James A. Michener

[Captain Morgan]

I think I only had one book by this man, "Space", which, while I got party through, I just didn't have enough time on hand to ever finish. I guess an excuse was, it didn't gasp me long enough to finish the book. Though I'm not saying it was bad.

Today I came across a book from him on writing. It's the Writer's handbook which I found at the library today, and figured what the hell, I'll give it a shot.

That said, before I read how HE covers writing & editing a manuscript, I am curious what other's have to say on HIS manuscripts.

[DeborahM]

I've been told he uses other to do his research for him.

That said, I throughly enjoy his work. Long in detail about the geography, but once past that, his characters are alive, I forget about reality and live in his novel long after I'm finished with the last page. His Hawaii is my favorite of what I've read so far.

[shakeysix]

his research is so comprehensive that i don't see how he could do it without help. his book 'centennial' is based on this area. my father grew up in las animas, colorado and his description of bent's fort is accurate. i am in western kansas and his descriptions of the santa fe trail and the country it crosses still ring true today. the southern cheyenne splitting during the meteor shower really happpened. even his fossils are credible. unfortunately, as a story teller he can never keep my interest for long. i downright hated 'south pacific'--s6

[Haggis]

It was "Alaska" I think, in which Michener starts out, "About a billion years ago..." and then procedes to talk, at length, about each successive year--from then until now. Or maybe it just seemed that way.

Michener's books are long, but as Deborah pointed out, well-researched and with strong characters.

"Hawaii" is wondful. You might also like "Centennial," "Chesapeake" or "Alaska."

[Saint Fool]

I love his book of short stories, Tales of the South Pacific. (The musical -South Pacific - was based on them.) Really well-crafted writing. I enjoyed his first BIG books - Hawaii, The Source, and Centennial. They all followed the same formula - The land, the people who came to the land, what they accomplished. I love fictional history that entertains and informs and for me, those three were good reads.

At some point, he was infected by "big-time author can do no wrong and needs no editing syndrome" and, at least for me, his books went down hill rapidly. Texas was a bloated, overly graduate student researched mess and I stopped reading after he killed the same character twice in two chapters.

But I would recommend his short stories.

[cray]

ugh Chesapeake, a tough read but a beautiful book

agreed - he takes a while to learn how to read him

[shakeysix]

alexander mckeague, claybasket, the hoopoe bird: he has some memorable charcters but i can never finish anything of his--s6

[Justin91]

I have read Space and Chesapeake and loved them both.

I read (I think in an article in Writers Digest), that for his book about Alaska, he wanted to know what it would feel like to stand with little clothes on in the far north. What does he do? He goes up there and does just that, to get a feel for how cold it can get and the effects it has on the body.

[BlueTexas]

I think I've read everything he wrote - novels anyway.

The Drifters is fantastic, but Hawaii was my favorite. Alaska and Chesapeake were good, too.

[Thekherham]

I don't think I could ever get into Michener's books. I have looked at them at the library and I think, 'Well... maybe...' but then the books go back on the shelf.

Has he ever been accused of infodumping?

[Jamesaritchie]

I think Centennial is my favorite, but I like everything of his I've read.

[brutus]

m

[Jamesaritchie]

brary and I think, 'Well... maybe...' but then the books go back on the shelf.

Has he ever been accused of infodumping?

Constantly. But I find the way he does it fascinating, and one of the best things about his novels is that you'll learn more than you ever wanted to know about whatever subject he's writing about.

[awatkins]

Hawaii was my favorite (wish I still had my copy!), but I enjoyed the others, too. Such detail; his descriptions really made me feel like I was there.

[CACTUSWENDY]

:) Love all his novels. When I started one, would read non-stop to the end...many hours later.

Infodumping or not, I found them to suck me in big time. Spoiled me in reading 'thinner' books for a long time.

[citymouse]

There is a small book by Michener that I believe is often overlooked. The Bridge at Andau. I read this book over 30 years ago and it still brings me to tears. For the sake of time (mine) I quote from the Amazon.com site.
"... there was a bridge at Andau, on the Austrian border, and if a Hungarian could reach that bridge, he was nearly free. It was about the most inconsequential bridge in Europe, but by an accident of history it became, for a few flaming weeks, one of the most important bridges in the world, for across its unsteady planks fled the soul of a nation...."


The link to the amazon.com catalog page is:
http//www.amazon.com/Bridge-at-Andau-James-Michener/dp/0449210502/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product/102-9510372-1907352

[Evaine]

My favourite of all James Mitchener stories that I've read is The Source, the one about Israeli history that is set around an archaeological dig on a tell in Israel - partly because I trained as an archaeologist and he wrote enough to get the flavour of a genuine dig, and not enough to make mistakes about archaeological techniques.