The Sex Lives of Cannibals Audiobook By J. Maarten Troost cover art

The Sex Lives of Cannibals

Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific

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The Sex Lives of Cannibals

By: J. Maarten Troost
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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At age 26, Maarten Troost decided to pack up his flip-flops and move to a remote South Pacific island. The idea of dropping everything and moving to the ends of the earth was irresistibly romantic. But he should have known better.

This is the hilarious story of what happens when he discovers that the island is not the paradise he dreamed of. Falling into one amusing misadventure after another, Troost struggles with stifling heat, deadly bacteria, polluted seas, and toxic fish, in a country where the only music to be heard is "La Macarena". He and his stalwart girlfriend, Sylvia, contend with alarmingly large critters, a paucity of food options (including the Great Beer Crisis), and such bizarre local characters as "Half-Dead Fred" and the Poet Laureate of Tarawa, a British drunkard who's never written a poem in his life.

©2004 J. Maarten Troost (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc. Anthropology Australia & Oceania Oceania Travel Writing & Commentary Funny Witty Feel-Good

Critic reviews

"A comic masterwork of travel writing." (Publishers Weekly)
"Troost has a command of place and narrative that puts his debut in company with some of today's best travel writers." (Elle)
"A delightful, self-depreciating, extremely sly account of life in a place so wretched it gives new, terrible meaning to getting away from it all." (National Geographic Adventure)

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Hilarious Humor • Vivid Descriptions • Excellent Narration • Cultural Insights • Engaging Adventures • Witty Performance
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This was my first audible book and I loved it. The visual descriptions were fantastic, it made me laugh out loud. I was so into it I listened even when I wasn't in the car! The narrator was great and easy to hear and understand. There weren't a lot of voices or accents which I appreciated.

Fantastic

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The narrator was fantastic and the author has a great sense of humor! A bit of history about Pacific atolls as we!l!

Very funny! I recommend it

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narration didn't seem to align with author in terms of age. [narration didn't seem to align with author in terms of age.]

wrong narrator?

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Back in the mid-70's I was sent to the Pacific Islands as a Peace Corps Volunteer and ended up staying there for the next twenty-five years. I mention this because "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" was a hilarious flashback experience as I listened to the audiobook. To someone who is not familiar with the islands the book is a comical adventure with serious overtones of Monty Python. To someone who actually lived in the islands, it is a true life adventure in all of its absurdity. Just about everything that Troost describes about his island experience is literally real, as I had many of the exact same experiences...from the island dogs, to ocean going misadventures, and on to encounters with "Half-dead Fred"! I loved the audiobook and will joyfully listen to his further adventures.

A true Monty Pythonesque South Pacific adventure

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Vance really made this audio book for me. His delivery drove home every punch line and conveyed the sense of hilarious frankness of the text.

Otherwise, it's a fairly nondescript travel narrative with no plot, little character development, and nothing especially substantial. There's very little discussion of sex lives or cannibals, and quite a lot of talk about poop.

I'd recommend it if you're looking for something light and fluffy for easy entertainment, but don't expect anything grand.

Excellent reading of a nondescript novel

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This book is perfect for anyone looking for a little bit of humor and a lot of adventure. Troost depicts his island life in vivid and hilarious detail. This book will keep you interested throughout and will transport your spirit to the islands in no time. I can not give enough praise to this fantastic book.

Great Book and Great Reader

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Informative and incredibly entertaining. It’s my favorite book but I have found that recommending it to mixed company does not help its readership.

Love! Though trying to convince others to read it is challenging.

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The Title of this book was obviously selected by the publisher to generate more interest, but nonetheless it doesn't diminish the fact that it's terribly entertaining and funny. The "Cannibals" in the title doesn't refer to the native islanders but rather to the American author and his girlfriend. For some reason the children of the island appear to be undully afraid of the new strangers. The author later finds out it's because the natives tell their children if they don't behave, the foreigners will eat them.

All Cannibals - No Sex

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GREAT MEDICINE FOR COBID ISOLATION BLUES. FOUND THE NARRATOR’S BRITISH ACCENT A BUT OFF-PUTTING BUT CONSIDERING THE AUTHOR’S MULTINATIONAL UPBRINGING WHAT ACCENT WIULD ONE EXPECT. MY DAUGHTER IN AUSTRALIA AND IN QUARANTINE CHOSE THIS BOOK AT THE SAME TIME I DID IN TEXAS .
FUN PROSE AND THOUGHT PROVOKING.
ENJOY!

JUST THE BOOST NEEDED DURING COVID

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Any additional comments?

If you are looking for something that will satisfy both male and female listeners - this is it. Keeps you laughing.

absolutely hilarious

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