Recently Read: Paul Theroux’s Hotel Honolulu

I loved this book set in a Honolulu hotel over several decades. What a fascinating backstage glimpse into the hospitality world, which I know only as a customer. The narrator is a writer who isn’t writing and finds himself convinced he can manage a slightly seedy hotel that’s not quite close enough to the beach. We see through his disillusioned middle-aged eyes all the eccentric guests, the impossible employees, his family, the politics of the islands, and the tourism trade. We see the strict caste system of the Westerners, the Japanese, the Polynesians, and all the other groups who are not yet doing well at blending and melding into one united group of Hawaiians. We see the tourists who come looking for sun, peace, love, hope, and cost-savings. And sometimes we can even see little bits of ourselves in the characters. Each person and each incident are told with humor. The back summary of my edition compares the book to the Canterbury Tales, a description that is as good as one I can think of! A wonderful read, especially for those of us who live in cold northern climates and need some sunshine and warmth to fortify ourselves in the long winters.