Is be or is be not, is be one big damn puzzler...On the day the plane brought the white man to the island, Managua was, as usual, preoccupled with his translation of Hamlet. As the only islander who could read, let alone write, he felt the burden of his culture rested plenty damn heavy upon his shoulders. The plane's arrival meant he'd have to put aside his work, strap on his leg and make his way to the landing beach to greet the newcomer. The island had welcomed visitors before, of course. The British had been there, ...
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Is be or is be not, is be one big damn puzzler...On the day the plane brought the white man to the island, Managua was, as usual, preoccupled with his translation of Hamlet. As the only islander who could read, let alone write, he felt the burden of his culture rested plenty damn heavy upon his shoulders. The plane's arrival meant he'd have to put aside his work, strap on his leg and make his way to the landing beach to greet the newcomer. The island had welcomed visitors before, of course. The British had been there, rather noncommittally, but they had bequeathed their language, half a hotel, the small pigs that now ran wild in the jungle, and Shakespeare. Then the Americans with their military base, its soldiers and guns. That had not been a happy time - as the many landmine casualties testified - apart from the Coca Cola. And there was Miss Lucy, who had embraced island life and its traditions, even if she did over-indulge those silly She-Boys. But what to make of this new arrival, this young lawyer from America with his strange nervous gestures and his fervent belief in doing the right thing and winning reparation for the Islanders?Managua sensed that William Hardt's coming to the island would change everything. And he would be proved plenty damn right...This achingly funny, rich and supremely moving novel confirms John Harding as one of contemporary fiction's most entertaining and observant chroniclers of the human condition.
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Add this copy of One Big Damn Puzzler to cart. $15.08, very good condition, Sold by The Monster Bookshop rated 1.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Fleckney, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2005 by Doubleday.
Picked up this book the same way I usually do when I'm wandering around the bookshop with my girlfriend, I aimless move between authors I know I like and I send her off to find books in the fiction section with covers I might like. This was one of the latter categories finds. I was not disappointed. The book itself had me laughing out loud at several moments which isn't an easy task at the best of times. It's written with such endearing characters that even the few who are closest to being villains have entertaining qualities.
I have recommended this book to several people already and they have all enjoyed it. If you like lighter side reading or even if you'd like to see a different view of Shakespeare, then this book will not let you down!