[.ca] Hawaii (ISBN 0785728473)

Wonderful Saga About Hawaii and it's People!:
I have never read a Michener book before this. I love historical fiction, but I somehow avoided this great author. Maybe because my father was such a fan, it turned me off for some reason, even unknown to myself. Last year I mentioned to my father that I planned to read Hawaii. He told me that I would like it, but also advised me to skip the first chapter. He said it was so boring that he almost didn't read the book. It turned out that my mother had read it first and when he complained she told him to skip the first chapter. He also told me that he looked forward to hearing what I thought. Unfortunately my dad passed away in September, but who knows, maybe he's reading my review. I didn't follow my mom and dad's advice; I started with the first chapter. I can see why they would have thought it was boring, but I really enjoyed it. You see Michener chose to start at the very beginning, with the formation of the land of Hawaii. I found both breath taking and informative. Hawaii is a sprawling beautiful saga, both about it's land and it's people. The first inhabitants came over from Bora, Bora. Michener tells about their customs and their gods. From there, following a genealogical chart, the story grows and the years go by. Next the missionaries from America show up to bring their religion to Hawaiians that they see as heathens. Then the immigrants arrive. First the Chinese, then that Japanese and then the Filipinos. We learn about the harsh immigrant experience and how these cultures ultimately gained respect and intermingle to become the new race, Hawaiians. I recently read an article about him, explaining that he normally moved to the places that he intended to write about. He immersed himself in the atmosphere and did his detailed research. It is apparent Michener really did his research on Hawaii. There is not a boring moment in this long novel. Michener's characters walk right off the page and absorb the reader into their world. I loved this novel and didn't want it to end. Indeed, I was sad when it did. I highly recommend it, especially to historical fiction lovers. I can hardly wait to read more James A. Michener. Hmm, which should I read next?

Michener's best -- Among my top 5 books of all-time:
Early in the book, Michener tells a story of how man first arrived on Hawaii. The story is incredibly exciting and dramatic. What makes it so interesting is that his story couldn't possibly be too far from the truth. Hawaii is so distant from any other island. How could anyone have found it except by sheer luck? It's just fascinating to think about the extraordinary circumstances that must have arisen to compel a sufficiently large group of primitive people to leave their home and venture far out to sea. I first read this book about 16 years ago when I was a freshman in college. I stayed up all night reading it right in the middle of finals week, but I couldn't put it down. Since then, I have read most of Michener's books but still rate Hawaii as his best. It is always interesting to follow Michener's overlapping generations of characters. As the protagonists age, we gradually get to know their offspring. Each generation is a wild card. Some children further the good intentions and fortunes of their parents and others set the whole community back generations. The smooth transition between generations is the main reason it is so hard to stop reading. In classic Michener style, he frequently changes perspectives (native Hawaiian, American missionaries, Chinese, Japanese) and the reader can't help but feel compassion and understanding for each side of a conflict. Not that Michener is afraid to cast blame. Because he portrays each side so honestly, his political message has more credibility and is even more effective.

A Classic:
This book is among my favorites. I hate to say but I have read most or many of his books about 20 years ago, then I re-read them again from time to time. I always have found them to be entertaining and educational. Michener's books use a common plot formula. They start out by telling a story that in some way utilizes (accurately) the actual or known historical developments of a specific geographical region - in this case Hawaii. It follows the real time lines and people of a region. In the present case it is about a group of people that came by open boat from southern islands in and around Tahiti bringing plants and other things up to Hawaii. It progresses through the development of the islands adding in more characters and a more complicated plot as time moves forward. When I decided to review this book I was not certain if people were still interested in buying this book. I was pleased to discover that there is still a lot of interest at Amazon.com in this great south sea tale. Good read and a good gift. His series is excellent and perhaps this is his best work. Jack in Toronto

Not a vacation but just as great!:
This is a wonderful novel. Although the first chapter felt like it dragged on and on, the next 1000 pages flew by. While the novel is supposed to be ficticious, Michener has obviously done a lot of research. Many of the stories parallel with Hawaii's actual history. This novel is so good that you will find yourself reading into all hours of the night. My favorite books are as follows: Hawaii--Mitchner The Heart is a Lonely Hunter --McCullers The Children's Corner--McCrae Trinity-Leon Uris

I like it!:
I first tackled "Hawaii" as a young boy, partly for the adventure, partly for the violence, and partly for the naughty parts, probably what attracts boys to read lots of books. It taught me a lot about the history of the Pacific, despite being historical FICTION, as my parents often reminded me. True, but excellently written historical fiction. Mr. Michener can write historical fiction like no one else, once one gets used to his style.