Customer Reviews

Giving Good Ghost

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This collection of writings opened my eyes about what life would be like on St. Maarten. Nothing like what I imagined. Gross covers it all. It's both sad and funny.

Andy Gross understands that geography shapes a culture. He has experienced and witnessed what the confines of island life can do to an individual and an entire population. There is an elegant precision to the record of his days on St. Maarten. I felt I was part of an exquisitely private surgery of the soul that just happened to occur in public, which of course curls my toes and makes me want more.

I have never been to the Caribbean, but this book taught me a lot. I think the author is brave to have exposed so much about himself and his surroundings. I somehow think the author must cry tears of rage. It was a very moving and disturbing book.

This book is a very bitter look at St. Maarten, but very accurate. I think the author captures something about the modern Caribbean. His writing style is relentlessly truthful, bleak and yet very funny. I wanted to read more.

A very powerful book; kind of a classic if you know anything about St. Maarten. I really admire the author's courgae, he hits St. Maarten hard, but he hits himself harder. This is a book that is very negative about St. Maarten, but very accurate as well. I think the author is brilliant and daring and probably a very miserable, lonely person. Still and all, he made me made laugh and dare I say, he made me cry also. I think he could have told us more and left us more satisfied, but what can you do, he rang the bell, and he rang it hard, if only he rang it a little longer.

I think this is the best thing ever written about St. Maarten. The fact that it was written by such an outsider makes it even more moving. What Mr. Gross is saying, is that "there are big problems in paradise mon" and people better take notice. This is a very troubling book.

a great scathing book. The author has a lot to say and does it with great pain and humor. A must read for anyone interested in St. Maarten and issues like race, alienation and journalism.

Giving Good Ghost is a remarkable book. It is not only a very acute look at life on a small corrupt island, but also a vicious and very painful look at how one person tries to deal with debilitating depression and his own vulnerability in what can be best described as a decidedly unfriendly island. The writing is great and the author is far harder on himself than anyone else. The poems that are intersperesed throughout the book are intense and speak to a real sense of isolation and desire for beauty. This is quite a book and hopefully, it will wake up even the most sleepy St. Maartener and St. Maarten visitor from their respective denial. The writer delivers the goods.

the author is a New Yorker who was on St. Maarten for about 5 years working for the Guardian newspaper. There are reprints of his articles which were published in the paper and there are also the author's commentaries on anything,everything,and everyone in St. Maarten, most of it negative. I must admit I enjoyed reading it and found much of his writing to be humorous and unfortunately fairly accurate. Hoever, the author did not have a good experience on St. Maarten. His personal life fell apart and I believe he came to St. Maarten with a lot of personal baggage to start with.. The writing is that of a very angry young man. He bashes everything including himself. While often right on target, he certainly only presents one side of the story. St.Maarten is many things..not all good, but not all bad either, as the book portrays. I hope people read it and take a good long hard look at St. Maarten life. You will not agree with many things he says, but some things are worthy of some thought provoking discussions about island politics and island culture. remember that it is one man's experience and may not be the sane for others.