Page 1 of 2
There are currently 9 member reviews
for The Last Good Paradise
-
Nancy L. (Zephyrhills, FL)
Paradise Found
Who among us doesn't dream of running away to a deserted island, leaving behind our problems, big and small? When Ann, an intelligent attorney, and her husband Richard, a talented chef, run away from their financial woes to the South Pacific, they encounter a cast of memorable characters. Indeed, "The Last Good Paradise" by Tatjana Soli is a character driven novel with an aging rock star, his beautiful young girlfriend, and a reclusive island owner, among others. Although at first glance, some of the characters seem to be stereotypes and/or caricatures, Soli manages to inject multi-faceted and, at times, unexpected dimensions to their personalities. A contrived, political plot twist more than halfway through delivered the only hiccup in an otherwise immensely readable book.
-
Eileen P. (Pittsford, NY)
Frolicking in Paradise
Soli has written an entertaining, unpredictable tale about how people's ideas about what will make them happy are often what prevent them from actually being happy. Full of entertaining characters, and a lot of food and drink, she shows how economics and technology influence even our most basic choices. Set primarily in a resort on a remote island in the South Pacific, she aptly shows the human need for connection, and how being forced outside of our comfort zones can reveal what really matters. It would be a fun book club selection.
-
Linda N. (Dallas, TX)
The Last Good Paradise
This is the quintessential dream of escaping…escaping from dead end jobs, from lost broken relationships, from failure to either grasp or hold on to the illusion of the American dream of success, from the deflating of romantic passion in the pursuit of the dream, from financial ruin and confused relationships, from festering alienation and miscommunication. It is a geographical escape where each of the characters still must meet their demons even as they seek paradise on a remote Polynesian island resort. And as intriguing as all of this may be, the story is predictable. While the characters are colorfully revealed, I I was disappointed that the primary relationship between the primary antagonists is not developed with the depth that validates the conclusion.
-
Barb (Mount Joy, PA)
Needs more focus
While I enjoyed the refresher on ecological & social issues, my willing suspension of disbelief in plot & characters was overwhelmed. I feel the book would benefit from fewer minor story lines & tighter focus on the main characters & plot. Still it will make a good winter diversion for those of us snowbound & dreaming of island vacations.
-
Bea C. (Liberty Lake, WA)
Disappointing paradise
If you have read "The Lotus Eaters" by this author, you will be expecting a great book. It isn't even particularly interesting, but the dumb affairs and relationships of the people on this island are silly and unlikely and the whole story wraps up too neatly.
-
Dorothy M. (Maynard, MA)
Sometimes you're just not the right person to talk about a book
This book appears to be confirming the old principle "no matter where you go YOU are always there". Ann is a successful lawyer who doesn't want to be one but is supporting her husband Richard who longs to be a celebrity chef but needs his unscrupulous friend as a front man. When that friend brings everything down around their heads, Ann and Richard flee to an isolated atoll in Tahiti where a French artist has done a Gauguin-like escape and is drunkenly managing an exclusive eco-tourist resort. There they meet a somewhat washed up rock and roll star and his current young girl friend. All of them apparently looking for something - possibly themselves. Adding to the plot is a local couple who are actually doing the work at the resort although Cooked dreams of avenging the damages done to his people with the atomic testing. There is a lot of good - and occasionally funny - stuff in this book as everyone struggles with attempting to disconnect from the world and is constantly dragged back into electronic contact but for at least the first half they just keep making such bad decisions that I found it frustrating.
-
Lisa G. (Riverwoods, IL)
The Last Good Paradise
Had I not been on a cruise ship with nothing else to read I would not have even finished the book. I did not feel engaged by any of the characters or the plot.Giving it a 3 is generous.
