Jamaica Reads//Books//Suggestions??

[BCBud]

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).

[N5_]

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.

[Van]

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.

[N5_]

I agree, Walk Good was better. I enjoyed Banana Shout very much.

[HillCityGurl]

I have updated my wish list for my kindle fire!! Thanks guys!! Only I cant find Catch a Fire...only the study guides????

[sbeth]

Check out this list: http://www.bookssetin.com/BookSearch...wPlace=Jamaica
It's not on the list, but I enjoyed Abeng by Michelle Cliff

[sbeth]

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.

[Rob]

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...

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

[dave]

Born fi' Dead by Laurie Gunst

[Sam I Am]

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.