Hotel Honolulu: A Novel
In this wickedly satiric romp, Paul Theroux captures the essence of Hawaii as it has never been depicted. The novel’s narrator, a down-on-his-luck writer, escapes to Waikiki and soon finds himself the manager of the Hotel Honolulu, a low-rent establishment a few blocks off the beach. Honeymooners, vacationers, wanderers, mythomaniacs, soldiers, and families all check in to the hotel. Like the Canterbury pilgrims, every guest has come in search of something — sun, love, happiness, objects of unn
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Sad and funny and very very human. I loved it!,
There’s a wide variety of characters and a loose non-conventional plot. Most memorable of all is the larger-than-life figure of millionaire and hotel owner Buddy Hamstra, a big man who over-indulges his appetites in life. There’s the writer’s wife and daughter as well as permanent and temporary hotel guests and employees. It’s a collection of vignettes interwoven with reoccurring themes and finely developed people. It’s big and sprawling and full of pathos and humor, small portraits of human nature focusing on the themes of love and death.
I found myself drawn into it, enjoying the author’s sharp observations and finding myself wanting to laugh out loud. How each character views this world is fascinating and the writer dares to ridicule it all. There’s a power in the book that kept me reading in spite of the meandering pace. It’s sad and funny and very human all at the same time as it willingly explores such topics such as ethnic tensions and physical disabilities. It might not always be a flattering picture of a place we sometimes think of as paradise, but it sure does seem real, as the characters grope and blunder along in their lives below a constantly shining Hawaiian sun. I just loved the experience of reading this book. Definitely recommended.
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|Paradise and the shockingly mundane,
If readers are hoping for plot, try Theroux’s masterful sci-fi story O-Zone, or the bizarre sexual deviant thriller Chicago Loop, ore even the anti-establishment raves Milroy the Magician or Mosquito Coast. Discover Paul Theroux, a truly great writer, a mastermid who can take his reader on a funfilled ride of literary loops and thrills that leave you breathless at the feats of prose prowess and always wanting more.
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|Sounds like the hotel I stayed in,
Having grown up near a tourist destination this book give me an appreciation for those who have to deal with tourists for a living; it also gave me several insights into the human condition.
I would hand this book to anyone who is planning to travel (and not just to Hawai’i).
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