Journal 2

Sex Lives of Cannibals is written by the heralded author J. Maarten Troost. The main topic of his research deals with foreign countries in which we as Americans might not fully understand. To conduct his ethnographical research, he will immerse himself into the culture of a foreign country for many years, and record his findings on the way of life, people, customs, and beliefs. His works include such novels as Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu, and Lost on Planet China. He has also had multiple essays published in Atlantic Monthly and the Washington Post.
Troost actually did not have a strong reason for conducting research on the remote country of Kiribati. He was at a crossroads in his life in which he could either continue being a bum, or pick up and make something of his life. His girlfriend Sylvia was offered a job as a director for the Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific for the country of Kiribati. He followed her to the remote atoll in search of adventure. He was also searching for inspiration to help him write his new book.
Troost had no particular process for gathering information while on Kiribati. Most of his writing is based off of random real experiences and findings during his tenure on the island. The experiences of finding water, fishing, living with the animals, and coexisting with the other islanders gave him an in-depth look at the culture and life of the Kiribati. He also conducted numerous interviews with prominent figures of the island including a village elder, a British poet laureate, and “Big John” the proprietor of the Betio Saloon. Much of his research is dependent upon his own experiences, as he has no other prior research to draw from. His methods may not be the most efficient, but they are biased. Since Troost is the first ethnographer to study the country of Kiribati, he can effectively say whatever he feels about the Kiribati culture, because no others are going to question his findings.
The reviews for this book were somewhat mixed, but had a tendency to favor the better end of the spectrum. A review by Debra Hamel called the book “funny and charming” and “eye-opening.” She hails Troost as a fine ethnographic writer. Most of the positive reviews for the book cite that Troost possesses and excellent writing style and Troost provided an excellent insight into the country. There was a flipside to the good reviews. A review from Babygotbooks.com thought that the only information in this book consisted of comparing quality of life in the US to the Kiribati island life. There is actually much more to this book than just a simple comparison between Western culture and the I-Kiribati lifestyle. The book isn’t entirely meant to be a purposeful ethnography. The book is also somewhat of a comedy, and provides an insight into another culture.

Works Cited

Hamel, Debra. "Heat and fish and cannibalism--and some superb writing." amazon.com. 28 July 2004. 10 Mar 2009 .

"The Sex Lives of Cannibals." babygotbooks.com. 5 Jan 2009. 10 Mar 2009 .

"The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost." blogcritics.org. 1 June 2005. Blogcritics Magazine. 10 Mar 2009 .