Reviews
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"Layton’s book is a fresh voyage through a fascinating subject, bringing the feeling of sailing to the page. Beautifully descriptive prose… By satisfying her own curiosity, Layton has pieced together a vibrant tale that puts a fresh spin on a subject that has fascinated civilizations for centuries. Those interested in history, travel, and sociology will find this book informative and riveting.” (Foreword Reviews, 4 stars out of 5) “A delight to read… well-researched and refreshingly quirky as well as thoughtful” (Kirkus Review) |
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“The New Arcadia offers a vital and compelling picture of a conflicted island and its people. The idyllic image of a tropical paradise and the cultural costs of perpetuating that image are at the center of Monique Layton’s fascinating new book… [She] draws on an impressive range of historical material to present a troubling and unfamiliar of the famed South Pacific island of Tahiti” (Scott Neuffer, Foreword Clarion Review (4 stars out of 5). “Drawing on her background in anthropology, Layton is an informed writer, but she never drifts towards the stuffy. The vast resources used–early explorers’ diaries, contemporary academic analysis, as well as art and literature–offer solid context and support for her thesis… A layered and fascinating analysis of history and anthropology” (Kirkus Reviews). |
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“This wide-ranging book–literally and metaphorically–from Morocco to Bangkok, from theories of travel and cultural engagements to the fragile details of elusive memory reveals a singular voice and a capacious mind” (Eleanor Wachtel, Host of CBC’s Writers and Company. Author of Writers and Company, Original Mind, and Random Illuminations).
“Layton constantly offers rich, sensory details of her journeys…[Her] observations are a candid, smartly edited mix of positive and negative details. [Her] blend of historical, literary and political references throughout helps put her keen personal observations in context…The memoir offers striking details about less-traveled locations and thought-provoking commentary on the difficulties of understanding a culture other than one’s own” (Kirkus Reviews). “Common to all travels, journeys, voyages, and sojourns is the search for the familiar. This search is Monique Layton’s major contribution. Elsewhere, for her, is caught in a web of memory, a rich mélange of philosophical musings and literary allusions. Her text is part ethnography and part gentle mockery as if surprised by her own presence in her varying realities. All this adds up to considerable reading pleasure” (Elvi Whitaker, Ph.D., LlD, Professor Emerita, University of British Columbia. Author of A Baltic Odyssey, The Mainland Haole, and The Silent Dialogue). |
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"The reader of Layton's ethnography is invited into the oral tradition of prostitute drug addicts, is encouraged to think about them differently and to learn about their verbal creativity." - Dr. Elvi Whittaker, PhD, LlD, professor emerita, University of British Columbia; author of A Baltic Odyssey, The Mainland Haole, and The Silent Dialogue |
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"Structural Anthropology, Volume II is a diverse collection. [It is] a useful 'sampler' that gives a reader the full range of Lévi-Strauss's interests."—Daniel Bell, New York Times Book Review |