Caribbean (novel)
Karibik (Original title: Caribbean ) is a novel by the American writer James A. Michener . It was published in English in 1989 and in German in 1990 and as a historical novel comprises 16 chapters, each of which can be read as separate stories.
Contents overview
The 16 chapters are only loosely linked and span the period from 1300 to the present (around 1989). The chapters are ordered in time; In the later chapters, references are made to places, people or families in the earlier chapters. A recurring motive is the question of how the Caribbean can achieve a better future. Historical figures are mixed with invented ones, the actual historical events are often only told indirectly. The differences between the three most important ethnic groups - black, brown and white - are repeated again and again. Several times people wonder how much better things would be for the Caribbean if all areas were under the rule of a single foreign power - first Spain, then Great Britain, France and finally the USA.
The chapters
The croton hedge tells a fictional story of the attack by the warlike Caribs on the culturally high-ranking and peaceful Arawaks .
The blood-drinking god tells a fictional story surrounding the decline of Mayan culture.
The shadow of the dead admiral
The Spanish Sea describes the attacks by the English privateers John Hawkins and Francis Drake on Spanish cities in the Caribbean.
Heavy storms in Little England depicts what happened in Barbados during the English Civil War .
The privateer reports on Henry Morgan .
The Sugar Barons is about the influence of the British planter families in the Caribbean on British politics.
Sea hero and dowry hunter is about Horatio Nelson .
Creole Love covers the history of Martinique during the French Revolution.
The tormented country takes place in Haiti at the time of its wars of independence.
Martial law describes the suppression of a slave revolt in Barbados and the aftermath in London.
Letter of recommendation tells of a journalist who came to a fictional island of All Saints in 1938 to write about a new governor general. Soon, however, the governor's daughter comes to the fore, who begins an affair with a black man. The situation becomes more complicated with the arrival of the German warship Admiral Graf Spee .
The perpetual student covers a Caribbean student's studies in Miami and his attempts to stay in the United States after graduation.
The Rastafari plays again on the imaginary island of All Saints and describes the examination of the thoughts of the Rastafarians.
The Twins tells of an exiled Cuban couple from Miami who are visiting a couple in Havana, Cuba - there is a lot of talk about the different social systems.
The golden sea describes a cruise through the Caribbean; various problems are presented and discussed.
expenditure
- James A. Michener : Karibik (Original title: Caribbean ). German by Thomas Stegers . ECON, Düsseldorf 1990, ISBN 3-430-16701-9 .
- James A. Michener: Caribbean . German by Thomas Stegers . With a card. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh 1990.
- James A. Michener: Caribbean . Bastei Lübbe, 1993, ISBN 3-404-11960-6 .
In the Bertelsmann edition, the original title is given as " Carribean ". This incorrect spelling can also be found in many places on the Internet.