Scott's review
Gilligan's Wake: A Novel
by Tom Carson
Scott's review
Gilligan's Wake: A Novel by Tom Carson
Scott's review
rating:
recommended for: people interested in twentieth-century American culture and history
I knew I had to read this from the moment I heard what it was: a retelling of "Gilligan's Island" written from the point of view of each of the castaways, co-existing and interacting with many other fictional and historical characters of the time period. That kind of thing is right up my alley, so I had to check it out at least for the sheer weirdness factor. But as it turned out, there was a lot more to it than I expected.
When I call it a "retelling of 'Gilligan's Island,'" that's a little bit misleading, because very little of the book actually deals with the characters' time on the island. For the most part, it delves into each character's backstory prior to the three-hour tour -- one chapter per character, in order of the theme song, in first-person. As you might expect, the characterizations are a little bit different and deeper than you'd find on the show, often with bizarre twists, but still close enough to seem familiar. The castaways don't interact...more
When I call it a "retelling of 'Gilligan's Island,'" that's a little bit misleading, because very little of the book actually deals with the characters' time on the island. For the most part, it delves into each character's backstory prior to the three-hour tour -- one chapter per character, in order of the theme song, in first-person. As you might expect, the characterizations are a little bit different and deeper than you'd find on the show, often with bizarre twists, but still close enough to seem familiar. The castaways don't interact...more
