South Pacific - Hardcover

Michener, James A.; Rodgers, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152006184 ISBN 13: 9780152006181

Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992

Synopsis

Renowned author James A. Michener brings the dramatic questions of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved musical South Pacific to a new generation in this gloriously illustrated book. “If your library needs a retelling of South Pacific, illustrated with glowing, verdant art that re-creates a jungle island, this is most emphatically it.”-Booklist

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-6-- Michener has done himself, Rogers and Hammerstein, and children no favor by ``simplifying'' his own stories. The musical is based on two of the stories in Tales of the South Pacific (Macmillan, 1944), Michener's honest, gritty portrayal of life on the islands during World War II. Complex and adult, these intense stories succeeded in the musical format because the melodic and poetic line of song can convey that which cannot be baldly shown or stated. In this re-writing, Michener has ``novelized'' the playscript, even incorporating the phrase ``across a crowded room'' when describing the enchanted evening. The themes of love, racism, and war are too big to be watered down and this attempt just muddies a good story and might well cause a generation of confused readers to stay away from the play or movie. Except that probably very few will read it. Hague is a dependable draughtsman. However, in this book, he evokes a feeling of badly re-created '40s magazine illustrations. The result is odd and off-putting. While the island views, full of color and sunlight, set a lovely scene, the people's faces are unappealing and create no pull for their story. This is a peculiar choice for a picture book. Let's hope neither of these good craftsmen is judged by it.
- Sally T. Margolis, Deerfield Public Library, IL
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0152006184
• ISBN 13: 9780152006181
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Hague Michael