

Journal Entry 14 by buffra from Columbus, Ohio USA on Sunday, January 8, 2006
Good Grief! I am so sorry! I went to see who to send this book to next (as I received it, read it, enjoyed it) and found, to my chagrin, that I hadn't journaled its arrival. I apologize and hope you weren't overly worried about it!

Anyway, it's been enjoyed; I will write a full journal entry soon; and I'm mailing it out shortly.

Journal Entry 15 by buffra from Columbus, Ohio USA on Thursday, January 12, 2006
At 26, Troost moved to Tarawa, a remote South Pacific island in the Republic of Kiribati. This book is the story of waht happens when Troost discovers that Tarawa is not the island paradise he may have thought. He and his girlfriend, Sylvia, spend the next two years battling incompetent government officials, alarmingly large critters, erratic electricity, and a paucity of food options; as well as contending with a bizarre cast of local characters.
***

A hysterical, thought-provoking, and easily-read trip through Tarawa. Plenty of information is conveyed, much of it serious and disturbing -- abject poverty, over-fishing by commercial fishing vessels, the abuse of resources by government (including our own) -- however, the book never loses its charm, which is Troost's voice. He takes the reader along on a merry ride as he moves from being an American horrified by a lack of certain amenities to a more cavalier islander who knows that the government huts are to be avoided at all costs. A lively, fun, and funny read!

Mailed out.

Journal Entry 16 by mellion108 from Waterford, Michigan USA on Sunday, January 29, 2006
Book arrived safe and sound...thanks!

I'll start this by the end of this coming week. It looks great, and I can't wait to read it!
Trade paperback, 272 pages

Journal Entry 17 by mellion108 from Waterford, Michigan USA on Wednesday, February 15, 2006
One of the best books I've read in a while! I kept snorting with laughter through this absolutely hysterical take on island life on a tiny, remote, "uncivilized" (to some?) island. I found Troost's observations of island life and of the I-Kiribati to be charming, funny, touching, and endearing. I'm now quite curious about these resourceful people, and I must admit to never having heard of these particular islands before reading this book (my sense of geography is embarrassingly poor).

I, too, am totally disgusted by the visuals of waste, nuclear testing, military positioning for power, and the overall disdain for the environment that various countries—the U.S. being one of the worst perpetrators—described about these South Pacific island. Shame.

I can also admit to being a very spoiled Westerner. I could eventually adjust to no electricity. I might even adjust to no ice and no showers. However, I would never adjust to beetles in my ear and giant cockroaches (my number one phobia). *shudder* I'm a chicken and proud of it! LOL

Anyway, this was an awesome book. Thanks so much for sharing it, herlibrary. I think this is a book that I'll have to buy to give away as a gift, and I've already recommended it to several people.

I've PMd nancyluvsbooks for her address and will mail this book as soon as I can.

UPDATE: Mailed to nancyluvsbooks on 18 February 2006

Journal Entry 18 by nancyluvsbooks from Williamsburg, Virginia USA on Wednesday, March 22, 2006
This book got hung up in the mail a bit, but I received it on 3/21. I will read it and send it on within 30 days. I can't wait after that shining review!

Journal Entry 19 by nancyluvsbooks from Williamsburg, Virginia USA on Thursday, April 20, 2006
I tried, but just couldn't get into this book. It just didn't grab me. Mailed out today to mysterymish.

Journal Entry 20 by MysteryMish from Santa Monica , California USA on Friday, April 28, 2006
Got this in the mail yesterday. I'll start it after my current book. Thanks for sharing!

Journal Entry 21 by MysteryMish from Santa Monica , California USA on Thursday, May 11, 2006
I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of two other travel/relocation memoirs I have liked, Driving Over Lemons and Under the Tuscan Sun. I like the way the author puts related stories together in chapters (e.g. the chapter on dogs) rather than diary style (although I like diary style too when it works). Each chapter had so much more impact because he collected the tales of that topic and put it together rather than telling it in chronological order. In the beginning, I had similar illusions to the author of his tropical "paradise." He did a really good job of dispelling those illusions! Sounds horrible in a lot of ways, although to be sure there were some moments of beauty.

I did object to one comment he made which is that "pigs are stupid." Pigs are not stupid, and are in fact quite smart. Pigs are very social and playful animals, and are capable of learning. I think his comment is based on pigs getting hit by cars or being on the runway of the airport - this doesn't represent stupidity as much as it does the overcrowded conditions of the island.

Sending this off to reptilan within the next week.

edited: Mailed 5/15/06

Journal Entry 22 by reptlian from Tracy, California USA on Sunday, May 21, 2006
Received. Thanks so much for allowing me to participate.

Journal Entry 23 by titihood on Tuesday, June 13, 2006
I am really looking forward to reading this book! I have two other BCer books to get through first, but as I'm going camping this w/end I should have some natural reading opportunities!
Thanks for sharing :)

03/07/06: This was a great read and it didn't take that long either. I was rather amused by Troost's antics and his attitude towards leaving the USA for the Pacific. In fact, I started to envy him the trials and tribulations of island life - perhaps he is too good a stoty teller. Ready to send to next BCer.

14/07/06: Have left addressed package in the care of my bf to post to Janey-Canuk as I am away for 3 weeks in England.

25/08/06: I have to thank Janey-Canuk for her PM as I presumed this book was safe and sound with her... After she told me it wasn't, I checked with my bf's secretary (he had asked her to post it after all) and she had forgotten my BC books to post under her desk!! Thankfully now they have been posted...so this should be with Janey-Canuk soon.
Unfortunately this has been a lesson to me not to entrust anyone else to post BC books... If Janey-Canuk had not PM'd me at the moment I'd still be none the wiser!

Journal Entry 24 by janey-canuck from Guelph, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Received today - thanks!

Journal Entry 25 by janey-canuck from Guelph, Ontario Canada on Sunday, September 10, 2006
I rather enjoyed this. I have to admit - I had great fun telling people I was in the middle of reading "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" and listening them say things like "oh, sounds interesting..."

I thought the whole book was rather engaging, even the beginning, but I did feel that towards the end, the book was turning into sort of a sappy longing for the good ol' days of the Pacific. It felt like I could hear the violin playing in the background. Very good book, though.

Thanks for sharing!!

I've got an address for boomda181, but I've got another book that needs to be mailed out that I'm waiting for the address for. If I don't have that address by Wednesday, I'l pop this in the mail anyway.
ETA: mailed out 9-13-06

Journal Entry 26 by boomda181 on Tuesday, September 19, 2006
This arrived in the mail today. I have one book to finish ahead and then I will start this one! Thanks, I will journal more soon.

Journal Entry 27 by boomda181 on Thursday, October 19, 2006
I am dropping this in the mail today. I had difficulty getting through a good chunk of this book. It did not pick up for me until almost halfway through. I loved the ending and thought that it suited the Troost couple quite well. Thanks for the opportunity to read this book.

Journal Entry 28 by herlibrary from Miami, Florida USA on Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Welcome home book, you have been travelling for more than a year as the star of this bookring, and you have met at least 11 new and interesting persons. You have given pleasure to each, some more than others. Now that you are back home, you will take a few days of rest; your spine will be mended; then you will be ready to say goodbye to me again as I release you to a member of PBS. Thanks to all who participated in this bookring, the book enjoyed its journey and meeting you all.

Journal Entry 29 by wingAnonymousFinderwing on Monday, November 20, 2006
Received today after the book had a well deserved rest! Now it's on a PBS quest, I hope to read this soon so it can keep moving around sharing its humour.

CAUGHT IN GOLDSBORO NC USA

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