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57th out of 93 books
—
86 voters
Savages
The events in this book are based around five extremely rich, and spoilt women who travel with their husbands on a business trip to a fictitious tropical island. Whilst on the island the women witness their husbands being murdered by terrorists. The women flee to the jungle, quickly learning the art of survival.
Paperback
Published
July 1988
by Pan Books
(first published January 1st 1987)
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Apr 14, 2008
Sarah
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Survival Fiction Lovers
Recommended to Sarah by:
my mother
This book was a little slow to start but I am glad I stuck with it because it was GREAT. Sucked me in and made me wish there was more. I love survival/adventure books. In this one we have a bunch of wealthy society wives who visit a new resort on a jungle island and are forced into hiding in the jungle by hostilities on the island. The book goes into detail as to what they have to do to survive a stint in the jungle. It doesn't come easy for the ladies, that's for sure. Do the step up? Read and...more
An oldie but a goldie. I got so addicted to the obtacles the heroines kept facing in this thriller that, by the end, I didn't want them to stop. Never a dull moment after the heroines watch their husbands get murdered. Some clever, and sometimes ruthless, surprises along the way.
The male characters tended to be sterotypical but you expect an author to have greater insight into characters of the same gender. Conran delivered on the female side, and I got very attached to the five fictitious women...more
The male characters tended to be sterotypical but you expect an author to have greater insight into characters of the same gender. Conran delivered on the female side, and I got very attached to the five fictitious women...more
It's probably the most awful book ever. I'm sure it's fantastical, imperialist, racist, sexist, and embarrassing. It was also an awakening for me. As these "savages" made their way from rich, spoiled housewives to Lord of the Flies-worthy um naturalists, they also exposed me to my very first dose of HOT LESBIAN SEX. (I think that phrase takes capitals, but I'm not sure.) Don't read it, necessarily, but know it exists for your own personal enjoyment.
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Survival in a very long book - but the pace is such that you don't notice the length. I was amazed that I sat and read a book (and finished it)which conjured up 1001 ways in how to survive in a jungle on a cannibal riden island in the Pacific. Gruesome in parts, annoying females at times (well they were a bit like Desperate Housewives transplanted into a tropical setting, complete with inch long blood red talons and 3 carat diamond engagement rings...)
But for all that it was a journey in finding...more
But for all that it was a journey in finding...more
I don't even remember where or when I picked this book up, but it sounded interesting (not the same old blah, blah, blah.) Another draw, I live in Pittsburgh and quickly found there are quite a few legitimate references to companies and areas.
This book absolutely shocked me all throughout the story and with the fact that it was so very good.
I assign VERY few books a five star rating. This book was outstanding in good characters and their change and growth. The pace seemed just right and I someho...more
This book absolutely shocked me all throughout the story and with the fact that it was so very good.
I assign VERY few books a five star rating. This book was outstanding in good characters and their change and growth. The pace seemed just right and I someho...more
May 17, 2010
Kelly
marked it as own-tbr
Wow, I found it!! There are certain books that stick in your mind for whatever reason, long after you have read them. This is one of those for me. I was racking my brain trying to remember what this book was. All I could remember was that a group of women were stranded in the jungles of an island and had to learn to survive. I remember randomly pulling a copy off of my library shelves over a decade ago and enjoying the read. I'd like to read it again someday soon.
*Update! Found a great copy of t...more
*Update! Found a great copy of t...more
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Mar 04, 2009
Nicole Mardian
added it
Wow...I never read books like this. I must say, it was really, really captivating. Interesting and suspense-filled throughout the book, once the author gets you introduced to all of the characters and their marriages, lives, personalities, quirks. Then...let these high-falutin' ladies loose on an island of cannibals, evil revolutionaries, bugs, danger,once their company vacation goes awry, and see what nice ladies become. It's like a woman's "Lord of the Flies," but much more engaging. Attention...more
For a suspense novel it was one of the better I've read. My complaint is a small one... The author seemed to really like the word "inexorably" as she used it repeatedly to the point of distraction. She was kind of like a kid with a new toy. It was like she'd just learned/discovered the word shortly before writing the book... or maybe it was her editor's fault. At any rate her overuse of the word is somewhat distracting.
The story is compelling, the characters are somewhat real and believable alth...more
The story is compelling, the characters are somewhat real and believable alth...more
I composed a review for this while I was half-asleep listening for my 6-month-old daughter this morning. I'll try to remember it...
Although the writing was on the clinical side, the challenges of the jungle faced by the protagonists kept me coming back to see how they dealt with all of it. Unfortunately this clinical aspect kept me from really caring about the characters as people. If someone died, my feelings were closer to "well that sucked" than real sadness. That said, I was definitely relie...more
Although the writing was on the clinical side, the challenges of the jungle faced by the protagonists kept me coming back to see how they dealt with all of it. Unfortunately this clinical aspect kept me from really caring about the characters as people. If someone died, my feelings were closer to "well that sucked" than real sadness. That said, I was definitely relie...more
While the subject material, setting and characters are all interesting, this book never escapes from clumsy writing and poor pacing. I was disappointed by the careless way the author created, revealed and then discard plot points without regard for the reader. Every point, from the mundane to the mind-boggling, is presented matter-of-factly, with the biggest culprit being the ending. Emotional resonance is barely considered, despite the fact that there is so much of it available. I will not be r...more
A bit of a disappointment, really. Some character development that just seemed to be pointless but with some really strong chapters. Lots of suspension of belief required along with some big leaps of faith to move the plot along. Would intelligent seasoned executives really be so blind to danger?? I'm not sure that I can reconcile the situation premise with reality. If you are prepared to accept that the characters really could find themselves in this mess, then the rest of the narrative is a g...more
I read this book several times between the ages of 11-15, each time gleaning something new. I loved it, all the characters from the most annoying through to the more complex. Given the era in which it appeared it was quite groundbreaking for me. I learned that women can be as weak or as strong as they want to be. That one woman's weaknesses can be turned into a strength in the right mix. That just because a woman ages she need not give up her dreams or her sexuality unless that's what she choose...more
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Interesting read, loved all the survival, badass-women fighting against the odds. Got a little huh around the lesbian sex scene, wasn't sure where she was going with that, but it was never mentioned again.. So I guess it was all good! I didn't overly like the ending but it was a well researched and thorough book. Don't read it expecting literary greatness but read it to go on a kick-ass chick adventure.
This book -- a trashy, chick lit bestseller type from the 80s -- is not the kind of thing I would usually read. BUT I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. This was actually a reread and it was even better than I remembered. It's about five pampered wives who accompany their husbands on a business trip to a tropical island, and when the men are shot by terrorists (not a spoiler, it's on the back of the book) the women have to fend for themselves in the jungle. I've always loved survival tropical island stories fo...more
I almost always a mistake to go back and read a book you loved as a teen. Savages is a very good book, just not as good as I remember. It took a lot longer for them to end up stranded and they weren't as strong as I remembered. I did like the authors way of showing the emotional roller coaster of their situation. If you decide to read, keep in mind the year it was written and the generation the woman would have grown up in.
I read this book when it was first published in paperback. I was hooked from the beginning and felt like I was right there in the jungle with those women. I lost my book some years ago and until now haven't been able to find a copy, until a few weeks ago. Can't wait to re-read it as I have recommended it to so many friends over the years!!
May 23, 2012
Tania
added it
I great storie. I read it years ago. It shows how your innerself comes off in times of crisis and how we humans back each other, no matter how vain we are used to be. Human nature is capable of creating a strong defense shield to support each other in a comunity in desperate need. Higly recomended!!!
This was a shocker in a great way. Loved this novel. Fast paced and shows an abrupt juxtaposition of five society lives as they have to adapt to being lost and hunted in the jungle. Well written, well told, and great character nuance. Great reading for men and women alike. Will probably read it again.
I read this book years and years ago as just a typical paperback read, so who knows if I would rate it the same if I read it again now. But it was one that really stuck with me - I still remember the story. As another reviewer put it, it was "trashy, chick lit" but so good. ;)
I read this book more than 20 years ago. I loved the story line and the adventure of it so much that even to this day, I search for stories of survival. Savages was fantastic. "You don't know how strong you are until being strong is all you've got left."
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This book was a huge waste of time. I read numerous reviews that said that is started off slow and got much better. Trust me, it is not worth forcing yourself through the boring part to get to the "exciting" stuff. This book was both annoying and unbelievable. Don't waste your time on it.
After reading Drood, I needed something stupid & fun. Savages is written by the same person who wrote Laces.Laces was a huge ratings buster mini series-it uttered the immortal line "Which one of you bitches is my mother?"
Trashy Chick Literature, but I love it, and have read it at least 6 times now, don't expect anything to heavy, I love reading how these designer label ladies try and survive in the wilderness!
This is a great book, but the original cover of the book was much better. Why they think they need to put a half-naked blond on the cover to sell this book is beyond me!
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I once missed my bus because I was sitting at the bus stop but was so engrossed in this book that I totally missed getting on the bus when it came.
I have read this book over and over!! I think I was 15 the first time! It's a little slow to begin with, but it's great when it gets going.
I read this book years ago and found it in a book store recently and had to buy it. I love it! A great survival story.
I read this book a long time ago, but I still recall that this was one of my favorites that I couldn't put down!
Read this years ago and I enjoyed it so much I think I may have to find another copy and read it again!
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Shirley Conran is the ex-wife of British designer, restaurateur, retailer and writer Sir Terence Conran. She is the mother of designers Sebastian Conran and Jasper Conran. A bestselling author in her own right whose most memorable books include Lace and Superwoman.
She was educated at the University of Portsmouth. In addition to novel writing, she wrote regularly for The Observer newspaper's women'...more
More about Shirley Conran...
She was educated at the University of Portsmouth. In addition to novel writing, she wrote regularly for The Observer newspaper's women'...more
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