Epeli Hau'ofa (1939–2009)
Teoksen Tales of the Tikongs tekijä
Tietoja tekijästä
Tekijän teokset
Our crowded islands 1 kappale
Associated Works
Merkitty avainsanalla
Yleistieto
- Syntymäaika
- 1939-12-07
- Kuolinaika
- 2009-01-11
- Hautapaikka
- Wainadoi, Fiji
- Sukupuoli
- male
- Kansalaisuus
- Fiji
- Syntymäpaikka
- Papua New Guinea
- Kuolinpaikka
- Suva, Fiji
- Asuinpaikat
- Wainadoi, Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Tonga
Fiji - Ammatit
- lecturer
writer
Jäseniä
Kirja-arvosteluja
Palkinnot
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- Suosituimmuussija
- #137,935
- Arvio (tähdet)
- 3.4
- Kirja-arvosteluja
- 5
- ISBN:t
- 15
- Kielet
- 2
Like Tonga and Fiji, Tiko is an isolated archipelago. The nearest major countries are Australia and New Zealand, which are pouring out a torrent of development aid over their small distant neighbour, without really understanding the people and their needs. That is one of the recurring themes in the stories: fishermen who get (free) cows without knowing exactly how to take good care of them. Or a man who needs a typewriter but is forced to start a foundation first and officially ask for thousands of dollars.
Another recurring theme is the double standard of the islanders themselves: to sit in church all day on Sunday and then indulge in all possible sins for six days. Nepotism and government corruption. The somewhat half-hearted work ethic.
The stories are clearly intended to be humorous and somewhat ironic. The trouble with humor is that you can't always understand it in all its finesse if you don't know anything about the context. And I knew absolutely nothing about the islands of the South Pacific. So I was left with a somewhat unsatisfied feeling of often missing the punchline. This was especially true for the stories in which the local population is ridiculed. Still, it was nice to read something from such a (to me) unknown region, where, incidentally, very few books come from.… (lisätietoja)