Oceania Books

The book, "Living Abroad in New Zealand" is especially important to me, and I gladly give it a raving review, not just because some of my pictures are featured in the book, or because I lived for two wonderful years in New Zealand, but because Michelle gives so much detail and information about living, working, and enjoying the country, that I really wished I would have read this book three years ago before I made the trip. It was quite fun for me to be reading a travel and information guide after already having lived and worked in New Zealand for two years.

I enjoyed reading a number of interesting facts about the country that I did not already know, and the technical process of obtaining visas, permits, and residency is very important for people planning to make the move to such a beautiful country. This book is packed with relevant information and gives background on subjects that most travel guides do not cover, making it the ideal companion piece to any New Zealand travle guide.

In this era of google image searching, might it be possible to read a book about visually striking architecture, without photographs? I read Antipodean Structures with the assumption that it could be done, and my assumption was confirmed. In any case, this book goes well beneath the shiny exteriors of buildings like the National Museum of Australia, Federation Square, even The Sydney Opera House. These and five other buildings are examined in terms of societal aspirations in the millennial period, and I'm not sure that could have been done so convincingly in a book that pandered to the market's appetite for archi-sexual imagery.

All of the essays are good, but I will make special mention of Davina Jackson's engaging commentary on Federation Square (it presents as a relatively catchy read in an otherwise dense volume), and Philip Goad's very detailed discussion of the National Gallery of Victoria (this too is an enjoyable read, and a thorough piece of history writing). But I most enjoyed Ostwald's and Fleming's Introduction and Conclusion. These gave me the clearest sense yet of the cultural and geographical factors behind the phantasmagorical architecture of this region. The authors don't say it quite so bluntly as I'm about to, but: ideas received from the Northern hemisphere, breeding within isolated colonies of architects are amplified in this region, leading to buildings as strange as the region's wildlife.

A scholarly and probing analysis of a subject too often broached via imagery. Four Stars. I'll save the fifth star for the reprint, if it includes black and white images.

I happened to come across this book while actually in Koror, Palau (Koror was the capital of the Nan'yo, the Japanese governing body for Micronesia) during a vacation and read it while I was there. In general, it is worth reading if you are are a student of Japan's occupation policies of southeast asian countries during the war. It is very detailed but could have focused more on military strategy, but the book is not really about that, its about how Japan built up, governed, then lost its colonies in Micronesia-- colonies which would most likely be in a much better economic state than there are in now, arguably, if the Japanese were still there running things.

A wonderful read for any trekking enthusiast, someone interested in New Zealand or observers of "human nature." Ms. Orrell's charming command of language combined with her marvelous powers of observation and sense of adventure makes for a compelling, unique travelogue. Well worth the several week wait.

I just recently finished reading this little book, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who doesn't know much about NZ. It is indeed a "quick guide" but it has a surprising amount of information packed into a few pages. My only "complaint" is that the author doesn't mention any negatives--I'm willing to believe it's a wonderful place, but there must be SOMETHING less than fabulous about it. All in all, it was worth the purchase.

Gorgeous photographs with a brief commentary in English and German. Fun to look at. Great to show people "professional photos" when you return from your trip.

Hardback, 2007, 11.25" x 8.5", 353 Pages, 198 Objects illustrated in full color, 2 maps, numerous color & B/W illustrations. (Note : For some unknown reason, the book I purchased new from Amazon features a figure on the cover which is different than that shown in the Amazon entry, although both figures are included in the book.)

An very worthwhile effort with an eclectic and consistently interesting selection of art from New Guinea, Australia, Island Melanesia, Island Southeast Asia, Micronesia and Polynesia. The only rerason it doesn't get 5 stars is because the artifacts are mostly illustrated in 1/4 or 1/3 pages, and the small size dsoes not do them justice. In spite of this limitation, the book is still highly recommended for anybody who appreciates Oceanic Art.

(This review is based on the Library of America edition.)

If you liked "Typee", then you should like "Omoo"; but you should know that the narrative isn't quite as tight. What I mean is that "Omoo" is as excellently written as its predecessor, but it doesn't seem to have much a strong story-line. In short, it's a series of adventures, well told, but there's nothing building. I couldn't even sum the book up in other ways than this: a series of adventures in the South Seas.

If you're into sea and island stories, you may like it. The book is made of short chapters, as usual with Melville, and it's really funny (I always found Melville funny). It's interesting in parts, but on the whole, I think it's a much less successful novel than "Typee". Perhaps this was the beginning of what Melville would later do with "Moby-Dick", a sort of willed unfocusedness.

This was a fun book to read while traveling in Fiji. It provides a great perspective of the history of the islands complete with interesting and sometimes entertaining antecdotes of the author's travels through Fiji. The text alternates between the author's personal travel experiences and a drier (but still interesting) history of Fijian native culture and colonial influences.

Who has never fleetingly dreamed of just "chucking it all" and taking off on a nomadic trip around the world?
Richard Meredith, finding himself at a mid-life crossroads, did just that, and shares insightful, often humorous, vignettes of his yearlong adventure in "One Way or Another".
His book is a witty, entertaining hodgepodge of observations, personal anecdotes, historial background and information.
It will surely leave some readers, with their own wanderlust aroused, wondering: Could I? Should I? And if not now, when?
- Joan Riley, Absolute Write.com