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A High Wind in Jamaica
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
21 posts | 21 read | 41 to read
Richard Hughes's celebrated short novel is a masterpiece of concentrated narrative. Its dreamlike action begins among the decayed plantation houses and overwhelming natural abundance of late nineteenth-century Jamaica, before moving out onto the high seas, as Hughes tells the story of a group of children thrown upon the mercy of a crew of down-at-the-heel pirates. A tale of seduction and betrayal, of accommodation and manipulation, of weird humor and unforeseen violence, this classic of twentieth-century literature is above all an extraordinary reckoning with the secret reasons and otherworldly realities of childhood.
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review
batsy
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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Pickpick

A carnivalesque children‘s adventure story of trauma; Freud meets Rabelais. Rebecca West‘s blurb sums it up best: “A hot draught of mad, primal fantasy and poetry”. In tone, reminds me of Unica Zurn‘s Dark Spring. This is gallows humour with a complexity that can‘t be ignored; a grim parody of Victorian adventure stories & the anti-Famous Five. Full review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5547619162 Absolutely odd, a surreal fever dream.

batsy Let's just say the #IslandVibes were bananapants for this one 😆🏴‍☠️👦🏼👧🏼🐈🐒🐊🔪☠️ #TitlesAndTunes @BarbaraBB @Cinfhen 1y
BarbaraBB Sounds fun and weird. I have it on my to read list as well 🏝️ 1y
batsy @BarbaraBB Brutal, funny, unlike anything I've read in awhile. It's a strange world, this book. So glad I've ticked it off my TBR thanks to this challenge 🙂 1y
See All 9 Comments
Aimeesue This has been on my TBR shelf for ages - thanks for the review! 1y
Cinfhen So glad you were able to find a memorable book for this month‘s challenge 😄im a big fan of 🍌👖 1y
LeahBergen Great review! I‘ve had this on my shelves for ages. 1y
batsy @Aimeesue I hope you find it a good read! It's a trip, for sure 1y
batsy @Cinfhen Me too! It's always good when it's a book that's been waiting patiently on my shelves 😆 1y
batsy @LeahBergen Thank you! I hope it works for you, too. Can never really go too far wrong with an NYRB 🙂 1y
78 likes9 comments
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batsy
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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#TitlesAndTunes This my song+book pick for #IslandVibes A bit of a broad definition of island for the book, which has been on my shelves for some years & that I've been meaning to read! The song is pure Sade bliss. When it starts I am instantly transported to a secluded island, soft wind blowing through the palm trees, a cool drink in my hand & sand under my feet, listening to the waves... 🏝️ https://youtu.be/9WxczfQgMgk

@BarbaraBB @Cinfhen

erzascarletbookgasm I love Sade! And I have the book on my tbr shelves 👌 2y
merelybookish Sade is always a perfect choice! ♨️ 2y
Cinfhen Ohhhhh, how did I not think of Sade?!!! Brilliant 🎶❤️‍🔥 2y
See All 17 Comments
squirrelbrain Oh, I love Sade too - perfect chill-out music! 2y
batsy @erzascarletbookgasm The book sounds so weird and strange! I'm interested to see what it's like 🙂 2y
batsy @merelybookish @Cinfhen @squirrelbrain Yay for the Sade love! 💖 2y
Liz_M Ooooh, you have a book that includes two islands (Jamaica and Britain) and PIRATES! 2y
BarbaraBB Sade! I love her too! So glad you included her in our list 🩵 2y
Centique Sade! 🙌🙌 2y
batsy @Liz_M I'm excited! The blurbs for it are pretty interesting 😆 2y
batsy @BarbaraBB @Centique She's so great 👑 2y
Rissreads LOVE Sade! ♥️ 2y
batsy @Rissreads ❤️ 2y
Reggie Sade! ❤️❤️❤️ I remember his hands. And the way the mountains looked. Light, shot diamonds from his eyes. Hungry for life and thirsty for a distant river. God I love her 2y
CarolynM Another❤️ for Sade! 2y
batsy @Reggie That album is gorgeous from start to finish. 2y
batsy @CarolynM ❤️ 2y
58 likes17 comments
review
cdreincarnate
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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Panpan

This book is deeply weird. In theory I think it‘s supposed to reveal the “true nature” of children, and I suppose by extension, all of humanity, but it gets so many things wrong. Proving old men know nothing about children. That said, the MC‘s surprising abilities, and the tendency of adults to underestimate her, I did find more interesting than the rest of the book.

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Liz_M
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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My December gift to #NYRBBookClub is a second chance to read the books that almost won a previous vote.

Liz_M OOoof Litsy is being difficult this morning. If won't let me tag and took three tries to add the 'ats'. Sorry if you were over-notified. 😬 5y
sisilia Oh yay! I vote for 5y
See All 27 Comments
mklong What a great idea! I vote 5y
emilyhaldi Love this idea! I‘m going to go with the book that was one of my original 3 picks 😁 5y
GatheringBooks thank you for having this up early! 5y
Reviewsbylola I‘m going to go with 5y
Liz_M @GatheringBooks I thought I was late 😁 but you're welcome! 5y
Liz_M @emilyhaldi It did have the advantage of being short. 😄 5y
emilyhaldi That‘s always a perk 😉 @Liz_M 5y
merelybookish Oooh an eclectic mix! I voted for this when @emilyhaldi suggested it. Voting for it again. 🙂 5y
BarbaraBB Great idea Liz! I am voting for 5y
Leftcoastzen They all look good again! 5y
batsy Great picks; I like giving a second chance :) My vote is for 5y
LeahBergen What a great idea! Let‘s see ... I‘ll vote for for one of my original three, too @emilyhaldi 😆 ... and pick 5y
saresmoore I love this! I vote for 5y
vivastory @Suet624 @Theaelizabet it's not too late to vote. The decision is still up in the air! 5y
Suet624 Oh! Hold on. Let me look. 5y
Suet624 I‘m going with Dorothy. 5y
Theaelizabet I‘ve been away (all is well, just too much going on), but said I would be back in Nov., so here I am. I would be perfectly happy with any of these...but I‘ll put in a vote for The Expandable Man. 5y
BarbaraBB @Theaelizabet Good to have you back! 5y
Theaelizabet @BarbaraBB Thank you! 5y
17 likes27 comments
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GoneFishing
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes

Mathias shrugged. After all, a criminal lawyer is not concerned with facts. He is concerned with probabilities. It is the novelist who is concerned with facts, whose job it is to say what a particular man did do on a particular occasion: the lawyer does not, cannot be expected to go further than show what the ordinary man would be most likely to do under presumed circumstances.

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mklong
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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Alright @vivastory and the rest of our #NYRBBookClub friends, it‘s time to vote for our August pick. Looks like I‘m taking us to a pretty dark place, wonder what that says about me 🤔

1. Sand, Wolfgang Herrndorf
2. A High Wind in Jamaica, Richard Hughes
3. Black Wings Has My Angel, Elliott Chaze

Vote in the comments! And please tag anyone I may have forgotten.

Leftcoastzen Black Wings has my Angel 5y
Rachel_nyc Sand 5y
Samplergal A High Wind in Jamaica. 5y
See All 21 Comments
GatheringBooks thanks for this! these all look like great picks. i won‘t be able to join this round unfortunately, can only read female authors this year for our #womenreadwomen2019 theme. have fun, everyone! 5y
sisilia I vote for Black Wings Has My Angel. Thanks @mklong ☺️ All three have been in my wishlist 5y
Suet624 Well! These are all quite different from our past choices, aren‘t they??? 😂😂 I think I‘m leaning toward Black Wings! 5y
sprainedbrain Black Wings! 5y
sisilia Fun fact: A High Wind in Jamaica is the first book published by NYRB Classics (edited) 5y
batsy These are such varied, interesting choices! I'm going with A High Wind in Jamaica because I have it & it's been TBR forever 🙂 5y
LeahBergen Great picks! I‘m voting for A High Wind in Jamaica. 👏🏻👏🏻 5y
mklong @sisilia I didn‘t know that, that is so neat! 5y
saresmoore Wow, great picks! My vote is for 5y
vivastory Terrific picks!! I'm going with 5y
Theaelizabet Wow! All of them sound great. I‘m voting for A High Wind in Jamaica. 5y
BarbaraBB Great choices, all are completely new to me. I‘d be happy with all of them but my vote is for 5y
BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks Sorry you won‘t join us for this one, cool theme though! #womenreadwomen2019 5y
Liz_M I vote for Black Wings 5y
emilyhaldi I vote Black wings!!! Love this diverse mix 🖤 (I have already read and LOVED High Wind in Jamaica, otherwise that would have gotten my vote 🙃) 5y
43 likes2 stack adds21 comments
review
rachaich
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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Pickpick

Well! Pirates. Children. Animals. Open sea. Adventure and plot.
With a sinister edge...
Flippin good read!

13 likes1 stack add
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rachaich
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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Wowzers! So this isn't what I expected!

twohectobooks Same! I love this book. I‘ve been wanting to read another by him for a long time. 5y
12 likes1 stack add1 comment
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rachaich
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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A gift from an adored friend.

She is also a book lover and reader. 😊😊

review
emilyhaldi
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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Pickpick

While traveling from Jamaica back home to England some children are unintentionally taken prisoner on a pirate ship ⚓️ Hughes takes a satirical and sometimes comedic look at childhood innocence & morality that might make you look at kids in a new light 🧸🍭 Brilliant!
#goneaway
#winterwonderland

Reviewsbylola I love the cover. Sounds like a weird book. 6y
LeahBergen On my shelf! 😬 6y
emilyhaldi It was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me!! @LeahBergen it's a gem, you should move it up on your list 😉 6y
See All 8 Comments
emilyhaldi @Reviewsbylola it's different for sure, but I love hughes' take on the innocence- or not so innocence- of childhood. 6y
Cinfhen So a Jamaican adventure a la Lord of the Flies ?!?! Sounds wonderful😂🤣 6y
TrishB Interesting! 6y
batsy It's on my shelf, too! (And has been for years 🙈) Love this cover. I have an older NYRB edition that I found by chance in a used store. 6y
erzascarletbookgasm I‘ll get this book just for the cover! Story sounds interesting too. 6y
95 likes3 stack adds8 comments
review
Settings
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
Pickpick

Children are creepy. This guy gets it.

Liz_M Lol, nice review 😁 6y
45 likes1 stack add1 comment
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LeahBergen
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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I usually get rid of most of my paperbacks after reading them, but I keep my NYRBs (and Persephones and Viragos, too 😄).

#PaperbackWriter
#HeyJune
#NYRB

vivastory I was about to say something along the lines of, "So you can send them to me." Then I read the titles & realized I have almost all of the same ones. Clearly, you have great taste! 6y
saresmoore @vivastory 😂 I have most of these, too! 6y
rubyslippersreads Lovely! (And I hope you‘re going to keep your #BetsyTacy paperbacks. 😄) 6y
See All 22 Comments
vivastory @saresmoore Your great taste in books is the worst kept secret on Litsy 😉 6y
Cinfhen So pretty 🧡💚💜❤️ 6y
GypsyKat So pretty! 6y
TrishB Lovely 💕 6y
2BR02B They look so dapper arranged in a row like that. 6y
Kalalalatja 😍😍😍 6y
Weaponxgirl I do exactly the same thing 😀 and then books that aren't available on kindle are the only other fiction books I keep 6y
LeahBergen @vivastory @saresmoore That‘s why we‘re such good chums. 😂 6y
LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads Oh, yes! I like that they form such a nice, uniform little set (and the essays and photos in the back of each volume are awesome 😄). 6y
LeahBergen @2BR02B I love the way they look together. I could never split them up. 😆 6y
LeahBergen @Weaponxgirl I noticed you said ‘fiction‘. I keep a lot more of my nonfiction, too. 👍🏻 6y
emilyhaldi Yes!!! 🙌🏻 I have a serious problem when it comes to my new nyrb addiction 😬😅 6y
Blaire I love the nyrb books! 6y
batsy Aaaaahhh 😍😍 6y
LeahBergen @emilyhaldi They are hard to resist, aren‘t they? 😬 6y
LeahBergen @Blaire Oh, yeah! 😍 6y
LeahBergen @batsy 😘😘 6y
Reviewsbylola 😍😍😍 I keep my NYRB and Persephones too. And Europas! 6y
127 likes22 comments
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twohectobooks
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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For, only a few yards up, there was a Frangipani tree: a mass of brilliant blossom and no leaves, which was almost hidden in a cloud of humming-birds so vivid as much to outshine the flowers. Writers have often #lost their way trying to explain how brilliant a jewel the humming-bird is: it cannot be done.

#quotsynov17

merelybookish Lovely! 7y
13 likes1 comment
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HannaPolkadots
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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#aprilbookshowers day 2: #weather. Probably one og the oldest books I own, inside a previous owner has signed his name and when he bought the book, which was in 1942. However there is no info on when it was printed. @RealLifeReading

11 likes1 stack add
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teresareads
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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So I'm reading along in this (so far) slightly dark pirate kidnapping adventure book, and a kid just up and dies! (Still pretty good so far though)

review
Liberty
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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Pickpick

It's #FunFridayPhoto time! Today's photo: books that take place in warm climates.

I don't know about you, but it's cold where I am now. Nothing like some hot climate books to help your brain stay warm! This is a classic about pirates who accidentally kidnap a group of children and take them out on the high seas. But it turns out, the children are the real monsters, and wreak havoc all over the place. 🤘🏻📚💕

Kitta I can't wait for the new stickers to come out they look so cute! 8y
Waynegjr Man I love this book. Good pick. 8y
TheNextBook Have I mentioned on Litsy how much I hate the cold!?! I hate winter. 8y
Viji Hate winter too! It lasts from October to May in Colorado 😟 At least summers are nice in the mountains. 8y
139 likes14 stack adds4 comments
review
krismlars
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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Mehso-so

A friend highly recommended this to me, but I didn't enjoy it. I don't really have a reason, it was just a miss for me.

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krismlars
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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A friend gave me her extra copy, but the cover kinda terrifies me! These kids are creepy, right?!

13 likes1 stack add
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SolerSystem
A High Wind in Jamaica | Richard Hughes
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I've been devouring this one. Top-notch summer reading.

Liberty Holy cats, I love this book so much. 8y
4 likes3 stack adds1 comment