Noa Noa: The Tahitian Journal (Dover Fine Art, History of Art)

This little book is an old favorite from art history class. Gauguin is obsessed with leaving Europe behind, and this is the journal of his escape.

Very readable translation. This is not the best edition if you want good reproductions of drawings. But in terms of getting a good text for a good price it's great.I'm not really going to review the book itself as I assume most people who are here know that this was Gauguin's attempt to put together a what he hoped would be a best selling travelogue that would promote his art. He was hoping to cash in on the success of Pierre Loti's best seller the Marriage of Loti which was set in exotic Tahiti. It never made any money, but this is mostly because of it's idiosyncratic style. But for anyone interested in Gauguin's Tahitian experience it's great. Also check out his intimate journals which came out posthumously and cover also his life before Tahiti.

One struggles to understand the complete and utter disregard of Gauguin's morality and compassion for the people whom he knew only love from. His selfish and ultimately his more 'civilized' priggishness only allowed him to disabuse his hosts, violate a young girl(s), and ultimately just confuse them about their complex feelings of hurt and rejection when they trusted him so completely.After reading his own words I feel today we would dismiss him as a brilliant painter who was also a predator.

Noa Noa, Gauguin's two-year journal of living in Tahiti, is a fine read that touches on the colonial impacts of the expanding French control of Tahiti. Although Gauguin noted the bureaucratic excesses, he does not dwell on it and instead spends the bulk of his journal noting his engagement and involvement with the native population.Noa Noa deals briefly with his artistic endeavors and tends to focus on his daily discoveries of Polynesian culture. One of the highlights of the journal is his re-telling of Tahitian creation-myths and how it influenced contemporary behavior such as "tunny" fishing. Gauguin is well known for his artistry, and Noa Noa expands his repertoire to include a near-journalistic view of his sojourn in Tahiti.

Gauguin's journal reflects the attempts of a Western person to transform himself into a savage and live close to the primeval nature. While living among the island's inhabitants, he engages in a relationship with a Tahitian girl. After two years, he leaves Tahiti and returns to Europe. I started reading the journal with enthusiasm. However, reading was a bit tiresome and the fact that he returned to Europe was somewhat disappointing. Still, it had some interesting facts about the inhabitants beliefs and about the deterioration of their values once the island was conquered colonialism resumed.

Fascinating account of Gauguin's first trip to Tahiti. He begins writing as an artist, then as a diarist as the locals fit him up with a 13-year-old bride (13 = their 18), and ends up as an anthropologist chronicling the Tahitian superstitions and rituals. It's pithy andelegant and nicely illusrated. A very enjoyable book to have and read. (South Pacific, here I come!)

First hand account of Paul Gauguin’s years spent in Tahiti. Poetic and probably embellished to some extent but overall an interesting read.

An interesting narrative of Gaugin's time in Tahiti. Much introspection and detail.

It arrived very quickly and the book is in a good condition. The content of the book is marvellous. Thanks for sending the book to me.

Ok

A good adventure into tahiti s past , with an appeal through the writers eyes.simple illustrations were good too .

a book from above

After getting a copy of this book from my local library. I ordered the paperback edition as I wanted a copy as a permanent edition to my library. Buyer beware! The paperback edition does not have the colour plates of the hardback edition, in fact it bares no resemblance.I retained the copy as the cost of returning was just not worth the expense as the paperback was so cheap, cheap being the operative word.