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The Word Warehouse

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The Islanders - Christopher Priest This is for certain a strangely written book. Most of the time I can tell by a publisher’s blurb if I should rush and buy it. But every now and then a novel comes out that keeps me humble and I think afterwards I could have waited. This is one of them.For the most part, The Islanders reads like a bunch of travel brochures. Some parts just deal with the climate of the islands. Others focus only on certain features. So there is little continuity and it feels more like a short story collection. There are no main characters and not much of a plot. To use an appropriate metaphor, a person gets the feeling the boat they were waiting for has sailed.There are a few chapters that were very well done, especially one dealing with a nasty insect and the particular island it originated from. This location is destined never to become a tourist attraction.Christopher Priest is definitely an above average writer but his approach here is too unusual. I did find it interesting although disjointed. If you’ve never read anything by the author I would recommend starting with The Prestige.