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franng's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. Un poco repetitivo para mi gusto pero tengo que admitir que tiene un buen final.
claudiagaralv's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
jasonfurman's review against another edition
5.0
I picked up this novella almost at random in a bookstore, never having heard the title or the author, and liked the first page enough to buy it and start reading it on the spot. It was a quick read, a nautical tale in the tradition of Defoe and Conrad by an Argentine woman who moved to Barcelona and wrote it in Catalan. And it was excellent.
It begins with a mysterious doctor at a New York party who was rumored to be shipwrecked on a deserted island for five years. The bulk of the story is told by him through the woman he falls in love with and lives with for seven years. The epilogue following his death is by the woman, and puts a fascinating twist on everything that came before it.
The bulk of the novel is a castaway story as the man is trapped on a small deserted island with a pirate he thought he had killed. In almost the opposite of the civilization depicted in Robinson Crusoe, in this novella they divide up the island, each have territories the other is not allowed in, and rarely cooperate or trade. The tension mounts as he doctor becomes increasingly impatient to find out what is going on in the territory of the pirate.
Ultimately, it is not clear whether it should be read as a realistic story or as an allegory of two sides of a man struggling with himself. But it reads well either way.
It begins with a mysterious doctor at a New York party who was rumored to be shipwrecked on a deserted island for five years. The bulk of the story is told by him through the woman he falls in love with and lives with for seven years. The epilogue following his death is by the woman, and puts a fascinating twist on everything that came before it.
The bulk of the novel is a castaway story as the man is trapped on a small deserted island with a pirate he thought he had killed. In almost the opposite of the civilization depicted in Robinson Crusoe, in this novella they divide up the island, each have territories the other is not allowed in, and rarely cooperate or trade. The tension mounts as he doctor becomes increasingly impatient to find out what is going on in the territory of the pirate.
Ultimately, it is not clear whether it should be read as a realistic story or as an allegory of two sides of a man struggling with himself. But it reads well either way.
stacialithub's review against another edition
4.0
A small, smart, mesmerizing nautical tale to rival the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson.
whats_margaret_reading's review against another edition
4.0
The Island of Last Truth is the story, from alternating points of view, of Dr. Matthew Prendel, a physician who has been shipwrecked for years and, through some luck he does not describe in detail, returned to New York City. He is the only survivor from the pirate attack that left two of his close friends (who were also his crew) dead. He is stranded on an island with another one of the pirates, but escapes the only survivor. Only one man knows exactly what went on during those five years, and as Prendel begins to open up to Phoebe Westore what occurred, and it is not exactly what everyone has assumed. Westore starts recounting what she has been told, interspersed with Prendel's recounting of the events of those five years.
In an undeniably nautical theme, this short novel echoes Robinson Crusoe while adding a darker side to the shipwreck survival story.
In an undeniably nautical theme, this short novel echoes Robinson Crusoe while adding a darker side to the shipwreck survival story.
lilaknitsandreads's review against another edition
4.0
I reread this in a day (it's really short) and really liked it. I had read this a couple of years ago and completely forgot everything about it. I only remember that I really liked the twist the first time I read it. This time I guessed it early, but I'm not sure if that's because I actually remembered or if I just have more experience in guessing plots.
Anyway - this is an entertaining quick read. Read with caution if you're currently on a boat or on an island though.
Anyway - this is an entertaining quick read. Read with caution if you're currently on a boat or on an island though.
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