Scan barcode
oregon_small_fry's review against another edition
3.0
Brandon told me that this book had changed his life, so he let me borrow his copy that had things underlined and notes and such and I felt like I totally invaded his privacy. it gave me the creeps.
But the book its self- some parts were really well written and exciting. other parts lame. Yes, the message was good. yada yada.
It reminded me to much of the Poisonwood Bible and I would take that book anyday over this. A crazy dad who drags his family out into the jungle to save them (or their souls) and trys to change the nature of the local people around him and it can't be done.
I have a feeling Theroux will contuine to be around in the future, as he writes outdoor adventure travel books. wooo hooo.
But the book its self- some parts were really well written and exciting. other parts lame. Yes, the message was good. yada yada.
It reminded me to much of the Poisonwood Bible and I would take that book anyday over this. A crazy dad who drags his family out into the jungle to save them (or their souls) and trys to change the nature of the local people around him and it can't be done.
I have a feeling Theroux will contuine to be around in the future, as he writes outdoor adventure travel books. wooo hooo.
jimbowen0306's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not going to lie, I can't see why people like this book.
Okay, so where to start? You know those "Alaskan Wilderness Men" reality-tv shows that are on at the moment? The ones where they have to survive in the wilderness, building tut, and catching animals? Well this book is like that, except it's set in what is now Eastern Nicaragua(ish). And the leader of the family (the father, Allie Fox) is an arrogant fool, and racist to boot.
Fox drags his family to The Mosquito Coast from Maine, because he's convinced that American society is on the verge of collapse, a race war, or nuclear war (so he's like one of those people too, all we needed was a purpose built air raid shelters in a basement, and the Mom being an extreme couponer to have the reality show trifecta). Once there he sets up an ice manufacturing enterprise (because, of course, that makes sense), with the idea that he'll work with the shiftless locals to get it set up (because he thinks, of course, that only the white man can get them organised). He starts with a bang, but as the book progresses, the wheels come off, as his communistic ideas, and racism, come face to face with reality.
Another thing that had me thinking was the similarity to Jonestown, and the People's Temple mass suicide/killing. In that, Jim Jones convinced 1000 people to go and live in Guyana for similar (if more religious) reasons. The big difference here is that I'm assuming Jim Jones had some charisma. Fox has as much charisma as a Wet Wednesday in Whitby. Oh, and his wife is about has no agency. Absolutely none. We don't even learn her name. Fox pontificates from on high, and his wife should know her place.
To make matters worse, I'm a townie. I can just about tell the difference between a sheep and a goat, and tend to view the countryside as the place you drive through to get somewhere. In short, I don't know much about rural ways of life. This said, I spent most of my time reading the book thinking "Why are you doing that there?", and "There's a reason the locals don't do that there." If an out and out townie can be picking holes in some of the Science Fox was using, most people are going to be thinking "You're a special sort of silly, aren't you?"
So all, not good.
p.s. I know those reality shows are staged, mostly.
Okay, so where to start? You know those "Alaskan Wilderness Men" reality-tv shows that are on at the moment? The ones where they have to survive in the wilderness, building tut, and catching animals? Well this book is like that, except it's set in what is now Eastern Nicaragua(ish). And the leader of the family (the father, Allie Fox) is an arrogant fool, and racist to boot.
Fox drags his family to The Mosquito Coast from Maine, because he's convinced that American society is on the verge of collapse, a race war, or nuclear war (so he's like one of those people too, all we needed was a purpose built air raid shelters in a basement, and the Mom being an extreme couponer to have the reality show trifecta). Once there he sets up an ice manufacturing enterprise (because, of course, that makes sense), with the idea that he'll work with the shiftless locals to get it set up (because he thinks, of course, that only the white man can get them organised). He starts with a bang, but as the book progresses, the wheels come off, as his communistic ideas, and racism, come face to face with reality.
Another thing that had me thinking was the similarity to Jonestown, and the People's Temple mass suicide/killing. In that, Jim Jones convinced 1000 people to go and live in Guyana for similar (if more religious) reasons. The big difference here is that I'm assuming Jim Jones had some charisma. Fox has as much charisma as a Wet Wednesday in Whitby. Oh, and his wife is about has no agency. Absolutely none. We don't even learn her name. Fox pontificates from on high, and his wife should know her place.
To make matters worse, I'm a townie. I can just about tell the difference between a sheep and a goat, and tend to view the countryside as the place you drive through to get somewhere. In short, I don't know much about rural ways of life. This said, I spent most of my time reading the book thinking "Why are you doing that there?", and "There's a reason the locals don't do that there." If an out and out townie can be picking holes in some of the Science Fox was using, most people are going to be thinking "You're a special sort of silly, aren't you?"
So all, not good.
p.s. I know those reality shows are staged, mostly.
wendel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Intriguing but not particularly ‘fun’ to read. Allie Fox is a clever engineer and inventor. He is also a paranoid bully, who will constantly change his narrative to fit his own ‘brilliance’. There’s a constant sense of foreboding, doom and destruction. Published in the 1980’s but still relevant in current times, where more and more people are fed up with society. The Mosquito Coast gives an example of what can happen to those who will persist in their own narrative.
mmk4725's review against another edition
4.0
We started to watch the Mosquito Coast on Apple TV. I remembered I didn't read the book, so thought it was time to read the book.
NOTE: I did audible the newest addition, it isn't in the selection list. Great reader. I think I hadn't been listening I would have quit. The dad is soooo annoying. Stop listening & believing him. He is a jerk. ARRRRGGGG. I guess it is a good writing that I was annoyed by the character. Could picture where they were and what they were doing. If you like the Poisionwood bible, you will like this book - annoying, stubborn, .... father
The author & actor talk at the end were very interesting. From the authors perspective I got a better idea of the character perspective and reasoning behind the main character telling the story. I never noticed that the mother never had a name - just 'mother'. I noticed that the TV show was different from the book (only watched the first episode) and that issue was also discussed.
NOTE: I did audible the newest addition, it isn't in the selection list. Great reader. I think I hadn't been listening I would have quit. The dad is soooo annoying. Stop listening & believing him. He is a jerk. ARRRRGGGG. I guess it is a good writing that I was annoyed by the character. Could picture where they were and what they were doing. If you like the Poisionwood bible, you will like this book - annoying, stubborn, .... father
The author & actor talk at the end were very interesting. From the authors perspective I got a better idea of the character perspective and reasoning behind the main character telling the story. I never noticed that the mother never had a name - just 'mother'. I noticed that the TV show was different from the book (only watched the first episode) and that issue was also discussed.
ojoh's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Not well written, not interesting, not relevant, not good!
greatlibraryofalexandra's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Hard to contextualize how I'd feel about this book if I hadn't already seen the movie twice before reading it. It's an atheistic parallels to the Poisonwood Bible/Things Fall Apart type story of colonization, following a white savior type who values science/purity of culture/"noble savage" imagery rather than evangelism, and I like the concepts it explores. The final imagery (with the vultures) of this book is just splendid and eerie, and the introspection of the narrative and the viewing of Allie Fox's ideology through his eldest son's survivalists coming of age is really interesting.
It's dense, slow, and difficult to read, though, and either by virtue of it being written in the 80s OR because it's written in the voice of a brainwashed child, the language can be severely racist, with non-white folk referred to consistently as savages, monkeys, etc. It's very heavy handed. Also, I've read so so so many books written in and about the 80s, and I found the terminology and the dialogue in this book amongst the kids to be just deranged and ludicrous - words like "crappo" and "crummo" as insults, people saying "Gaw" constantly - ??? I just kept thinking - people from Massachusetts don't talk like this.
Long and short of it is: I can't assess how I feel about this since I've seen the movie several times and the movie is a faithful adaptation, but I enjoy the commentary in this book even if I don't think its a scintillating read in prose or action alone.
It's dense, slow, and difficult to read, though, and either by virtue of it being written in the 80s OR because it's written in the voice of a brainwashed child, the language can be severely racist, with non-white folk referred to consistently as savages, monkeys, etc. It's very heavy handed. Also, I've read so so so many books written in and about the 80s, and I found the terminology and the dialogue in this book amongst the kids to be just deranged and ludicrous - words like "crappo" and "crummo" as insults, people saying "Gaw" constantly - ??? I just kept thinking - people from Massachusetts don't talk like this.
Long and short of it is: I can't assess how I feel about this since I've seen the movie several times and the movie is a faithful adaptation, but I enjoy the commentary in this book even if I don't think its a scintillating read in prose or action alone.
messyreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
qualitamatic's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
coco_47's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
chaddah's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
4.0