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amberhayward's review against another edition
5.0
WOAH YOU GUYS. Don't let every dull, vague summary you've read of this book deter you from reading it. It's beautifully written story about horrific events. It's like "Heart of Darkness" and "Lord of the Flies" but with little English school girls in the roles of Kurtz & Ralph/Jack/Piggy which makes it so much more brutal. It made me care about language and symbolism in a way I haven't since high school.
sloatsj's review against another edition
4.0
Years ago, the first time I tried to read this book, I gave up. It took some effort but I managed to get deeper into the book on second try, and was rewarded. The writing itself should keep those who like real literature engaged, but the story is the real hook. Sad and gruesome and compelling. One of the more interesting novels I've read in a while.
It's often compared with The Lord of the Flies, to give you a hint of the content.
It's often compared with The Lord of the Flies, to give you a hint of the content.
hannahbanana1338's review against another edition
3.75
Anyone who calls this book ‘Lord of the Flies but with Girls this time’ and analyzes it purely from that lense (and is subsequently annoyed that the white British children didn’t girlboss their way out of a shipwreck) is missing out on a lot.
It definitely condemns British colonialism and racism, though I’m still unsure of its execution.
It definitely condemns British colonialism and racism, though I’m still unsure of its execution.
linafischer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
mpho3's review
4.0
Wiggins is a skilled writer and storyteller. I enjoyed the book enough that I couldn't put it down the night I finished it, despite knowing that it would give me nightmares. Comparisons to Lord of the Flies are inevitable, but it is its own work. Other reviewers have complained of being bored or confused by the first half. I felt the first half established her writing prowess, and overall, I consider this book to be creepy, moralistic fun!
hyzenthlay76's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful, horrible...extraordinary language and written with the delusory oppression of heat stroke. I'll echo the "Lord of the Flies with girls" description but it is so, so much worse.
dollyopossum's review against another edition
4.0
When I was in 10th grade, a group of friends and I made a video for a class project replacing the cast of Lord of Flies with girls. It was awful. This book was not.
I found this book on a shelf in an air-bnb I was staying in and immediately turned away from the books I brought with me to read it in basically one sitting.
One critique I would have is that occasionally the prose is a bit hard to follow. For example, as I have seen mentioned in another review, something terrible occurred with turtles, but I'm still not quite sure exactly what the terrible thing was.
Still, the story is amazing and horrifying. My favorite character was Monkey, who may be a favorite character of all time after reading this. She exemplifies selfless love, which is kind of ironic since the titular character John Dollar is supposed to be the Christ figure of the novel.
It's a quick read, but not such much an easy read because the depictions of violence will probably turn your stomach.
I found this book on a shelf in an air-bnb I was staying in and immediately turned away from the books I brought with me to read it in basically one sitting.
One critique I would have is that occasionally the prose is a bit hard to follow. For example, as I have seen mentioned in another review, something terrible occurred with turtles, but I'm still not quite sure exactly what the terrible thing was.
Still, the story is amazing and horrifying. My favorite character was Monkey, who may be a favorite character of all time after reading this. She exemplifies selfless love, which is kind of ironic since the titular character John Dollar is supposed to be the Christ figure of the novel.
It's a quick read, but not such much an easy read because the depictions of violence will probably turn your stomach.
lottpoet's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
unabridgedchick's review
1.0
To say this was a disappointing book doesn't even come close to articulating the real heartbreak I felt finishing it. Painted as a female answer to Golding's Lord of the Flies, John Dollar describes the days after eight girls, one woman, and one man are washed ashore on a deserted island off Burma.
Writing this review was more challenging than I expected, and I decided to do some quick searching for other thoughts on this novel to see if I was missing some subtle but crucial element. What I discovered quickly is that the release of John Dollar was almost completely overshadowed by a more momentous literary story: the call for death of Wiggins' then-husband, Salman Rushdie.
In some ways, I feel like this book is constantly being overshadowed by something more momentous. Wiggins herself seems to be unsure if she is writing an homage to Lord of the Flies or an entirely inventive examination of human nature. (In an interview, Wiggins admits that the landscape she visualized while writing was actually the same scenery from the 1963 film version.)
Almost two-thirds of the book is spent setting us up for the coming Shock and Awe. Charlotte, the schoolteacher, is properly liberal and free-thinking enough to gain our sympathy; the various children represent all the stock characters needed for an examination of colonial life: the zealot, the symbiotic twins, the indigenous servant. John Dollar, the itinerant ship captain, is strapping and handsome. The characters cheerfully recall Robinson Crusoe and Kipling; we the reader are constantly bombarded with hints that the Fall is coming.
Using a technique that seems more clever than helpful, Wiggins peppers the margins with text from other books and strange subheadings. I found it distracted from an already fractured story. When the Horrific and Shocking events occur, the scenes are so veiled and oblique that they are hard to realize; the oomph never really appears.
lissan's review against another edition
John Dollar by Marianne Wiggins
This is a review also for Book beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader.
They appeared with the sun at their backs on the rest of the hill after daybreak, black figures, threading their way towards the sea through the grey rocks and heather into the town of St. Ives.
The old Indian descended first, leading the donkey on a tether; Charlotte rode across the donkey's back. Charlotte's hair had gone from gold to white when she was rescued from the island years ago, and it fell around her now, wild and full and loose, because the Indian had thought it looked its best that way.
I grabbed this book in a haste from my TBR shelves. It seemed the perfect size, perfect size of letters (yes, I have difficult reading too small scripts these days!) and it had been with me since 1989! At least I think so, because I can remember I bought it when it came out and it is printed in 1989. 25 years and what a waste for a fascinating book! I was hooked from the first paragraph and chapter and this does not happen often.
The story in short: Charlotte Lewes is widowed during the First World War after a short marriage. She feels lonely and alienated. She does not fit in where she is in London and in desperation she applies for a post as teacher in Rangoon, Burma. She sets off on this trip with no high expectations, she feels numb from grief and loneliness. She does not like the expat community, she feels outside there as well. They live their lives far from the reality in the country. She likes her girls in school, she gets to know the country and lives quite locally and then she meets John Dollar, a sea captain, and she falls in love.
One day the community sets out in three ships to chart a small island around 100 miles off the coast. John Dollar and Charlotte are there, the school girls and some of the parents with servants. They are off for charting the island for the English king and intends to stay for three days. It starts all very quiet and pleasant but then things start to happen. One boat goes back to the city to bring back people to investigate a find they make (I will not tell what), one boat is found empty one morning by John Dollar but blood shows that something terrible has happened. At the same time there is an earthquake and a tsunami. The third boat hosts John Dollar, Charlotte and the school girls. After the earthquake is over the girls find themselves all alone and have to start organising and taking care of themselves. Maybe there are other survivors?
Not to spoil anything I will leave the story there. It is said that Marianne Wiggins was inspired by Golding's Lord of the Flies and was interested in what would happen it there were girls that were ship wrecked rather than boys. I also thought about this book while reading this one, but must say I like this one better. I can't say exactly why, but I simply loved this book. It just took me over and it is told in a way that makes you feel you are there and you are really part of the story. The girls who are used to each other, form groups of their liking. Two take over the charge, others go for themselves and a half Indian, half English girl is called Monkey and is always an outsider. However, as the story evolves and times get harder the girls are changing as well.
This is a book where you get the overall of the story already from the beginning but it is only until the very end you get to know what really happens. If you look at Goodreads' reviews you will find that people either love or hate the book. It is cruel and violent at times but somehow still represents how the world is and how people can act. I think this book will go down as one of my favourite ones.
This is a review also for Book beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader.
They appeared with the sun at their backs on the rest of the hill after daybreak, black figures, threading their way towards the sea through the grey rocks and heather into the town of St. Ives.
The old Indian descended first, leading the donkey on a tether; Charlotte rode across the donkey's back. Charlotte's hair had gone from gold to white when she was rescued from the island years ago, and it fell around her now, wild and full and loose, because the Indian had thought it looked its best that way.
I grabbed this book in a haste from my TBR shelves. It seemed the perfect size, perfect size of letters (yes, I have difficult reading too small scripts these days!) and it had been with me since 1989! At least I think so, because I can remember I bought it when it came out and it is printed in 1989. 25 years and what a waste for a fascinating book! I was hooked from the first paragraph and chapter and this does not happen often.
The story in short: Charlotte Lewes is widowed during the First World War after a short marriage. She feels lonely and alienated. She does not fit in where she is in London and in desperation she applies for a post as teacher in Rangoon, Burma. She sets off on this trip with no high expectations, she feels numb from grief and loneliness. She does not like the expat community, she feels outside there as well. They live their lives far from the reality in the country. She likes her girls in school, she gets to know the country and lives quite locally and then she meets John Dollar, a sea captain, and she falls in love.
One day the community sets out in three ships to chart a small island around 100 miles off the coast. John Dollar and Charlotte are there, the school girls and some of the parents with servants. They are off for charting the island for the English king and intends to stay for three days. It starts all very quiet and pleasant but then things start to happen. One boat goes back to the city to bring back people to investigate a find they make (I will not tell what), one boat is found empty one morning by John Dollar but blood shows that something terrible has happened. At the same time there is an earthquake and a tsunami. The third boat hosts John Dollar, Charlotte and the school girls. After the earthquake is over the girls find themselves all alone and have to start organising and taking care of themselves. Maybe there are other survivors?
Not to spoil anything I will leave the story there. It is said that Marianne Wiggins was inspired by Golding's Lord of the Flies and was interested in what would happen it there were girls that were ship wrecked rather than boys. I also thought about this book while reading this one, but must say I like this one better. I can't say exactly why, but I simply loved this book. It just took me over and it is told in a way that makes you feel you are there and you are really part of the story. The girls who are used to each other, form groups of their liking. Two take over the charge, others go for themselves and a half Indian, half English girl is called Monkey and is always an outsider. However, as the story evolves and times get harder the girls are changing as well.
This is a book where you get the overall of the story already from the beginning but it is only until the very end you get to know what really happens. If you look at Goodreads' reviews you will find that people either love or hate the book. It is cruel and violent at times but somehow still represents how the world is and how people can act. I think this book will go down as one of my favourite ones.