The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Summary and book reviews of The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost, plus links to an excerpt from The Sex Lives of Cannibals and a biography of J. Maarten Troost.

The laugh-out-loud true story of a harrowing and hilarious two-year odyssey in the distant South Pacific island nation of Kiribati—possibly The Worst Place on Earth. At the age of twenty-six, Maarten Troost—who had been pushing the snooze button on the alarm clock of life by racking up useless graduate degrees and muddling through a series of temp jobs—decided to pack up his flip-flops and move to Tarawa, a remote South Pacific island in the Republic of Kiribati. He was restless and lacked direction, and the idea of dropping everything and moving to the ends of the earth was irresistibly romantic. He should have known better. The Sex Lives of Cannibals tells the hilarious story of what happens when Troost discovers that Tarawa is not the island paradise he dreamed of. Falling into one amusing misadventure after another, Troost struggles through relentless, stifling heat, a variety of deadly bacteria, polluted seas, toxic fish—all in a country where the only music to be heard for miles around is "La Macarena." He and his stalwart girlfriend Sylvia spend the next two years battling incompetent government officials, alarmingly large critters, erratic electricity, and a paucity of food options (including the Great Beer Crisis); and contending with a bizarre cast of local characters, including "Half-Dead Fred" and the self-proclaimed Poet Laureate of Tarawa (a British drunkard who’s never written a poem in his life). With The Sex Lives of Cannibals, Maarten Troost has delivered one of the most original, rip-roaringly funny travelogues in years—one that will leave you thankful for staples of American civilization such as coffee, regular showers, and tabloid news, and that will provide the ultimate vicarious adventure.

BookBrowse

Troost is a writer to rival Bill Bryson, although less structured and more rambling. Having said that, his writing style, with long meandering sentences sometimes running on for 3-4 lines, is one that people will either love or hate. But don't be mistaken into thinking that this is a superficial book - there's considerable substance beneath the humor.  

Media Reviews

Barnes & Noble A brilliant comic writer, Troost paints crowded, polluted Tarawa in such compassionate detail that it's not a complete surprise when, after a couple of years back in the States working in well-paid, more comfortable environs, he and Sylvia decide to again brave paradise.   Publishers Weekly Troost's chronicle of his sojourn in a forgotten world is a comic masterwork of travel writing and a revealing look at a culture clash.   Booklist - Jerry Eberle ...a hilarious, sardonic travelogue.....Troost's mystified admiration for the I-Kiribati people shines through it all, and readers learn how humor itself can be a necessary tool for survival.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by Lynn
This book was read by my book club. Although the beginning was a bit long-winded, and one person found the humor in that first part too sarcastic, as a whole we all loved it. It had humor, travelogue, daily life and history all woven into a fun...   Read More

Rated of 5 by wendy
A real page turner... funny, interesting and entertaining!

Rated of 5 by Marc
Great and funny read!!!!!!!

Rated of 5 by Anna
I thought this book was hilarious! The scenes he writes about are easily imagined and often very comical. He honestly captures the harsh beauty and stark realities of island life. As one of the few Americans who has also travelled to the "end...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Susan
i though it was an ok...book...but
for ME it was sort of boring...no offense.....
it didn't seem funny for me at all...

Rated of 5 by Rach
This was an exellent book. I felt as if I myself was right along wih Troost and Sylvia on their cray escapades. I grew rather attached to them which is why I had to browse on the internet and see wha other information I could find out about them....   Read More

...2 More Reader Reviews

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