by Happy writer

Created on: April 27, 2008

Comparing Getting Stoned With Savages to a food that sums it up

It was the title of the book that immediately caught my red puffy eye. Had Troost and I crossed paths? Did he know something about me? Why would he use the words stoned and savage together if he and I had not shared a bong in the 80's? I had to buy it just in case I was incriminated in some way...

I soon came to realize that his book had nothing to do with me...well in a way it did but nothing to do with getting high with me. Getting Stoned with Savages is Troost's account of Island life in Vanuatu and Fiji. Troost is now known as a travel writer...but to me I think he is a brilliant writer and travel gave him great fodder. There is something exceptionally boring about the label "Travel Writer". Why in the world would someone want to read about someone else's travel? You know how it is, you come back from escalating Everest all hyped up to have reached the summit and at first you have an eager audience who pore over your photos with interest yet as you go on and on about the glaciers, crevasses, near misses and frost bite, eventually these people begin to switch off, answering with token "really" "gosh" "wow" as they change the diaper of their third kid whilst shooing the dog that is humping your leg.

Coming back from traveling and recounting your story could be a recipe for disaster, as most travel situations really are very personal and have that you should have been there feel. This is why "Getting Stoned with Savages" is a must read. Troost's journey through the South Pacific is so colorful, interesting, informative and above all, hysterical. His humor is his trump card here...He is so free with his mind, one feels he is not contained by any writing rules, he will write whatever comes to him with great results. I recently reviewed Augusteen Buroughs " "Running With Scissors" which tried so hard to be amusing but failed. I feel with Troost he doesn't try, he is amusing..he's a funny guy. Humor is part of who he is, it comes naturally.

There is only one thing to compare Troost's novel to and that is Kava. It seems that a portion of Troost's hands on research into Vannuatu and Fiji was done in nakmals. A place where people gather at the end of the day to slurp down the muddy stink called Kava. Only to moments later enjoy a blissful euphoric paradise. Not necessarily the island but the island of your mind. Troost often chose to frequent his neighborhood nakmal as opposed to the ex pat nakmals giving

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