Охота за головами на Соломоновых островах

by Caroline Mytinger, Кэролайн Майтингер, В.О. Блувштейн (Translator)

Приключения двух молодых женщин, пожелавших запечатлеть быт и нравы народа, проживающего в одном из самых экзотических уголков земного шара, Меланезии, - вот тема этой увлекательной книги, рассчитанной на самый широкий круг читателей.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, History, Anthropology

416 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1942

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and memorable view of the Solomon Islands between the First and Second World Wars. The author and her friend set out to document, in painted portraits, the disappearing native culture. The book also captures the colonialism, condescension, and racism of the Western culture that supplanted it.

[Maria Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing - and shockingly true - account of two American women in the 1930s who set out to paint the indigenous peoples of the Solomon Islands. Their plan? To make their fourtunes by sailing through the tropics with the plan to paint the Plantation Owners for cash and their workers for anthropological science before the tribes vanish through industrialization, plague or interbreeding with the influx of whites.

Falling victim to Malaria, inbred fear and racism, not to mention their own foolish miscalculations and fears, the two encounter tribes, wildlife and forces which take their breaths away.

[Jennifer Pletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of the author and her friend, Margaret Warner, who were both artist. In the 1930's they spent 2 years on an expedition to paint indigenous people in the Solomon Islands. This book recounts her and Margaret's travels and the people that they met along the way. She speaks of the beautiful things they saw, but also the infections, insects, the heat, and the fevers. Their adventure - basically unheard of by women in their time - led to fear for their family and friends. No one expected them to come back alive. They brought back beautiful paintings, but tons of stories that lead to this book.



This book was pretty good! I was pretty interested in these women traveling to the Solomon Islands in the 1930s and what they thought. Their stories are enjoyable and it was fun to see these women trying something outside of their comfort zone. These were early feminist, but one does have to remember that they are writing descriptions of the people they met would not be acceptable today. However - knowing what year it was, this did not deter from the book at all.

[Ken Boorman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an interesting book! You immediately get the sense that it was written in a different time (it was published in 1942). As such, the social mores portrayed here do not reflect current thought in quite a few circumstances.
That said, the idea and adventure that 2 women had traveling around the South Pacific between the World Wars is oddly compelling. The documentation of life in the region in those times and the painting Caroline Mytinger (the author) did are important tools that help us understand the attitudes etc expressed here.
To sum up... I recommend this book with reservations - please bear in mind this was a different time and the views expressed do not jibe with current social norms.

[John Gillespie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the plucky spirit and enthusiastic diction of the author as she and her pal travel through the Solomon Islands shortly after WWI. Sure, there are a few passages that will make a modern reader wince because of the colonial views and language regarding the natives, but there are just as many passages that convey a sincere respect and admiration for them. Such an adventure seems hard to imagine as our world has become so globalised. I was especially awed at the resourcefulness Mytinger was forced to conjure just to obtain the necessary materials for her painting. I've never heard of an artist going through anything like she did!

[Faye Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting account of two white women’s two year expedition into the Solomon Islands as they attempted to document in drawings and photos the indigenous tribes of the area before their unique cultures were spoiled by civilization. Their adventures, mishaps and successes made this an enjoyable book to read.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very quirky but information-packed read. The writing was a little discombobulated but other than that, it was a different story from what I have seen before.

[Doug Garnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite an adventurous story with what appear to be sensitive and aware observations of native culture.

[jj Grilliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely enjoyed this.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing travelogue by a White American "headhunter" - a portraiture artist - and her White banjo-playing childhood handyman friend Margaret Warner, who in the 1920's were determined against all odds to finance their risky exploration of the Solomon Islands to paint portraits of the various lineages of Natives by "hunting" and painting the heads of paying white plantation owners and officials. This is a very entertaining, very readable book. It indirectly depicts the state of brutal servitude and unrest in the complex Native societies of the Solomons under British dominance and French and German and Australian influence all aimed at extracting wealth. The author's language referring to Natives is, although sympathetic to a point, I think must be typical of that era in the United States and is appalling, disgusting.

A Kindle ebook with B&W illustrations.
Mytinger's collection:
https://portal.hearstmuseum.berkeley....
Here is a great example in color:
https://webapps.cspace.berkeley.edu/p...

[Lost Owl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it took me quite a while to finish, I enjoyed this book. The two travelers were curious about everything they saw, and reported it in a fresh manner. Although written in the forties, I didn't catch much of the bias view of the native people I thought would be there in the time period. The girls were open and honest, nonjudgmental, without falling in the PC traps we are circumscribed by today. It's as interesting to learn about them as it is to see the islands through their eyes. Recommended.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and mixed - a study in well-intentioned prejudice with fascinating adventures along the way. Two young women set off to paint the "disappearing primitives" in the 1930s. While not a fast read, they are determined and resourceful and manage to survive 4 years, nearly without money, in pursuit of their quest.