The Sex Lives of Cannibals

Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific

By: J. Maarten Troost

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

At age 26, Maarten Troost decided to pack up his flip-flops and move to a remote South Pacific island. The idea of dropping everything and moving to the ends of the earth was irresistibly romantic. But he should have known better.

This is the hilarious story of what happens when he discovers that the island is not the paradise he dreamed of. Falling into one amusing misadventure after another, Troost struggles with stifling heat, deadly bacteria, polluted seas, and toxic fish, in a country where the only music to be heard is "La Macarena". He and his stalwart girlfriend, Sylvia, contend with alarmingly large critters, a paucity of food options (including the Great Beer Crisis), and such bizarre local characters as "Half-Dead Fred" and the Poet Laureate of Tarawa, a British drunkard who's never written a poem in his life.

©2004 J. Maarten Troost (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"A comic masterwork of travel writing." (Publishers Weekly)
"Troost has a command of place and narrative that puts his debut in company with some of today's best travel writers." (Elle)
"A delightful, self-depreciating, extremely sly account of life in a place so wretched it gives new, terrible meaning to getting away from it all." (National Geographic Adventure)

A true Monty Pythonesque South Pacific adventure

Back in the mid-70's I was sent to the Pacific Islands as a Peace Corps Volunteer and ended up staying there for the next twenty-five years. I mention this because "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" was a hilarious flashback experience as I listened to the audiobook. To someone who is not familiar with the islands the book is a comical adventure with serious overtones of Monty Python. To someone who actually lived in the islands, it is a true life adventure in all of its absurdity. Just about everything that Troost describes about his island experience is literally real, as I had many of the exact same experiences...from the island dogs, to ocean going misadventures, and on to encounters with "Half-dead Fred"! I loved the audiobook and will joyfully listen to his further adventures.

Excellent reading of a nondescript novel

Vance really made this audio book for me. His delivery drove home every punch line and conveyed the sense of hilarious frankness of the text.

Otherwise, it's a fairly nondescript travel narrative with no plot, little character development, and nothing especially substantial. There's very little discussion of sex lives or cannibals, and quite a lot of talk about poop.

I'd recommend it if you're looking for something light and fluffy for easy entertainment, but don't expect anything grand.

Great Book and Great Reader

This book is perfect for anyone looking for a little bit of humor and a lot of adventure. Troost depicts his island life in vivid and hilarious detail. This book will keep you interested throughout and will transport your spirit to the islands in no time. I can not give enough praise to this fantastic book.

Laugh out loud and feel good all day

I'd been sick for three month with one of those new super bugs and with each new antibiotic that failed to work I fell into an even darker funk. This is likely why I decided to take a chance on this book, whose slightly risky title would normally make me avoid such a novel for fear it will be intolerably crass. I'm so glad I didn't miss out on this book, its not crass but charming. (Note: it does have bits that aren't child appropriate, some rather biological bits, i.e human waste or sex and things animals do or are done to them)
I laughed out loud, sometimes so hard that I had to briefly turn off the book for fear my laughter would make me miss one minute of listening joy.
I don't tend to buy humor books but this was such fun and so well written. The author does not sound like he has the IQ of a five year old as many humor authors do, yet is accessible on many levels. The British (?) accent of the narrator added to the humor in bits about the USA or in the way he pronounces American words. I also loved the historical and cultural portraits the author creates. I may have actually learned while I laughed.
Great book!
Stoned with the Savages is fantastic as well but this is my favorite available on audible. A great listen for the car or any bad day. The only fault is how sorry you are when the book ends.

No sex or cannibalism in this book, sorry!

I'm not sure what I expected when I was steered to reading (or more accurately, listening to) this book for my monthly book club. But what a delightful surprise! Troost's literary voice is fact-filled yet witty, sometimes zany, in the style of Nick Hornby. His descriptions of the amazing contrasts found in this incredibly remote South Pacific atoll - bleak poverty, unthinkable sanitary conditions alongside endearing characters and unimaginable natural beauty - led me to seek out more information and photos of Tarawa and the rest of Kirabati (formerly known as The Gilbert Islands). Troost's often hilarious asides, read with droll Brithish-ness by narrator Simon Vance, had me laughing out loud more than once. If you like travelogue with a strong side dish of humor, I highly recommend this book!

Cannibals have never been so entertaining!

Loved the book with humorous island history! Delightful! Laughed out loud with telling of the story!
Chang Chang!

If you are looking for an easy fun read!

A clever, fun and witty tale of a young couple who escape the world to live on a tiny island in the Pacific. It is very funny and sheds satire on the truth about running away from everything. Its a nice fun easy read.

hilarious!

very witty and hilarious! thoroughly enjoyed. would recommend for all. although a few parts you might not want your kids to listen to.

Came for the title, continued the entire collection for the stories

I originally purchased this book because the title was intriguing, the sample was good and I prefer non fiction. However, I GREATLY enjoyed this book and subsequent books by the author and I also favor this narrator and have sought both out since.
I listened to all of Troost’s books, and have recommended them to countless people at this point. One person I recommended them too was a friend that grew up in the Marshall Islands and he listened to the rest as well because he said that while it was not his culture specifically, he could “hear the stories of home” when he listened. Troost’s writing is funny and Vance’s reading complete’s the package.

Unexpected and Completely Entertaining

Would you listen to The Sex Lives of Cannibals again? Why?

Yes, and I did! So chalked full of humor that I couldn't get it all in one go round.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Did I mention it was hot?