h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We`rereading the bone people at my book group and i wondered what you thought about it'portrayal of Moari culture?

Hi Z, I had a nice reply almost finished this morning and then crashed my computer

I like The Bone People alot. It's been influential on me, and NZ I think. It's been 5 or 6 years since I read it last.

I like how Hulme kept her writing style, which I think conveys Maori ways of thinking well (and likewise the use of te reo language) - from what I remember the prose is often oddly structured for the western mind.

Obviously there is the whole violence thing, which is an issue for Maori. I want to say more about this but need to check, have you finished the book yet?

The importance of the land, and the imbued spirituality reflects Maori culture well (interestingly Hulme is a bit of a rationalist).

Hi Kea.

So glad that you replied! I was worried you were offended. All through reading it I was thinking 'if kea hasn't read this she really must'.

Yes, I have got to the ending (horrible isn't it?) so no need to worry about spoilers.

It's our meeting tonight, so it will be great to be able to take an NZ perspective along.

Ah well, remember it's been a while since I read it

Was the ending horrible? I just remember that scene of the family gathering, which seemed very typically Maori. There was acknowledgement of the hard things but forgiveness too. Is that what the book is about?

I can't think what else to say, because I'm braindead and about to go to bed

I think the book tells a very important story for NZ.... what I remember is how much the land is there in the book (that comes from Hulme's relationship with the land I think). Her descriptions of the places are very NZ, they sound like my backyard (I haven't been to the specific places but close enough and I know other similar places very well).

And it's about the relationships. I don't feel I can be specific sorry, because I don't remember enough details, but the relationships are incredible despite the hard stuff.

I don't remember how much Hulme puts the violence in a colonisation context (and I don't think the violence can be understood outside of that). In some ways it tells that terrible story of the situation that Maori find themselves in, that degree of pain and damage but also love and beauty. And there are cultural things within that, that can't be explained in English, or can't be explained by me because I don't know them well enough. For example the word 'aroha' gets translated as love, but from my limited understanding it has no direct correlation with pakeha concepts of love. There are realms within realms of meaning that simply don't exist in pakeha culture. I think that the bone people tells those things strongly but there is no easy way to describe that rationally.

And always the people. There is a common saying from Maori:

He aha te mea nui o te ao?
He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!

What is the most important thing in the world?
It is people! It is people! It is people!

It's very hard for many here (in NZ) to understand that when we are presented with images of so much violence within Maori communities. But it is core even when the violence is there, that's the point I think.

I'm rambling. I'll have to go read it again now

Would love to hear your impressions and thoughts Also what the book group comes up with.

Hi Z, just bumping up some PS convos to see what's going on with the convo list updates...

Nice to see your name in italics btw

It's only until I can be sure I've got everything set up! I'll be back into my normal clothes soon.