The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific

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The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 10,759 ratings · 1,512 reviews

At the age of twenty-six, Maarten Troost—who had been pushing the snooze button on the alarm clock of life by racking up useless graduate degrees and muddling through a series of temp jobs—decided to pack up his flip-flops and move to Tarawa, a remote South Pacific island in the Republic of Kiribati. He was restless and lacked direction, and the idea of dropping everything...more

Paperback, 272 pages

Published June 8th 2004 by Broadway (first published 2004)

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Dec 11, 2010 Petra X rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: travel-adventure

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 waters...more 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 waters of the lagoon and procrastinates about writing a book.

Surprisingly, the filling of this sandwich is very tasty. He relates the history of Kiribati and the day-to-day life of a foreigner willingly marooned on a tiny tropical island in an amusing and somewhat spicy, biting fashion. Its very entertaining and - with the concise history - informative.

Troost, though, fails to penetrate the surface of the island life. He forever moans the 'golden age' he presumes the island must have been in before he and his ilk brought the outside world, the developed world, to the South Pacific. He presumes that the islanders are much degraded now in the poverty of their subsistence existence compared to the life they must have lived in this imagined 'golden age', often described elsewhere as 'the noble savage'. I don't like to bring race into it, but why, why, why do white men (and it is always whites) go to an island to skim the cream off the milk, earn salaries three times that of locals, insist on importing as many of the appurtenances of modern life as their luggage - or container - can hold and are then surprised when the local people would also like to have easy-to-prepare food, disposable nappies, pretty clothes and all those other items that we take for granted?

How do I know this so good? Because I live on a tiny tropical island myself. I have the pictures from my grandparents of the 'golden age' and I myself arrived before much modern development. The island has about 10% British and American folks on it. They mostly mix with each other (and local politicans and bigwigs who have travelled and understand how to behave at a cocktail party and whose children attend the American school - fees per month more than the average local income). The non-working partner generally joins some charity, mostly for the social life, the Reef Keepers, National Parks, Coastal Development et al that raise money at balls, art shows and $100 a head dinners, and seek to pressure outside agencies and local government into restricting further progress. All of them are devoted to keeping the island just as it was when they arrived or even taking it back further and bugger what the locals want. After all, how would such an uneducated, primitive people really be able to decide what is best for themselves?

Troot's only descriptions of the bustling town on Tarawa are brief and of a degraded, open-sewer, corrupt kind of existence. Does he really think the people live like that, is there no vibrance and ambition there? There are no descriptions at all of their working lives, of the education, of their ambitions, or even of courtship and marriage. He is very selective indeed about the cultural aspects of island-life he describes. Troost is as patronising as the ex-pats are on my island with their old-colonial attitudes now so out of place and out of time.

I would probably not want to read Maarten Troost's other book on Fiji, written while he was again a house-husband and before he relocated to the truly golden life of California. However, when his columns for Atlantic Monthly and the Washington Post are inevitably collected into a slim volume without the verbiage of a full-length book, I would definitely buy it. Small, appetizing bites can be even tastier than a full-scale meal.(less)

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Jun 25, 2012 Jason Koivu rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who want to know what it's like to live on a modern "urbanized" Pacific island

Recommended to Jason by: the damn dirty lie of a title

A dangerous title. Why? Because it's misleading. Go to Youtube, find a video with a hyperbolic title - one that promises the BEST, MOST EXCITING, FUNNIEST of whatever the content is - watch it and if it doesn't live up to the billing see what the viewers say about it in the comment section and check out the ratio of "likes" and "dislikes". A few samplings of that will clearly and quickly display why a misleading title is a bad idea. It's eye-catch-ability may sell a few more copies, but it will...more

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Feb 09, 2008 Gretchen rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone, except folks in Kiribati whom I worry might not think it so funny

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 Kiribati...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Osho rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

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. One hopes Troost's style...more

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Nov 29, 2010 Eric Hendrixson rated it 1 of 5 stars

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 nature,...more

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Mar 05, 2009 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs

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.

It's honest, and...more

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Jun 26, 2011 David rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone waiting for a new Bill Bryson work

Shelves: non-fiction

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 can hope he lies poorly?

There is s...more

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Nov 19, 2010 Eh?Eh! rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreader-gave-to-me, eeeeelizabeth, babble-added

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 in that brief period I watched maybe 2 episo...more 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 in that brief period I watched maybe 2 episodes of Daria. One was about some advertising woman who tried to be a teenager and have a finger on the pulse of that crowd. She dressed in age-inappropriate clothing and most of all, used slang that meant nothing. Daria's dad would go pop-eyed with rage at the inanity of her speech, "Jiggy??? What does it mean?!?!?!"

In the movie Miss Congeniality, there's a very funny sequence about how to answer the judges when they ask you what you want most, or would give anything for. Our heroine, undercover agent Sandra Bullock, is coached to say "world peace" and there's a montage of other contestants saying "world peace." She answers honestly, something about 'harsher punishment for parole violations,' but at the unhappy expressions on the judges' faces, tacked on the standard "...and, world peace."

Jiggy and world peace, overused to the point of meaninglessness, like travel. Well? What does that mean?

I sat next to a Dutchman on a short flight this summer and we talked about career, family, and pastimes. His father had recently passed away and when he spoke about regrets, the things forever unsaid, he leaned forward in the too-small space, hands open as if pleading, voice very animated with inflections and volume changes, eye contact that allowed me to note his were very blue. When he spoke of travel, he got the same way. But when he spoke of travel, as important as it was to him, he couldn't explain very well what he meant. He did that thing where people start a sentence then trail off, expecting you to fill in the significant blanks with an "ahhh" of agreement.

Why does "travel" make people incoherent and blank? I think one of the best reasons is that going places is an important part of understanding the size of the world, how big and at the same time small it can be and that people are people the world over. It's like how my dad will rage about Japan and the Japanese but when meeting one in person, he'll be so friendly that my head spins. If you're awake and aware, it helps you be less...selfish. Ugh. I can't find the way to say what I want to say. World peace, man.

Anyway, travel. I guess everyone has a different conception of what it involves. To bring it back to the book, I doubt anyone can disagree that what this dude did was Travel. What a terrific book! Because he's a Dutchman, I heard my blue-eyed Dutchman's voice in my mind as I read this. Delicious. :) He and his girlfriend decide they want to go somewhere, anywhere. She gets a position in a tiny Pacific island and he tags along. I've seen some reviews where people think he's a slacker who took advantage in order to do nothing, but I don't think it's any different from all the wives who followed their husbands around, like with the military or other business that transplant their managers. What does it matter that she worked and he kept house/played/tried to write a book? If they were fine with it, cool. It's the new millenium and sometimes the women are the breadwinners.

They live there for a couple years. Capital T, travel. No television, barely any radio (he has to experiment to find out the 10 minutes where he'll get BBC clearly enough to hear), only old magazines and whatever new visitors bring along. Holy cow, it sounds simultaneously awful and wonderfully immersive. They have critters, different foods, lots of gastrointestinal distress, crap everywhere, cultural stereotypes and expectations upended. It's Travel.

He writes of his experiences and impressions. It's entertaining and informative. There's whining and yet, it doesn't grate. I learned some history. And very funny, the dry, European kind. Highly recommend this book.(less)

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Sep 21, 2012 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: misc, cc, src-fall-12

Funny, interesting, and relaxing. Edit: forgot to mention, the chapter on the island's dogs is not funny, interesting, or relaxing; if, like me, you hate descriptions of mistreated animals, skip it. Also, the book's goodreads' synopsis is somewhat misleading; the book's author struggles without the niceties of western civilization, but he also comes to appreciate both the culture of the island and the double-edged sword of industrial society. Also, the book loses some of its energy about halfway...more

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Mar 15, 2007 Brant rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Misadventure-sympathetics / Those appreciative of Off the Beaten Tracks

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 experience) I never...more

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Nov 28, 2008 Bailey Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: travelers, adults, college, men, women

Recommended to Bailey Jane by: I bought it randomly!

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

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Dec 03, 2008 Parker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Parker by: Burdo

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 tha...more

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Feb 12, 2009 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

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.

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Jun 26, 2007 Jennifer G rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 brazenly take...more

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Jun 20, 2008 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

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.

While this is far from the...more

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Mar 20, 2009 Crystal rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: bookclub

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.

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Jan 26, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: travel

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 essentially a "...more 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 essentially a "house husband" here he finds himself spending the days surfing, cleaning, worrying about clean water and trying to find some sort of food. Most worrying is that with the abundance of people and no reliable waste disposal, the surrounding area is very toxic and even the local fish are dangerous to eat. It certainly provides an adventure for even surviving on the island.

Troost and his girlfriend spend two years on this island where gradually they become used to the living conditions (although not the Macarena, which is played constantly by everyone). Although somewhat deceiving there is cannibalism and an interesting sex life portrayed on the island. But it isn't by the people, but rather the wild dogs that roam the area. They manage to survive their time but it leaves them deeply changed and the last chapter deals with how they try to adjust to life in America and their attempts to buy clothes, shop for groceries in a place that provides maximum choices, and re-adjusting to needing money for most things.

Troost is a very funny writer. While his work isn't very polished it does have a great flow to it and he injects a huge amount of humor into it. With his descriptions it is easy to see the island where he lives through his words. You can see the beaches, the trees, the glaringly hot sun. But to this same extent you can see the filth, the mangy animals and the other disastrous elements that makes the island a dangerous place to live. Troost is a great narrator and his voice provides a good telling for the story. My only complaint would be that he is very whiny. Yes he tells everything as hilarious, but overall there is a sense of self pity in the book. Its almost as if he barely found anything utterly fantastic and that there was a bad element to everything.

He does a decent job of describing the people of the island. They are varied in their thoughts but all love storytelling, eating good food, and beer. On an island there's not much to do so singing and dancing and overall just music is a great hobby here. They also have "local legends" of their own and love telling Troost stories about the people and area. He in turn gives us a nice retelling of some of these stories.

This book was definitely one of the better ones I've read of his. I'll probably continue to read his books and look forward to some of the other places he visits and writes about.

The Sex Lives of Cannibals
Copyright 2004
272 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2010 (less)

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Jan 11, 2009 Elsa Wong rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 island and...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Keith rated it 3 of 5 stars

another case of 5 not being a sufficiently fine gradation to reflect my feelings for a book. I really quite liked this book... sometimes I struggled with the narrative voice, but i was amused and fascinated, educated and engaged... Valid points were made, the use of paper and ink, justified.

My only caveats are that it's really hard to write a humorous memoir and the authors of such books can easily slip to far into self-deprecation or the deprecation of others. Some of both is pretty much requir...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Leslie Langtry rated it 5 of 5 stars

As reviewed at Bookendbabes.com:

The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific, by J. Maarten Troost

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Leslie Langtry

Normally, here at BEB, we review books that came out in the past six months or, GASP, year. But seeing how it’s the first of the year, and one month away from my first official anniversary here – I decided to reach back onto my own bookshelf and share with you one of my favorite books that I KNOW you missed (but I will try very hard to not t...more

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Mar 17, 2013 William Hamman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: travel

First things first, the book has almost nothing to do with cannibals, and almost nothing to do with sex. Some people apparently feel cheated that the book didn't deliver on the promise of the title, but I for one was pleased, because I really don't think I'm interested in the sex lives of cannibals.

The book mainly amounts to the tale of an educated, probably metrosexual, certainly entitled man who goes off to live on Tarawa atoll for a couple of years, mostly because his girlfriend got a job the...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Non-fiction “travel story” book wherein author makes an attempt at a light-hearted portrayal of his time living in the Pacific islands, on Kiribati to be exact.

This is an Airplane Book. Meaning, this is the kind of book you read while on an airplane headed to some foreign destination. But you don’t finish it then. Because duh, the endings of these kinds of books always suck. They always talk about how the author grew or what he learned and how he has become disenchanted/disillusioned by the wond...more Non-fiction “travel story” book wherein author makes an attempt at a light-hearted portrayal of his time living in the Pacific islands, on Kiribati to be exact.

This is an Airplane Book. Meaning, this is the kind of book you read while on an airplane headed to some foreign destination. But you don’t finish it then. Because duh, the endings of these kinds of books always suck. They always talk about how the author grew or what he learned and how he has become disenchanted/disillusioned by the wondrous things he spent the first half of the book raving over.

You read the thoughtful, reflective last quarter of the book on the plane on the way home, scratching your mosquito bites that may or may not have infected you with yellow fever, wincing at your sunburn and hoping really, really hard that the weird rash on your leg is just something that will go away on its own.

I may sound like I’m being a bit critical. It’s really just jealousy though, because Troost GOT TO LIVE ON AN ISLAND IN THE PACIFIC. Even for all the downsides he spends the last half of the book listing, it would still be an absolutely amazing experience. And except for the partss when the book feels vaguely like Troost simply pouring out his complaints to anyone who will listen, it is an extremely entertaining read.

And the title is great. More books should have titles like this. If Hemingway had started naming his books “Drunk in Spain,” “Drunk in France: Don’t Listen to Gertrude Stein, I’m TOTES NOT GAY,” “Drunker in Cuba: The Return to Rum and Fistfights” I would have read the S**T out of his books. Instead he went with infinitely duller titles, and the world is forever made poorer.

This is the first book I’ve reviewed which simply didn’t meet my high standards for what makes Good Literature, but after all it is not intended to be Good Literature (I don’t think.) So this is why I reviewed it anyways: It’s fun, surprisingly thoughtful/education (watch out for that last quarter, read it on the plane home) and entertaining without being flippant or dull. Like I said, it’s the perfect book to read on an airplane. It’s the perfect book to read if you’re dreaming of being someplace far, far away, and it’s the perfect book to read if you’ve just found it at your local secondhand shop and there’s nothing else to buy and the title looks interesting and what the heck, it’s only fifty cents.

(Sorry Troost, I thought your book was lovely, you’re lovely, I feel I’ve been mean, if I ever meet you I will give you a hug.)

^ This is why I could never be an editor. (less)

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Jan 08, 2013 Ken rated it 4 of 5 stars

I finished reading J. Maarten Troost's Sex Lives of Cannibals in 2005 (while juggle-reading William M. Brandon's Selfish Man and several others). Quite enjoyable. And I happened upon an interesting passage (from Chapter 3) which I will share with you:

"Johnston Atoll is the vilest place on Earth. In the 1960s the United States used the island for atmospheric nuclear tests, which is a definite no-no in most neighborhoods. Not content to merely nuke the atoll, the U.S. then decided to poison it. Th...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Tamara Bostrom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Contrary to its title, this book has nothing to do with the sex lives of anyone. It briefly discusses the odd courtship rituals of the I-Kiribati and their morals surrounding marriage and fidelity but that occupies only a few pages of the book. Instead, this is a fun travelogue that details the two years the author and his girlfriend spent on the forgotten islands of Kiribati. Unlike most travelogues I read, the book was almost entirely devoid of inspirational moments coming from an enlarged sen...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Juliann Wetz rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved it!
When I started reading the book, I was so jealous of Maarten and Sylvia, taking off on an adventure like that. I thought - why don't my husband and I try something like this? And what great fodder for a writer! But as Maarten started to describe life on the island, I realized that I am too old for an adventure like this. :)

I loved the descriptions. The heat, the dogs, the machetes, the filth and stench and defecation on the beach.... Maarten took us there with him and I felt transpor...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Levy rated it 3 of 5 stars

"The Marshall Islands had received $800 million of American “aid” over the previous ten years, which amounted to $14,300 for every man, woman, and child in the country. The vast majority of this money was sent directly to the government of the Marshall Islands, which, of course, is the best possible way to instill corruption, inefficiency, and a dependency mentality in Third World governments everywhere. Not only did all this aid fail to significantly improve the health and welfare of the Marsha...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

I appreciate the information on the Kiribati history, culture and people but I was surprised to find that Troost spent two years on Tarawa. It just felt like the author should have derived more from the experience of living with a vastly different culture for that length of time. Much of his time seemed to be spent with other outsiders rather than the natives. Furthermore, the author was a little whiny about the lack of modern conveniences. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that I wouldn’t mis...more

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May 28, 2012 T.H. Waters rated it 2 of 5 stars

Dang. This book really bummed me out. It's one of the few that have come my way which I wish I wouldn't have read. It's billed as a humorous book about a dude who lived on a tiny island near the equator for a few years. Sure, it starts out funny enough. I did laugh during the descriptions about the author's mishap when a turd was relentlessly tracking him in the water during an afternoon ocean dip and again at his inescapable battle with the ubiquitous La Macarena song that incessantly blared fr...more Dang. This book really bummed me out. It's one of the few that have come my way which I wish I wouldn't have read. It's billed as a humorous book about a dude who lived on a tiny island near the equator for a few years. Sure, it starts out funny enough. I did laugh during the descriptions about the author's mishap when a turd was relentlessly tracking him in the water during an afternoon ocean dip and again at his inescapable battle with the ubiquitous La Macarena song that incessantly blared from every house and shop on the island. But after awhile, J. Maarten's cavalier observations merely left a bad taste in my mouth rather than urging me to gleefully turn the pages. Observations like: considering eating one of his dogs (Brown Dog) for dinner after an islander suggested Brown Dog would be very tasty or finding a stray pup and trying to muster the courage to snap its neck then toss it in the ocean or this line about Princess Diana - "The government of Kiribati was well informed about all things Diana. I no longer cared about Princess Diana. She's dead. Let it go." I'm certainly no royal watcher, but come on. Taking jabs at Diana? Really? And I really love dogs, so I was mortified by his contemptuous attitude towards them. J. Maarten's view of the islanders themselves was just as nauseating. The only impression of them I now hold is that they are lazy slobs who don't give a damn about their jobs or their island and think nothing about living in absolute squalor. Oh, but they can sing well and dance, too. Um... what? Don't get me wrong. I love to laugh and have fun as much as anybody, but shock jock humor just isn't for me. My brand of humor is much more aligned with such fantastically written books as Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." I had the same experience with J. Maarten Troost as I often do at a cocktail party when I'm stuck next to "that guy" who exudes self-importance and entitlement from every single one of his pores and loves to hear himself chatter so much that he doesn't even notice how bored I am - I figure out the most ingenious way to get the hell away from him. (less)

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May 14, 2012 Jenny rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: around-the-world, location-south-pacific, read2012, travel, location-kiribati

I think it is important to separate the subject matter of a book from the book itself. Kiribati? Fascinating. The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific? Not good. The research was interesting. The factoids were interesting. But the author comes across as a complete tool. I would have been far more interested in hearing about his girlfriend's experience in the Republic of Kiribati, since she was actually working with people and doing things, unlike J. Maarten.

It isn't a funny...more

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May 04, 2012 Frank rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, travel

It tells the story of J. Maarten Troost, who at 26 moved with his girlfriend to the far-off island of Tarawa, a remote South Pacific island in the Republic of Kiribati (which, to my surprise, is apparently pronounced Kir-ba-wa). Troost's writing is elegant and rich, but wickedly funny. Think a mixture of Eric Hansen and Dave Eggers (the latter of whom, it seemed to me, had influenced Troost's style). Tarawa is polluted, smelly and scarce of almost all the daily pleasures and contrivances we've c...more

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Question	8	101	Jul 06, 2012 10:07pm

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About J. Maarten Troost

J. Maarten Troost is the author of The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific. His essays have appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, the Washington Post, and the Prague Post. He spent two years in Kiribati in the equatorial Pacific and upon his return was hired as a consultant by the World Bank. After several years in Fiji, he recently relocated to the U.S. and now lives with his wif...more

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Books by J. Maarten Troost

Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu

Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid

Headhunters on My Doorstep: A True Treasure Island Ghost Story

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“Like many air travelers, I am aware that airplanes fly aided by capricious fairies and invisible strings.” — 20 people liked it

“Personally I regard idling as a virtue, but civilized society holds otherwise.” — 16 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11077.The_Sex_Lives_of_Cannibals?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320553509l/11077.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11077.The_Sex_Lives_of_Cannibals?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost[/url]

The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific

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