Hawaii

by James A. Michener

Book Overview

Pulitzer Prize-winning author James A. Michener brings Hawaii's epic history vividly to life in a classic saga that has captivated readers since its initial publication in 1959. As the volcanic Hawaiian Islands sprout from the ocean floor, the land remains untouched for centuries--until, little more than a thousand years ago, Polynesian seafarers make the perilous journey across the Pacific, flourishing in this tropical paradise according to their...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375760377
• ISBN13: 9780375760372
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: Dial Press
• Length: 1136 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Skip the last 200 pages

The first half of the book and its characters were intriguing. The second half too drawn out and confusing. The last 200 pages ridiculous.

Sweeping, biting, and brilliant

I had my doubts about this classic at first. At over 1,000 pages, opening with an almost painstakingly slow account of the birth and evolution of the Hawaiian Islands in prehistoric times, it seemed ripe for pretentiousness. Was I ever wrong! The great James Michener knew and loved the islands, and it shows throughout this sweeping fictionalized history of our 50th state.Dividing the novel into five historical eras ranging from the 9th century AD to the mid-1950s, Michener creates an amazingly detailed look at the evolution of Hawaii as we know it today, the people who created it, and the lands they came from. Through a diverse collection of characters, some of them based on real historical figures, we see both the good and the bad sides of the islands and their people. Michener doesn't pretend it was a painless evolution; his accounts of the Americanization of Hawaii are brutally honest about the greed and intolerance that played into it. From the anti-hero missionary Abner Hale, whose well-intentioned piousness caused more problems than it solved, to his more business-minded friends and descendants, Michener sees the first Americans in Hawaii as noble but ultimately selfish and often racist. The Chinese who came to Hawaii are cast in a somewhat more pleasant light, as personified by peasant concubine Char Nyuk Tsin, who literally builds a family empire from nothing in true American Dream fashion. (The account of her salvation of Hawaii's leper colony is perhaps the book's most harrowing chapter, but also its most inspiring in a way.) The later arrival of the Japanese and the persecution they suffered before and during World War II is also illustrated brilliantly; this was surely close to Michener's heart when he wrote the book, not long after the war. Although the final chapter, describing the evolution of a uniquely Hawaiian people, is somewhat less developed and convincing than the rest of the book, Michener's optimism for racial harmony after years of its absence is pervasive all the same.Although the book is fictional, it's nonetheless a very realistic look at a land most of us think of as a paradise, as well as a rare look at the very American side of our most unique state. With a long and interesting story and consistently remarkable character development, it's sure to hold your interest no matter how long it may take you to read it.

My first Michener

This was my first Michener and most definetly not my last. Michener writes an amazing story with so many different kinds of characters it's amazing and it's the closest you can get to a nonfiction without it being one. If you like Hawaii or want to know more about it you will adore this book. The only thing I didn't like, although it was interesting just not entertaining, was his part on forming the islands. You get so many different aspects here such as the Japanese, American, Hawaiian, and Chinese of Hawaii if you read this book you will know more about Hawaii than I'd say 80% (or more) people in the world. Another cool aspect is the family trees in the back of the book. They tell you a lot about one of the families. All in all this is one of the most entertaining books I've ever read.

Captures the Irresistible Essence of Hawaii

Aloha! If you have never been to Hawaii, James Michener's Hawaii will entice you into going. If you have been to Hawaii, this book will show you what you missed while you were there. Hawaii requires that kind of explanation. I remember visiting the orchid garden in Honolulu once. I thought I had seen everything and really enjoyed it after 30 minutes. Then a volunteer gardener introduced himself and asked me if I would like a tour. I naturally agreed, and in the next 2 and a half hours, I saw the garden for the first time. That is what Michener will do for you in this terrific novel about Hawaii. Like all Michener novels, this one starts back millions of years ago with how the islands were formed and populated. You will get a great geology and history lesson in the process. Normally, you would probably not be interested in either one in a novel, but they are both very valuable to you as a tourist in the islands by adding to your knowledge.The people in the story are full of passion for religion, acquiring material possessions, power and sex. Although the last is not explicitly described, lust plays a big role in the story. That seems as it should in a tropical paradise where warm weather and scanty clothing combine.When you visit modern day Hawaii, you will see reminders of the founding families of modern Hawaii all around you. Hawaii will give you a sense of the histories behind the current power and business structure.The book itself is written in a way that feels like you are sitting at a luau with someone telling you the story through a combination of traditional means (like the hula) and good campfire story-telling. It's almost like a trip to the Polynesian Cultural Center on the northern shore of Oahu.Seldom do I wish that long novels (and this one is really long) would keep on going, but that was my wish with Hawaii. Even if the fiction were not based loosely on fact, it would have been an exciting and engrossing novel. The fact that the reality is a lot like the novel makes it all the more appealing.Hawaii will hook you on Hawaii. That's good. We all need more of the magic of the islands in our lives. Leave your misconceptions behind about Hawaii being too far away. It can be right inside of you. Enjoy!