pick4.5 Stars • Mutiny: A Novel of the Bounty by John Boyne retells the 1789 HMS Bounty mutiny through John Jacob Turnstile, a 14-year-old cabin boy. On a mission to collect breadfruit from Tahiti, tensions rise under strict Captain Bligh. After Tahiti‘s allure captivates the crew, Fletcher Christian leads a mutiny, setting Bligh adrift. ⬇️
pickI was unenthusiastic when I saw this on the #WPNF25 longlist: really, another famous dead white guy? So I dragged my feet on picking it up. But once I did, I struggled to put it down because the writing is SO good. There are some issues with some bits near the end being slotted in not quite so seamlessly, but overall I really enjoyed this.
pickThis was great! I have little interest in the French Impressionists, and knew very little about Gauguin (most of which turned out to be inaccurate), but this was highly interesting and superbly entertaining as well as informative. What a character! What a life! The book also includes a lot of prints and photos of artwork, on high quality paper. I'm sad this didn't make the shortlist for the #WomensPrizeNF
pickLast but one from the #wpnf25 longlist. (Half of Tracker to go)
This started off well, but became quite repetitive. I also don‘t feel that the author achieved what she set out to do. At the start she said that newly discovered papers have refuted the negative review of Gauguin, but didn‘t really demonstrate that to me.
I didn‘t know much about him prior to this - other than that I understood that he was a colonialist who liked young girls. ⬇️
pickThe ending felt very unsatisfying. The whole book I felt like the ending was going to involve divorce, but the ending didn‘t even involve a proper ending or closure. This book is funny in the way of a Troost book, but it had a much darker tone because, ultimately, this is his addiction and recovery memoir. It‘s actually heartbreaking in some ways, and it‘s hard to put my finger on exactly why.
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I‘m not sure if this is funny or tragic. He‘s returned to Kiribati without his wife and children (apparently they have 2 sons now), having seemingly run away from home after going to rehab for alcoholism (at least he‘s not drinking), and he‘s waxing poetic about how things are just how they were when they left. It‘s funny in its way, but it‘s also heartbreaking. I seriously feel like this is a harbinger of divorce ahead.
This is a question I have absolutely asked about some people.
#JMaartenTroost #HeadhuntersOnMyDoorstep #evolution
#Mutiny #ANovelOfTheBounty #JohnBoyne #Bookish 4w