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Unfamiliar Fishes

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Unfamiliar Fishes

By: Sarah Vowell
Narrated by: Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, John Hodgman, Catherine Keener, Edward Norton, Keanu Reeves, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph, John Slattery
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About this listen

 Sarah Vowell thinks of Hawaii as the most American state. She argues that it’s “breathtaking in its beauty, sometimes hideously developed, overwhelmingly religious, impoverished (except for pockets of staggering wealth), crass and spiritual all at once.” In Unfamiliar Fishes, she will explore the exceptional history of Hawaii with her personal reporting and trademark smart-aleckiness to find out the odd and emblematic history of Hawaii, and how it got to be that way. She will explain how Hawaii is Manifest Destiny’s plate lunch.

There will be cannibalism. There will be incest. There will massacres. There will be con men and dreamers. There will be racism. There will be Theodore Roosevelt. There will be history and Obama and America and opportunistic missionaries and warring whalers and kings and queens. And there will even be lepers. And therefore it will be a great and entertaining story of American history, told in Vowell’s inimitable voice and in her unconventional style.

Unfamiliar Fishes is a vacation into a colorful and riveting period in history with America’s favorite historical travel companion, Sarah Vowell. Americas Historical State & Local United States
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Most relevant

If you could sum up Unfamiliar Fishes in three words, what would they be?

Foreigners claim land.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Unfamiliar Fishes?

The fact the book isn't about one set group.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favourite?

Sarah Vowell talking about herself.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Definitely laugh, Vowell's writing is smart and not obfuscated with long needless details.

Any additional comments?

At the time of this review The Wordy Shipmates isn't on Audible UK, this is more like that book than the other Sarah Vowell books.

Sarah Vowell returns, this time Hawaii.

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Would you try another book written by Sarah Vowell or narrated by the narrators?

I'd previously enjoyed The Partly Cloudy Patriot, and so had been looking forward to this one. It didn't engage me as much as my first Vowell audiobook, but I love her writing style and sense of humour, so will be listening to more.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The history of Hawaii is told in an engaging way that makes you wonder what life on the islands was like before the settlers from Britain and America came to dominate.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Absoutely. Sarah Vowell's delivery can start off sounding like a robotic monotone at first, but once your brain falls in step with the pace and rhythm of her voice, you realise it matches her disarming brand of self deprecation and sarcastic charm completely.

Did Unfamiliar Fishes inspire you to do anything?

One day, I'll visit Hawaii for myself. One day.

Not Vowell's finest, but still fun and informative

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