The laugh-out-loud true story of a harrowing and hilarious two-year odyssey in the distant South Pacific island nation of Kiribati—possibl...
read full description
reviews
Dec 11, 2010
Petra X
rated it: 
This book is like a sandwich. The first piece of dry bread is Troost smirkingly telling us that he is just too good, clever and unique to have to actually work and pay bills, like the rest of us. In the final, dry chapter he tells us just how superior he feels to the idiots who over-pay and over-respect him for his newly acquired job that he knows nothing at all about. He wants to return to the life of a house-husband on a tropical island, supported by his wife while he floats in the blue wat
More...
25 comments
like
(52 people liked it)
Feb 09, 2008
Gretchen
rated it: 
Having lived in the exact same equatorial Pacific nation at the exact same time as the author, I feel an unprecedented connection to this book. I loved it and was a little bit bothered by it at the same time. Mostly I cracked up laughing the whole time, as if it was a book of inside jokes between the author and me, as he described the exact things that I experienced there: everything from the toilet with a unique ocean view on the Martha to Kiribati bureacracy. The part of me that loves Kiri
More...
Sep 02, 2011
Osho
rated it: 
Kiribati.
A placeholder, I hope.
No sex, no cannibals, but Troost is certainly adrift. While his girlfriend does work, which I'd actually like to read about, Troost hangs around, surfs, makes minor repairs, doesn't write a novel, misses beer when the shipment doesn't come, complains more than admires, and makes pronouncements about the people of Kiribati. Every once in a while he hits it just right, but his attempts to be worldly or arch mostly fall far short of the goal. O More...
A placeholder, I hope.
No sex, no cannibals, but Troost is certainly adrift. While his girlfriend does work, which I'd actually like to read about, Troost hangs around, surfs, makes minor repairs, doesn't write a novel, misses beer when the shipment doesn't come, complains more than admires, and makes pronouncements about the people of Kiribati. Every once in a while he hits it just right, but his attempts to be worldly or arch mostly fall far short of the goal. O More...
Nov 29, 2010
Eric
rated it: 
Every once in a while, a writer comes along with a voice that makes you wish you knew the author so you could meet him for a drink, congratulate him on his book, and then, when his guard is down, punch him in the cock. For me, that author is J. Maarten Troost. When I refer to cockpunching, I do not mean a polite or friendly kind of cockpunching. I mean a sort of cockpunching that comes from an irrational hatred the puncher himself cannot understand, something primal and atavistic to his natur
More...
3 comments
like
(22 people liked it)
Mar 05, 2009
Jessica
rated it:
If I could give this book another half star, I would. It's an entertaining & thoughtful look at the life of an American on the Pacific island of Kiribati.
I guess I am at a point in my life where I can say with a certain confidence that I will never visit Kiribati myself. So, in the way that all travel writing tends to allow one to vicariously experience a place, this book satisfies. But there is a cynical, somewhat smug superiority in the way that island living is portrayed.
More...
I guess I am at a point in my life where I can say with a certain confidence that I will never visit Kiribati myself. So, in the way that all travel writing tends to allow one to vicariously experience a place, this book satisfies. But there is a cynical, somewhat smug superiority in the way that island living is portrayed.
More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Jun 26, 2011
David
rated it:
False Advertisement. Defined (loosely) as misrepresenting a product in such a fashion as to entice the buyer to make a purchase "sight unseen". Alternatively, this work stands in nicely.
J. Marten Troost goes out to the middle of "No Where", and there he finds something so trope that he absolutely must write a novel about it. But first, he'll describe his failings to write a novel. In his novel. A non-fiction account of his inability to write fiction. At least I ca More...
J. Marten Troost goes out to the middle of "No Where", and there he finds something so trope that he absolutely must write a novel about it. But first, he'll describe his failings to write a novel. In his novel. A non-fiction account of his inability to write fiction. At least I ca More...
Nov 20, 2010
Eh?Eh!
rated it:
First of all, this is a very misleading title. There were no sexytimes or people eating.
If you ask people what they enjoy doing, what they love, what's necessary, many will list "travel." But what does that mean? Flying somewhere with an itinerary to spend a few nights in a 5 star hotel with continental breakfast? Living out of a backpack and wearing through your shoes? It's such a blobby answer, "travel."
There was a brief period where I had cable and More...
If you ask people what they enjoy doing, what they love, what's necessary, many will list "travel." But what does that mean? Flying somewhere with an itinerary to spend a few nights in a 5 star hotel with continental breakfast? Living out of a backpack and wearing through your shoes? It's such a blobby answer, "travel."
There was a brief period where I had cable and More...
48 comments
like
(28 people liked it)
Mar 15, 2007
Brant
rated it:
Perhaps I'll rewrite this review, but for now,... this book is an easy read. It's about a couple, independent in their ideals and beliefs, who move to Kiribati in the Pacific for a 2 year stint for international development efforts. The guy (author) goes through wonderful details of the people, the climate, culture, and societal oddities, and oooooooohhhhh so much more.
I couldn't put it down. I must say (and I am definitely easily enthusiastic about new places to travel and expe More...
I couldn't put it down. I must say (and I am definitely easily enthusiastic about new places to travel and expe More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Nov 28, 2008
Bailey Jane
rated it:
J. Maarten Troost has already turned into one of my favorite authors although this is the first I've read of his work. His writing is intelligently witty, dry, and sarcastic. Some chapters of this book are slower than others, but are necessary for the reader to fully understand why the I-Kiribati people behave in the ways they do or maintain their ways of life. I began reading this book around the same time I moved to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, and the hilarious pickles in which the au
More...
6 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 03, 2008
Parker
rated it:
A pretty leisurely commentary on capitalism, consumerism, and romance. Maybe i read a little too much into it. Overall pretty entertaining, but definitely not life altering. The author did a great job making his points subtly, and i know that is his style of writing, but since he created such a great picture of the disconnect between the haves and the have nots and the dysfunctionality of governments both large and small as well as the importance(or perhaps unimportance and ridiculosity[made
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 12, 2009
Julie
rated it: 
This is a cute and funny book about an American who lives on the remote island of Tarawa for two years. It was interesting to get an in depth look at a culture on the other side of the world. The author keeps you interested the whole time with fast-paced, snappy humor.
3 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Dec 16, 2009
Jennifer
rated it:
Normally, I can't stand travel books. The pretentiousness of the author always makes me want to vomit. But this book, of a young man (and his hard-working, pragmatic girlfriend), living on a painfully remote island in the Pacific is pure bliss. Much like Mike Rowe of "Dirty Jobs," the author manages to find a lot of humor in the craziness of the island culture around him while still being respectful of its inhabitants. He also makes sure to stick it to the various world powers who br
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 20, 2008
Lauren
rated it:
this book is slow at first, it's best read after you've purchased it on sale, and it's starred at you from your bookshelf for months, and you have no choice but to read it because of the guilt you feel for having spent the money.
That said. I did like it, it not only opens your mind up to other cultures, but in the end makes you feel like a friend is telling you stories about his crazy life. It's an adventure and an awakening to a world you may never have though about.
Wh More...
That said. I did like it, it not only opens your mind up to other cultures, but in the end makes you feel like a friend is telling you stories about his crazy life. It's an adventure and an awakening to a world you may never have though about.
Wh More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Mar 20, 2009
Crystal
rated it:
Funny travelogue. If you're looking for a book about sex or cannibals, this book is not for you. There was a bit of language that irritated me, but overall it was an entertaining read.
6 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 26, 2011
Melissa
rated it:
Hmmm, there wasn't much about sex or cannibals in this book, but despite this, it was uproariously funny. I had read one of Troost's books before and was only luke-warm towards it, this one however, was a a pretty good book.
Troost and his girlfriend Sylvia decide they need to get away from it all after graduating from college. They apply for jobs all over and finally one comes in from a little island in the Pacific, Tarawa, which is a part of the Republic of Kiribati. Since he is essen More...
Troost and his girlfriend Sylvia decide they need to get away from it all after graduating from college. They apply for jobs all over and finally one comes in from a little island in the Pacific, Tarawa, which is a part of the Republic of Kiribati. Since he is essen More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 11, 2009
Elsa
rated it:
This was one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read. Read this a couple of years ago and I still remember it. I really enjoyed it. The title is totally misleading because it doesn't really have to do with the sex lives of cannibals. It's actually more of a travel book about a man who moves to a remote island atoll in the South Pacific and his misadventures during his time there. Much of the book centers around his continual culture shock. Just when he thinks he's figured out the isla
More...
Oct 08, 2011
Rose
rated it:
Other than The Superiors (and you could not imagine a book more different), this was my favorite book club pick for this round. I think it might have been the funniest book I've ever read. I laughed so hard I almost cried a couple of times, and I don't think I've ever laughed out loud so many times while reading a book.
The story was interesting, and I really enjoyed the parts about the native customs, etc. The parts about all the trash in the country really reminded me of my trip to More...
The story was interesting, and I really enjoyed the parts about the native customs, etc. The parts about all the trash in the country really reminded me of my trip to More...
Sep 18, 2011
Christine
rated it:
In which the author abandons everything he knows for a life on an atoll in the Pacific... and how he deals with his new life...
I'm not sure what I expected for this book, but it came to me highly recommended from a friend. When Troost realizes he has debts piling up and a lack of interest in any sort of career, he picks up and leaves the states when his girlfriend receives a job in Tarawa, more specifically, Kirabati (sp?), an atoll in the Pacific. During the day, she works, and Troo More...
I'm not sure what I expected for this book, but it came to me highly recommended from a friend. When Troost realizes he has debts piling up and a lack of interest in any sort of career, he picks up and leaves the states when his girlfriend receives a job in Tarawa, more specifically, Kirabati (sp?), an atoll in the Pacific. During the day, she works, and Troo More...
Jul 03, 2011
Brad
rated it:
For summer beach reading, or more specifically, for summer BART reading, I prefer books that lift me cleanly away from my clean and comfortable first-world life and drop me down into exotic locales. I would put Troost's 'Sex Lives of Cannibals' as very high up what I call the 'Oh Why Can't This Be My Life?' genre.
The female equivalent are the 'Shopaholic' series: A young 20-something makes a living in some fascinating urban location (New York, Paris, London) free of financial or More...
The female equivalent are the 'Shopaholic' series: A young 20-something makes a living in some fascinating urban location (New York, Paris, London) free of financial or More...
Jun 30, 2010
Kara
rated it:
The truth: there are no cannibals with sex lives in this book.
At first I found it a funny, cynical, and easy read. I would have given it 3 stars, but the section on brutality towards dogs was a big turn off for me. It ruined the rest of the book. Not only because I hate animal cruelty, but because Troost's cavalier attitude towards dogs being hit with rocks, abandoned, and (gasp!) eaten, made me think that he largely writes for shock value (evidenced by the title).
After More...
At first I found it a funny, cynical, and easy read. I would have given it 3 stars, but the section on brutality towards dogs was a big turn off for me. It ruined the rest of the book. Not only because I hate animal cruelty, but because Troost's cavalier attitude towards dogs being hit with rocks, abandoned, and (gasp!) eaten, made me think that he largely writes for shock value (evidenced by the title).
After More...
Apr 29, 2010
Daniel
rated it:
If you’ve ever considered abandoning the luxuries of the First World and moving to the southeastern Pacific to live a life of reckless abandon, don’t read this book. J. Maarten Troost’s memoir of his adventures in Kiribati with his girlfriend is an eye-opening story of a couple’s desire to “live at the end of the world” only to find that it’s an impoverished hellhole plagued by widespread public health hazards. It is a story of adaptation, acquiescence and eventually acceptance told through th
More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 14, 2010
Clif
rated it:
Set sail on a ship of sarcasm. Troost doesn't let a page go by without a good quip or two as he and his wife-to-be spend a couple of years on the most remote place on earth.
If you're an armchair traveler like I am, you'll enjoy this account of mingling with the natives of the Gilbert Islands (Tarawa in particular), a songful people with an unaccountable taste for that momentary phenomenon, La Macarena. The beauties of the sea and sky are balanced by the lack of just about every conve More...
If you're an armchair traveler like I am, you'll enjoy this account of mingling with the natives of the Gilbert Islands (Tarawa in particular), a songful people with an unaccountable taste for that momentary phenomenon, La Macarena. The beauties of the sea and sky are balanced by the lack of just about every conve More...
Jan 22, 2010
AriBa
rated it:
Island life isn't as romantic as some people would imagine it. This is evident when Troost, who packs up his life and heads to Tarawa, a Pacific island in the Republic of Kiribati, witnesses locals using the beach as a public toilet, the shortage of food besides fish and corned beef and the influence of Western culture on local people's dress sense and music appreciation, among other things.
"The problems were new and imported, yet the culture remained old and unvarying."
More...
"The problems were new and imported, yet the culture remained old and unvarying."
More...
Dec 31, 2009
Shaun
rated it:
Believe it or not, this book has pretty much nothing to do with sex or cannibalism. Shucks right? Well, if that's what you were looking for you will be disappointed. However, if you want to read a humorous yet informative and thought provoking memoir, read this book. It is a surprisingly good read. One that is light enough to read on the beach, one that is witty enough to make you laugh out loud, yet while making you laugh and turn the page you're learning about some places in the world you woul
More...
Apr 17, 2009
Kiribatidaughter
rated it:
To Mr.Troost,
I learned that you are a liar and a disgraceful man, and my opinion about you lay on the beaches of Tarawa. You wrote about my culture, my people and my island I dearly love so you can be famous and rich!!! The title is a scheme and a trick to get people's attention so they can buy your book. The book was given to me because I refused to buy it. I was on the island in 1997 and I didn't remember the LaMacarena and the beer crisis. You got a sick mind. Temawa (rest her soul)was More...
I learned that you are a liar and a disgraceful man, and my opinion about you lay on the beaches of Tarawa. You wrote about my culture, my people and my island I dearly love so you can be famous and rich!!! The title is a scheme and a trick to get people's attention so they can buy your book. The book was given to me because I refused to buy it. I was on the island in 1997 and I didn't remember the LaMacarena and the beer crisis. You got a sick mind. Temawa (rest her soul)was More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Apr 12, 2009
LeAnn
rated it:
The Sex Lives of Cannibals is one of the best books I've read in years and the only one that I can recall that I wanted to buy for or recommend to friends. Normally I don't read much non-fiction and have never read a travel memoir, but I picked Troost's book up after an Amazon Vine Reviewer compared the opening chapter of my debut novel, Proof of Nature's Splendid Diversity, which I'd submitted to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, to Troost's popular book.
Clearly, not everyone is More...
Clearly, not everyone is More...
Jan 11, 2010
Julia
rated it:
I have a bad habit of borrowing books from my best friend, Andrea, and then never reading them. And then keeping them on my shelf for the next three years. So I decided to break that streak with The Sex Lives of Cannibals, which Andrea graciously lent to me over Christmas break. It's the sort of book that's a perfect filler in between bigger or tougher books, when you need something fast and amusing to clear your head. Troost was a 20-something college grad, temping in DC without any real dir
More...
Aug 22, 2010
A.J.
rated it:
This is one of the funniest books I've read in a long, long time.It's not just because I've been to Kiribati Island (pronounced Kireebass and known as Christmas Island when I was growing up) - or maybe it is. As a teenager growing up in Australia, finishing your HSC (Higher School Certificate) meant a month off between graduating in December and starting university in January. Most teens during my time went to Bali. But not me. My father thought I should go to the Marshall Islands and sent me th
More...
Apr 10, 2009
Istop4books
rated it:
This is the kind of book that as I was reading, and laughing out loud, I just had to share with everyone around me. I read passages to my husband, told bits and pieces to my kids and just plain enjoyed the book start to finish. It was a quick and easy read - but beneath the surface - and without being preachy - there were many international issues discussed.
Sylvia and her boyfriend Maarten agree to go to the remote atoll country of Karibati pretty much in the middle of nowhere in the More...
Sylvia and her boyfriend Maarten agree to go to the remote atoll country of Karibati pretty much in the middle of nowhere in the More...
Feb 18, 2010
Kate
rated it:
I would give this book 2 more stars if I could. It was funny and sad all at the same time. J. Maarten Troost, adrift both literally and figuratively in his life, arrives in Kiribati a remote atoll with his girlfriend who lands a job there at an NGO trying to help the natives develop better lifestyle habits. He recounts the difficulties of introducing modern technology to a largely helpless population which clings to its subsistence culture which hasn't (and perhaps cannot because of the physi
More...
