Helpful Score: 3
A fastinating book on trying to be a modern Robinson Carusoe, or TV Survivor. Since this is Lucy's book, Robert comes off looking like a total jerk. So its amazing she didn't kill him early on. Also it was Robert's idea, do the island, get the girl and write the book. From reading the book, it's Lucy who plants the garden, learns to fish, talks to the natives, and keeps Robert alive so with Lucy actually writing the book I hope she made a fortune.
The other cool thing was how hard it was to find an unoccupied island to do the test on that you could also survive on. Turns out if you have water and decent soil, people already live there! This shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was to me. I should have figured that in the last 1000 years people of the South Pacific would have looked at all the islands, and stayed on the ones that supported life. So much for the Swiss Family Robinson dream life. It's actually much closer to the Tom Hanks Movie "Castaway" life. Anyway its a good arm chair adventure read.
AMAZON.COM READER'S REVIEW
The other cool thing was how hard it was to find an unoccupied island to do the test on that you could also survive on. Turns out if you have water and decent soil, people already live there! This shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was to me. I should have figured that in the last 1000 years people of the South Pacific would have looked at all the islands, and stayed on the ones that supported life. So much for the Swiss Family Robinson dream life. It's actually much closer to the Tom Hanks Movie "Castaway" life. Anyway its a good arm chair adventure read.
AMAZON.COM READER'S REVIEW
Helpful Score: 2
I love the book jacket on this book - the most beautiful beach with gorgeous water, - it's the perfect coverjacket for this biography of Lucy Irvine, who decided at age 25 to go live on a tropical island with a man she'd just met, in the Coral Sea near Australia. If living on a desert island sounds wonderful from the movies - the reality was a much harsher experience - Lucy spent much of her time searching rather desperately for food and water, and wishing she'd been marooned on her island with someone she had more in common with than her new "husband," Gerald. (The Australian government, in a bizarre moralistic government decree, decided that neither castaway could be allowed to live together on Tuin without first being married - and the two were virtual strangers, and not at all compatible.) Lucy is quite candid about what she loves and dislikes about her adventures on Tuin, and it is an interesting book to read with some good photos. It was a bit long at times (fishing, more fishing, then more fishing and looking for coconuts etc) but I liked the various characters and experiences, and thought it a worthwhile read. I am just astonished that anyone would go and live on a desert island with a few supplies as this, and without first making sure there were adequate resources for food and water.I am more of the ultra planner type. I'd love to go visit that spectacularly beautiful little island - but I wouldn't want to live there - give me my Kroger or HEB grocery store when I'm hungry!
Lucy Irvine was G W Kingslands choice. But neither anticipated real marriage required by the Australian goverment before they could set sail for Tuin the island paradise that would force them to depend on each other for companionship and survival that could offer them a year in heaven or a living hell
