I have read a few books about Jamaica both set in "current times" as well as a few historical novels....
Give me some suggestions....
Thanks!!
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I have read a few books about Jamaica both set in "current times" as well as a few historical novels....
Give me some suggestions....
Thanks!!
Without a doubt, my all time favorite is "Catch a Fire" by Timothy White. it is leading biography of The Honorable Robert Nesta Marley and the history of Jamaica, the music industry and the Rasta Movement during Bob's lifetime. It is a must have for any library in my humble opinion
As above, a true classic! Love Roberta Pryor's "Negril, Reggae, Riots and Romance" It is on Amazon and has a Kindle version. Truly a fun read with most of it set on the West End of Negril as well as the beach area.
"Dear Dad" by Kymani Marley, is also quite informative. I just finished "Near a Far Sea, A Jamaican Odyssey by Don Noes. This one is set in the Treasure Beach area...if you ever are thinking about buying property in Ja. ...read this first...it describes all the ups and downs of the venture as well as many facts about the fisherman in the area.
Rasta Heart by Robert Roskind is another one of my favorites as well as anything by author Anthony Winkler. The Pirates Daughter, Walk Good are also on my favorite list. Have fun!!! I adore reading about Jamaica whether it is factual or fiction. Amazon does have a really good selection. Since I just recently bought a Kindle Fire, I have downloaded so many great books in seconds. I am loving it!!!
Opps, I typed the author's name incorrectly on the Ja. Odyssey. It is Don Noel not Noes. Sorry about that! :)
Thanks bunches. Gotta get my fix somewhere! Readnthe Roskin book as well as Pirates Daughter and Walk Good. Loved them all. Found Dead Yard on kindle last nite. Let you know
Cant wait to check the others out!!
I just received "The Dead Yard - A tale of Modern Jamaica" by Ian Thomson for Fathers Day and have only glanced through it but it looks like a great read - A commentary on the Island in Modern times. Can't decide if I want to read it now or save it for my next reach in December.
HillCity Gurl and Creasemon, please let me know how "Dead Yard" is when you finish. It is on my wish list right now!! Can't wait to hear!
Walk Good by Roland Reimer
I read Sunset Negril (Roland Reimer) on this last reach in May/June as I really enjoyed Walk Good. It was a fun beach read as well.
Anything by Albert Winkler: Painted Canoe, Going Home to Teach. The Duppy, The Lunatic, and The Great Yacht Race. The Dead Yard is very good. Walk Good is also good not so much Sunset Negril. Banana Shout is good.
I agree, Walk Good was better. I enjoyed Banana Shout very much.
I have updated my wish list for my kindle fire!! Thanks guys!! Only I cant find Catch a Fire...only the study guides????
Check out this list: http://www.bookssetin.com/BookSearch...wPlace=Jamaica
It's not on the list, but I enjoyed Abeng by Michelle Cliff
I have had to buy Walk Good 4 times now. Every time I read it in Jamaica someone asks to borrow it. I never seem to be able to get it back. I've just loaned out my newest copy (keep buying it because I love to read it when getting a trip planned) to my friends. It's their first time in Jamaica & with their first 3 nights being in Negril, I figure it'll help them to know what to expect.
I'm reading the Dead Yard and I'm not so sure about it. Sure, it has some really interesting perspective, but it really feels like the author doesn't like Jamaica. And he keeps interviewing people who don't like it either. I don't know...
I just read Jamaica Girl by Jon Michael Miller. It's got some controversial elements but I really enjoyed it. It's quite racy though! I'm pretty sure it is out of print but you can get a used copy for about $12 on amazon.
Born fi' Dead by Laurie Gunst :rolleyes:
Sbeth - I read Dead Yard as well. I felt like a learned a lot about Jamaica/politics/history, but I also could not shake a negative vibe from the book. I dont think it was the author's intent but it seemed a little one sided in its perspective.
One People - Guy Kennaway
The Book of Night Women - Marlon James
Ancestors - Paul Crooks
Salt - Earl Lovelace
Sam I am - Glad it wasn't just me!
check out Dr. Laura Tanna's collection of oral folk tales and histories...Quote:
Originally Posted by HillCityGurl
http://www.amazon.com/Jamaican-Folk-.../dp/0967499119
Laura Tanna's work will appeal to a wide variety of readers: to those interested in tales till now untold publicly; to those who seek songs that have for generations been held dear and protected by the creators, inheritors and users of them; to oral history enthusiasts; and to those who simply wish to better understand the human beings with whom they shares this shrinking planet.
Laura Tanna's gift for sensitively listening to and communicating with her informants, coupled with scrupulous scholarship and genuine concern for interviewers, imbues her writing with rare insights into unfamiliar or half-forgotten attitudes, life styles and values. She gives us not only pleasurable reading, but opportunities to expand our perspectives and increase awareness of intangible aspects of our human heritage and environment. These, while being particularly useful to peoples of the African diaspora, are valuable to all caring citizens of the world.
Waiting on Banana Shout to come in the mail... damn snail mail! Anyway, completely excited to read it :)
Thanks for the tips guys! I just finished reading Walk Good. Loved it!
I just picked up The Dead Yard, Catch a Fire, and The Pirates Daughter from the library yesterday, should keep me going through our trip.
Book Review: J'can folk tales at their best
Published: Sunday | August 16, 2009
Title: 'Jamaican Folk
Tales and Oral Histories'
Author: Dr Laura Tanna
Reviewed by:
Dr Rebecca Tortello
Anancy's place in Jamaican culture lies in the research of scholars, in the telling of tales from generation to generation, in popular theatre, in song and dance and in popular dialect where the word 'anancy' can be used instead of 'ginnal' to mean someone slightly devious or who uses wit to outsmart others.
One such scholar who has done much to ensure the survival of Jamaican Anancy tales is Dr Laura Tanna. With the re-release of her book, Jamaican Folk Tales and Oral Histories, and the newly updated accompanying DVD and CDs (Jamaican Folk Tales and Maroon Storyteller), Dr Tanna has not only created a valuable teaching package, but by digitising the material, has managed to preserve the vital footage she painstakingly recorded and analyzed over 30 years ago.
Tanna collected this anthology of contemporary Jamaican folk tales in the early 1970s travelling across Jamaica into some of the most remote areas to collect folk tales and record the storytelling, using the technology then available to preserve a dying tradition. Having studied African languages and literature and lived in Africa from the age of 14, where she first became intrigued by African oral traditions, she was well placed to do this research. Indeed, much of the book is based on her dissertation, the Art of Jamaican Oral Narrative Performance.
The book itself is well organised. The style is academic, but readers shouldn't be put off since the accompanying DVD and CDs break down the material, making it more appealing and likely more relevant to a wider audience. Through the entire package, Tanna takes you with her on her journey into a rich aspect of Jamaican oral culture. By writing in the first person and detailing how the tales were collected, she introduces readers to the performers as individuals and gives glimpses of their lives. We meet and get to know people like Miss Adina, Henrietta Barnes and Thomas Rowe and also see the familiar faces and hear the distinct voices of cultural icons, 'Miss Lou' and Ranny Williams.
We learn about the 'River Muma' water spirit and meet a greedy or "cub*****" girl named Nora who tries to keep all the ackee she collects for herself. Of course, we are also fortunate to spend time with 'Bredda Anancy'. Throughout the book, Tanna breaks down the wide range of oral material she collected by subject, ranging from songs and rhymes to duppy stories and trickster tales. She introduces each subject heading by explaining its origins and relevant historical context. She rounds out the text by including photographs of the storytellers as well as an important glossary for those unfamiliar with Jamaican patois and a useful bibliography.
Having used this material as a student in college when researching my undergraduate thesis which explored the evolution of Anancy tales and their role in Jamaican culture, I know how useful the material is as a window to aspects of Jamaican culture that are in danger of dying out.
I also appreciate how important Tanna's thorough analysis of both the structure and the meanings of the material are because each in their own way represents retentions from African traditions and adaptations to life in a creolised society. The book, DVD and CD set is certainly an important addition to any serious Jamaican cultural scholar's collection.
The deep respect Tanna has for the storytellers who shared their cultural traditions with her resonates in her writing when she shares how she met the performers and how, in many cases, she built lasting relationships with them, and in her use of both patois and standard English. She did not just show up and expect to record the material. Instead, Tanna came prepared to meet and learn about each performer, to meet their families, to better understand their homes and lives so as to be better able to understand their storytelling and its cultural relevance.
She deliberately did not translate the tales into standard English, instead, she preserved their integrity by transcribing them as they were recorded, intending for the reader to read the tale as it was spoken and thereby get a better understanding of how it was actually performed.
Of course, with the DVD and CDs, now those who buy the full set can read, hear and see the tales being presented for themselves and use the book, and Tanna's incisive introductions, to add greater understanding of the language, culture and of the role of oral traditions in Jamaican history.
For me, the highlight of the book is its collection of Trickster or Anancy tales - not only because I have a soft spot for Anancy. I also have great respect for him as a character because I understand that the survival of the trickster tale was not an accident. With his cleverness and unfailing ability to have an answer for every situation, Anancy reminds us that slaves were not ignorant, weak, passive individuals who merely accepted their fate and did nothing to challenge it. Part of Anancy's strength comes from the fact that before transplantation to the West Indies, he was grounded in an ancient African system of belief in a unified world.
On transplantation to the Caribbean these beliefs remained strong and animal trickster tales allowed the slaves to express their wildest fantasies and their deepest anxieties without fear of retribution. Anancy tales were and are measures of self-reliance and self-affirmation. Animal tricksters like Anancy who think like humans and experience human emotions without being treated as such, served to implicitly indict the dehumanising system of slavery.
In conveying the value of oral tradition, Tanna teaches that collecting the telling of a tale on video/DVD, audiocassette/CD or in writing, with or without photographs, can never equal the actual experience of participating in a storytelling session. This book, and accompanying CDs and DVD are as close as one can come. The historical value of this collection cannot be overemphasised.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...rts/arts7.html
Thanks Monk-I defintley want to check out your suggestion...I love reading books about Jam-esp non-fiction as well history related..Out of many already quoted I truly liked the Dead Yard the best-some may think its negative but its an excellent look into modern Jam.. (I have feeling some may not like the brutal reality of modern Jam-)
I also really enjoyed:
The gathering of the healers by Robert Roskind. about rastas and trying to heal the nation..
The rise and fall of Falmouth-by carey robinson...Falmouth near my area,did you know its a world heritage georgian site??
Jamaica nice, you know- david palladini- about living in Jam (an no NOt negril)
A year, more or less in Jam- another book by david palladini about dealing with day to day living in Jam as ex-pat...
I'm probably one of the few people who didnt care for "Walk Good"...I thought it trite and too predictable... As I thought the same way about Negril sunset...
I still have many more to read...
No Woman, No Cry by Rita Marley
If you like reading the history of Jamaica, you might enjoy Pieces of the Past by Dr. Rebecca Tortello.
Also, Sunset Negril!Quote:
Originally Posted by saeyedoc
For those of you that enjoy Jamaican history - "The Story of Westmoreland, A Jamaican Parish" by Marguerite R Curtin. A great read with lots of illustrations and photographs. It covers the period from earliest Taino to the emergence of Negril as a tourist destination. Published in 2010. She has also written The Story of Hanover (which I have not yet read). Unfortunately I have never been able to find either book at the normal book websites - I bought my copy of the Story of Westmoreland at a bookstore in Sav for $2000 JA (upstairs bookstore across from Texaco station).
Sbeth,Quote:
Originally Posted by sbeth
Apparently many feel like you do. For a bit more of those who feel the same, the credible review for the New York Times Book section goes into more depth for their take on the Dead Yard.
The New York Times review states about the British author Ian Thomson's book, " I wish I could join in this stately applause, but I am puzzled by it. On a purely aesthetic level, this book is a grind — it has no through-narrative, no argument, no grease. The author spreads out his research not in any kind of linear fashion but like a man having a rummage sale, inviting us to pick through it with him."
The review compares his take on Jamaica as having the "jumbled personality of a Wikipedia entry". They go on to describe him as "For all of his negative assessments, he’s not even agreeably cranky. He’s a blank."
They do say that most of the book is taken up by the interviews. And to that end they ask why arent there any interviews with the younger and currently successful Jamaicans. Mr. Thomson has seemed to leave them out. It seems that only the older are interviewed. They go on to explain, "I have nothing against old people and hope to become one myself. But by focusing on them so relentlessly, he gives us a skewed and brittle picture of Jamaica. These are people whose glory days are behind them. It’s no surprise that they think the country’s glory days are in the rearview mirror, too. It’s as if he’d written a book about modern Japan by interviewing the living World War II veterans."
For more here is a link to the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/bo...pagewanted=all
Maybe dead Yard doesnt give both sides of the coin...but it does give one-side and does provide factual info..For some a buzzkill no doubt but it is a reality of Jamaica.. A side that most tourists would not be aware of-just like many aspects of Jam,not everything is Irie all the time--and just like any other place on the planet there is the good ,the bad and the ugly..Just one of the realities to living in Jam.
If this isnt your cup of tea than just don't read it.....
ps.-I dont think interviewing younger and successful Jams would give a more rosier picture to difficulties and stresses one must deal with in living in Jam..
oh yes the history of westmoreland is outstanding-i bought my copy at the airport-fascinating read....
I personally just barely started dead yard yes its negative but it seems to be factual... I like it because nothing is perfect no matter how hard travel agents and websites make it sound... if you don't want to hear about the more dismal side of Jamaica this one isn't for you... however if you would like a look at the reality that lies behind the "paradise" then try it... BTW I recommend eBay i got my copy for under 5 dollars brand new with free shipping. respeck.
Suzen,
My comments were more made to show Sbeth (as well as other readers) that they are not alone in their opinion of the book. And their opinions are backed up by such credible sources such as the New York Times, which publishes probably the most quoted "Best Seller" list on the planet. Not a bad source to agree with your opinion...
While the book does provide some factual information, much of it is derived not from facts, but opinion about how he and the people he interviews see things. He did not try to paint any balanced picture, and seems to only include those who hold the same views, as do you. That is fine, but agreeing with him does not make what he writes a fact. It is simply his opinion.
Had he chosen to include other, more balanced views, the book may have taken on a more credible viewpoint that would have been recognized by the New York Times. Instead it is mired in one of which is obviously one-sided and not representative of Jamaica as a whole. You may be of the opinion that interviewing others would not have made a difference, but since the authour chose not to - the book is framed in a one sided, biased viewpoint from beginning to end.
Living here in Jamaica daily for nearly two decades now, I hold a different view as do many others. Life is never perfect no matter where you are - it is called life, which is a four letter word. There are struggles as are pointed out here, and I am sure that Disney World employees hold a different view of "Mickeyland" as do the visitors. But the viewpoint of a very short time visitor to Jamaica who writes an extremely one sided view of a nation in which they do not live is not one that I hold in any regard at all. If I went to his home town (or your's) I promise you that I could ignore any good aspects and only write of the bad things that have happened (no matter how big, small, true or untrue) and paint an equally one sided and inaccurate view of the town.
I have talked to some visitors who seem to hold this obviously one sided book as some kind of "Bible" on Jamaica. It is okay not to like this book and point out the obvious flaws it contains and the things it conveniently leaves out. While some things in the book are aspects of things I've experienced, this book in no way is an accurate, complete portrayal of life in Jamaica.
Well put Rob... I agree with much of what you wrote. I am glad I read the book because it opened my eyes to a few things I was unaware of and did allow me to hear the perspective of an older generation who left JA after independence for the US/UK (some did return). The Jamaicans I know well are from my generation, so they sometimes have a very different persective than the generation interviewed for the book... so I am glad I got to read those things.
Overall I guess that my biggest complaint was something mentioned in the NY Times reveiw Rob mentioned... comparing the writing style to a rummage sale! I did get a little lost in trying to find a "flow" to the book. It was kind of all over the place for me. I don't feel like I have an over "rosey" view of Jamaica (maybe I'm wrong). I think that I actually have a pretty honest view of both its good and bad. But the book just seemed to one-sided for me.
I am not saying I am not glad I read it... I am. But I did not enjoy it. And that is not a reflection of it's lack of "feel-good" moments or how honest it was. Rather for me it was a reflection on its lack of organization, too many interviews, not enough historic facts to frame those interviews and an author who did not live in JA or spend a significant amount of time there (I could be wrong but I thought he admitted to only going there about 3 times to do research).
I encourage others to read it and form their own opinions. Whether or not you end up enjoying the book, it will make you think!
Hmmmm. so people that have been murdered,robbed,fear for their lives and possessions is an opinion and not fact.....
..and who says a book has to always show two-sides to the story??? Were all aware of the wonderful reasons to visit and even make Jam our home(theres plenty of polly-anna feel good books out there for that),but nothing wrong with bringing up the "darkside" as well-unless you just go thru life with rose-colored glasses on,then so be it,thats you choice.Ther're all actually some people out there (Like Beebeluv) who are interested in reading about the other side of the coin....And as SamIam said above it will make you think....I agree and embrace that...
And when did books that do not get a glowing review from the NY times not become "credible" ????
And I agree with you SamIam-the writers style and technique is sketchy at best-allover the place and no flow for sure.Certailnly not the best writing in style that i've read...
Im curious-in your opinion Rob what are some of the obvious flaws and what as been left out that you feel so strongly about?
lol I don't wanna be pulled in to an argument...lol BUT I do like to see all sides of a story... I am pretty sure that Rob was just saying that in his opinion It would have been more accurate to show some of the many great things Jamaica has to offer considering this was published for the world to see, and not everyone thinks about the proverbial other side of the coin. And in my opinion I already know what the "people" say about Jamaica such as "paradise" and other words that describe it as such. I like to know about the bad the good and the ugly... and this will not change my views on a place because I have the ability to look at all sides with an unbiased opinion... Also I live in Southern California... the good the bad and the ugly can be found here at every head turn. as I'm sure you know looking at your location. I THINK that Rob is very passionate about Jamaica and wants people to give it a fair chance without pre-judgement is all... Rob if im wrong I know you will feel free to correct me and please do. Also I THINK he was just using the NYTimes as a reference... again AS ALWAYS FOR ME>>>everything I say is purely my opinion and if I'm wrong feel free to correct me I like accurate info! :) much love...beebeluv!
Hey Beebeluv, sorry, didnt want to seem like i was personally bringing you into it..Just nice to that there are other folks like yourself who do want to know both sides of the coin...most people dont ...I respect everyones opinions..(as I expect MY opion to be respected as well).and Rob is passionate about Jam- he lives there, its his home and i can see why he wants to defend or discredit any misinformation that might put Negril in negative light..
I know all too well about the shady ,everyday side of SoCali-not far from the happiest place on earth you'll find, drugs gangs, prostitution,shootings,etc..
I often forget that this is Robs "travel board" and thus one should stay on that track and not bring up other, non-travel,unflattering,or negative topics or information..(pertaining to Negril and Jam) that may cast a bad light...
oh no sorries needed... I understand pepole like to be blind and I understand that you felt like your opinion wasn't being respected... But Im sure that wasnt the intention... and there is good and bad everywhere whether pepole like to admit it or not... but I think hes tired of the negative light... even I when I told my coworkers about my trip to Jamaica the told me to be very careful its a dangerous third world country and they will try to take you and things along those lines and they have never been to Jamaica... So that tells me lots of pepole do see the negative or what they think to be negative considering they never have been there themselves and I think this bothers Rob in reality it bothers me... if you dont know just dont say anything. that and like sam.... i think sam stated that the author only visited 3 times... this also shows his incomplete knowledge of the country.... but so far as ive read its based mainly in or around kingston. so what about the other places... I dunno... I just dont want pepole to be unhappy is all or be mislead. ...love u all... beebeluv
Beebe,
Thanks for understanding the point of my posts.
Suzen,
I came up with the idea for Negril.com back in 1993 aand created it to provide visitors to Jamaica with honest, accurate and truthful information which would allow them to have the best time possible on their vacation. But while I did create it, it is not simply "my travel board", but the town of Negril's as there other interests involved in Negril.com including the Negril Chamber of Commerce.
You are correct about my passion to correct misinformation about Negril and Jamaica. Misinformation helps no visitor to the island, nor do rumor, speculation and mistaking opinion for fact. The "darkside" as you called it can be discussed as long as it is done within the guidelines above. As I have stated many times Jamaica is a real place with real people who have real problems. It was not created as a tourist attraction. There has never been any confusion about this point on Negril.com. But with human nature, when some people start to discuss and focus on certain topics, it can often become a feeding ground for rumor (my friend called me and told me they heard that xyz happened to....) or speculation (I bet that xyz was the cause of this problem) or opinion as fact (Jamaica has the highest xyz in the world). On the other hand, it is never wrong for people to offer feel good, or as you call it "polly-anna" information. After all, vacations are about feeling good, otherwise no one would ever take one.
The book is a different take on Jamaica and not a very good read as a book. It presents some basic facts. But it is not a complete or accurate view of Jamaica. There are others, including myself, who find this indulgence of one man's skewed opinion of a place he has visited just a few times rather limited in scope and not at all representative of the Jamaica we live in or visit. Those that think it is somehow the "gospel" on Jamaica need to know that there are other more valid/credible views and most are more complete than the one presented by this book. And one of them just happen to be the credible resource known as the New York Times.
Cane by Perry Henzell
The Harder They Come by Michael Thelwel (actually liked the book better than the movie)
The True History of Paradise by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
A Year (more or less) in Jamaica
Jamaica Girl
Legitimate Resistance by Errol McDonald
Book of Jamaica by Russell Banks
Anything by Colin Channer (although the island is not named Jamaica - you feel Jamaica)
Greenwitch Town by Joyce Palmer
The Same Earth by Kei Miller (loved this one)