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Savages
Five women must spend months alone together in a hostile jungle, threatened on land and in the water and—perhaps most dangerous of all—by their own exposed and violent passions, that turn them, into savages far worse than their hunters and enemies.
587 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1987
114 people are currently reading
1677 people want to read
About the author
Shirley Conran
50 books113 followersShirley Conran is the ex-wife of British designer, restaurateur, retailer and writer Sir Terence Conran. She is the mother of designers Sebastian Conran and Jasper Conran. A bestselling author in her own right whose most memorable books include Lace and Superwoman.
She was educated at the University of Portsmouth. In addition to novel writing, she wrote regularly for The Observer newspaper's women's page and was the first women's editor of The Observer Colour Magazine and women's editor of The Daily Mail newspaper where she launched the weekly women's magazine 'Femail'. She also has great experience as a designer in textiles and as a colour consultant - she had her own paint range. She handled the publicity for the Women in Media Campaign devoted to sex discrimination legislation. She was on the selection committee of the Council of Industrial Design for eight years. She also has been a columnist for Vanity Fair (magazine).
Shirley Conran is well known for having said: "First things first, second things never".
She was successfully treated for skin cancer several years ago.
She has homes in France and London.
She was educated at the University of Portsmouth. In addition to novel writing, she wrote regularly for The Observer newspaper's women's page and was the first women's editor of The Observer Colour Magazine and women's editor of The Daily Mail newspaper where she launched the weekly women's magazine 'Femail'. She also has great experience as a designer in textiles and as a colour consultant - she had her own paint range. She handled the publicity for the Women in Media Campaign devoted to sex discrimination legislation. She was on the selection committee of the Council of Industrial Design for eight years. She also has been a columnist for Vanity Fair (magazine).
Shirley Conran is well known for having said: "First things first, second things never".
She was successfully treated for skin cancer several years ago.
She has homes in France and London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
October 8, 2022
Yet another Shirley Conran blast from the past!
After having read and loved ‘The Revenge’ by Shirley Conran, I was happy to find this book in a second-hand bookshop. Though teenage me was scandalised by the bare-backed lady on the cover (and worried that my dad would find my copy and assume that I am a “gone case”! 😂), I still grabbed the novel as it was available for peanuts.
Story Synopsis: A group of mining hotshots and their wives are having a vacation-cum-business outing on an island paradise. However, there is a coup, and a villainous general takes control of the hotel they are in. The executives are all shot dead. Their wives escape in a boat to a jungle. The story follows the lives of these rich women who know nothing about surviving in the jungle, and worse, hate each other. The horror!
My experience: Not bad, but not as good as ‘The Revenge’. This one was far more predictable, though it still had its share of surprises. Don’t remember much more as I had read this more than 15 years back. A decent read if you are looking for a commercial potboiler that you want to read with your brains kept aside. But not reread-worthy.
This might have been a 4 star read for me at that time. Today, I am certain it won’t cross 3 stars. I’ll stick to the average – 3.5 stars.
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After having read and loved ‘The Revenge’ by Shirley Conran, I was happy to find this book in a second-hand bookshop. Though teenage me was scandalised by the bare-backed lady on the cover (and worried that my dad would find my copy and assume that I am a “gone case”! 😂), I still grabbed the novel as it was available for peanuts.
Story Synopsis: A group of mining hotshots and their wives are having a vacation-cum-business outing on an island paradise. However, there is a coup, and a villainous general takes control of the hotel they are in. The executives are all shot dead. Their wives escape in a boat to a jungle. The story follows the lives of these rich women who know nothing about surviving in the jungle, and worse, hate each other. The horror!
My experience: Not bad, but not as good as ‘The Revenge’. This one was far more predictable, though it still had its share of surprises. Don’t remember much more as I had read this more than 15 years back. A decent read if you are looking for a commercial potboiler that you want to read with your brains kept aside. But not reread-worthy.
This might have been a 4 star read for me at that time. Today, I am certain it won’t cross 3 stars. I’ll stick to the average – 3.5 stars.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
December 4, 2013
It's probably the most awful book ever. I'm sure it's fantastical, imperialist, racist, sexist, and embarrassing. It was also an awakening for me. As these "savages" made their way from rich, spoiled housewives to Lord of the Flies-worthy um naturalists, they also exposed me to my very first dose of HOT LESBIAN SEX. (I think that phrase takes capitals, but I'm not sure.) Don't read it, necessarily, but know it exists for your own personal enjoyment.
April 14, 2008
This book was a little slow to start but I am glad I stuck with it because it was GREAT. Sucked me in and made me wish there was more. I love survival/adventure books. In this one we have a bunch of wealthy society wives who visit a new resort on a jungle island and are forced into hiding in the jungle by hostilities on the island. The book goes into detail as to what they have to do to survive a stint in the jungle. It doesn't come easy for the ladies, that's for sure. Do the step up? Read and find out, you won't be disappointed.
own-tbr
May 18, 2010Wow, I found it!! There are certain books that stick in your mind for whatever reason, long after you have read them. This is one of those for me. I was racking my brain trying to remember what this book was. All I could remember was that a group of women were stranded in the jungles of an island and had to learn to survive. I remember randomly pulling a copy off of my library shelves over a decade ago and enjoying the read. I'd like to read it again someday soon.
*Update! Found a great copy of this for cheap at my local trade-a-book today! It's a thick book, 600+ pages, which today would cost $7.99. This one was printed in 1988 with a cover price of $4.95. Damn books have gotten expensive since then!
*Update! Found a great copy of this for cheap at my local trade-a-book today! It's a thick book, 600+ pages, which today would cost $7.99. This one was printed in 1988 with a cover price of $4.95. Damn books have gotten expensive since then!
July 8, 2019
A friend gave me this book thinking I might like it. I did not! There was some interesting plotting but writing was so poorly done that it destroyed any interest I might have had. Lots of adventure, some basic plotting, and so much nonsense gives this book a schizophrenic feel. Also there is no ending. Not recommended.
October 16, 2011
An oldie but a goldie. I got so addicted to the obtacles the heroines kept facing in this thriller that, by the end, I didn't want them to stop. Never a dull moment after the heroines watch their husbands get murdered. Some clever, and sometimes ruthless, surprises along the way.
The male characters tended to be sterotypical but you expect an author to have greater insight into characters of the same gender. Conran delivered on the female side, and I got very attached to the five fictitious women she created.
Conran managed to build in one lesbian scene, no doubt for the pleasure of the voyeurs among her readers. I wouldn't have missed it if it hadn't been there.
Words from that scene,like the ones that follow, made me wonder just how less they applied to a heterosexual encounter: " Above all, because of each woman's [read: person's] intimate knowledge of the female [read: and male] anatomy, their unspoken feelings were gently recognised and shared..."
I'm sure there will be women who'll want to set me straight.
And, yes, it was the cover that caught my attention at a second-hand book sale. Conran handled the frequent female nudity in the book as simply a matter of fact, and did not over-play it.
The male characters tended to be sterotypical but you expect an author to have greater insight into characters of the same gender. Conran delivered on the female side, and I got very attached to the five fictitious women she created.
Conran managed to build in one lesbian scene, no doubt for the pleasure of the voyeurs among her readers. I wouldn't have missed it if it hadn't been there.
Words from that scene,like the ones that follow, made me wonder just how less they applied to a heterosexual encounter: " Above all, because of each woman's [read: person's] intimate knowledge of the female [read: and male] anatomy, their unspoken feelings were gently recognised and shared..."
I'm sure there will be women who'll want to set me straight.
And, yes, it was the cover that caught my attention at a second-hand book sale. Conran handled the frequent female nudity in the book as simply a matter of fact, and did not over-play it.
August 19, 2009
I keep going back to this book; I've probably read it 7 or 8 times. I like the way she shows the relationships and how they change. The suspense is great. I like how you see the strengths come out, and the frailities and how they cope with them.
I find this book inspiring. It seems like just another fluffy beach read, but these women are tested to the limit and overcome overwhelming difficulty.
I find this book inspiring. It seems like just another fluffy beach read, but these women are tested to the limit and overcome overwhelming difficulty.
November 11, 2016
Interesting plot, poor writing
Well, that re-read was a weird experience!
Savages has got to be the same book that I remember from fifteen years ago, the plot is the same. But, the writing style and the details as the plot is fleshed out are so very different than I remember!
I've never had my memory betray me to such an extent upon re-reading a novel, even novels that I didn't reread for decades. Makes me wonder if it's possible that I previously read a post-edit published version and that this Kindle download I've just finished was an early, un-edited version? Is that possible?
For instance, in my memory:
1. There was very little time spent on the husbands.
2. There was much more time and detail spent on Isabel, particularly her obsession with being organized and prepared. I had found that part very interesting.
3. The initial ambush happens inside, not outdoors.
4. Silvana, not Suzy, is the bait on the beach. (That was one of my favorite parts the first time around.)
5. I don't remember any cannibalism at all.
And, most importantly, in my memory the writing style was so much better--exciting even! But, on this new read-through, the writing was horrible! I was bored.
So... it's probable that I simply read it too hurriedly the first time, or maybe my tastes have changed that much. But, I'm hoping, to save face, that this was a different edit!
Well, that re-read was a weird experience!
Savages has got to be the same book that I remember from fifteen years ago, the plot is the same. But, the writing style and the details as the plot is fleshed out are so very different than I remember!
I've never had my memory betray me to such an extent upon re-reading a novel, even novels that I didn't reread for decades. Makes me wonder if it's possible that I previously read a post-edit published version and that this Kindle download I've just finished was an early, un-edited version? Is that possible?
For instance, in my memory:
1. There was very little time spent on the husbands.
2. There was much more time and detail spent on Isabel, particularly her obsession with being organized and prepared. I had found that part very interesting.
3. The initial ambush happens inside, not outdoors.
4. Silvana, not Suzy, is the bait on the beach. (That was one of my favorite parts the first time around.)
5. I don't remember any cannibalism at all.
And, most importantly, in my memory the writing style was so much better--exciting even! But, on this new read-through, the writing was horrible! I was bored.
So... it's probable that I simply read it too hurriedly the first time, or maybe my tastes have changed that much. But, I'm hoping, to save face, that this was a different edit!
July 27, 2020
Dated but entertaining survival adventure novel from 1987. The story has a feminist slant, as it shows how five pampered wives learn to survive on a remote tropical island on their own. A bloody military takeover turns their island vacation deadly, and they must hide in the jungle while planning a way to escape the island unseen. They do get some survival training from the resort's boat captain, but soon each woman must push herself to do things she never thought she was able to do.
This is a huge book with alot of background about the women, their lives, the company their husbands work for (that's also paying for this "working vacation"), the history of the island and its politics, and alot of survival info that the women learn. All of it was interesting, but perhaps some editing could've been done to pick up the pace of the story. Although the author had also written the book Lace, this book wasn't as trashy as I thought it would be. A pretty enjoyable read, if you're in the right mood.
This is a huge book with alot of background about the women, their lives, the company their husbands work for (that's also paying for this "working vacation"), the history of the island and its politics, and alot of survival info that the women learn. All of it was interesting, but perhaps some editing could've been done to pick up the pace of the story. Although the author had also written the book Lace, this book wasn't as trashy as I thought it would be. A pretty enjoyable read, if you're in the right mood.
Read
March 5, 2009Wow...I never read books like this. I must say, it was really, really captivating. Interesting and suspense-filled throughout the book, once the author gets you introduced to all of the characters and their marriages, lives, personalities, quirks. Then...let these high-falutin' ladies loose on an island of cannibals, evil revolutionaries, bugs, danger,once their company vacation goes awry, and see what nice ladies become. It's like a woman's "Lord of the Flies," but much more engaging. Attention to detail and descriptive writing made this book like an amazing survivor's manual--I think TV made this book into a mini-series at some point in the past.
January 17, 2015
Oh my gosh. I am just reviewing this book after 30 + years. I have never forgotten this female "lord of the flies" type book. Women get stuck on a deserted island and what issues ensue. I loved this book and especially how the power struggle shook out. One of my favorite books!!
September 30, 2012
I read this book more than 20 years ago. I loved the story line and the adventure of it so much that even to this day, I search for stories of survival. Savages was fantastic. "You don't know how strong you are until being strong is all you've got left."
March 2, 2014
Wicked fun read. Didn't expect it to be so good.
September 22, 2022
This book, I’m sorry to say, is a DRAAAAAGG. After a promising opening where some rich kid gets his ass et—yeah, sorry Don Winslow, there ain’t no metaphorical savages in this one, we’ve got no-shit CANNIBALS on the menu—we spend about a hundred pages on these corporate executives and on their wives and their backstories and the history of Paui… it just takes an eternity to finally get our main characters to the damn island. Then, I swear, it’s another hundred pages before the plot kicks into gear and it’s finally CANNIBAL TIME!
Wait, sidebar. You’d think, with basically an entire PAPERBACK in the offing before we get to the action, these would be some richly developed characters. No, not really. Most of the girls are variations on “timid neurotic.” I needed to put a cheat sheet together to keep track of who was who. Making it worse/better is that when this book-length first act finally ends, most of the cast gets (spoiler alert) wiped out within the space of a paragraph. I guess it’s supposed to be shocking, but it really ends up feeling like you wasted your time on a section that could’ve been covered in a few concise pages.
But finally, we get to the good stuff. The girls are stranded on a tropical island, caught between cannibals and right-wing death squads with no hope of escape. Alright, time to party, right? Shit just got real, correct? Bring on the piranhas. Send in the crocodiles. Tell the pythons that they’re on in five.
No. Nothing happens. The author seems to have done a lot of research into how people would stay alive under these circumstances and she seems determined that you read every. Last. Iota. Of it. 90% of the peril these chicks face is just them making mistakes, you know, things that would entirely not be an issue if they were just competent and careful. Yeah, they’re supposed to be society types that are totally inexperienced with rough living, but even by the end, when they’re supposed to be all empowered and shit, they’re still making dumbfuck mistakes that nearly get them killed!
I get it, realistic, sure. And I’m sure you have a much better chance of dying from slipping in the shower than being killed by an axe murderer dressed as a clown. But this is fiction! I don’t want that much realism! I want the axe murderer dressed as a clown!
Even what little dramatic incidents that there are go by without the author being able to milk any suspense or thrills from them. The ladies capture a soldier and force him to labor on their behalf, while also finding him attractive because they’ve been on the island a long time. Some of them are sure he can’t be trusted, but others are receptive to the sob story he tells them of being press-ganged into the army. Sounds like a good recipe for some trashy fun, right?
Nope. The narrative immediately tells us he’s a bad guy, out to cause trouble. It only takes a few pages for him to escape and a few more pages for the problem to be solved. This subplot could’ve filled multiple chapters with tension, but it’s over and done with in about twenty-five pages.
And this is a nearly six hundred page book!
What really leaves a bad taste in your mouth is the ending. After a series of Gilligan’s Island style setbacks, resulting in the women having to build raft after raft and wait out storm after storm, they finnnnally get off the island. We get a lengthy, lengthy sequence of them starving to death as they float around (as if the entire cast is going to get wiped out after this many pages). There are suggestions of cannibalism but—this is downright hateful—the girls actually doing the deed is relegated to a dream sequence. Finally, FINALLY, they’re rescued—
The book ends RIGHT there.
No epilogue, no tying up loose ends, nothing. We’ve been following this guy who’s in love with one of them, trying desperately to rescue the girls. Does he get together with his lady love? Don’t know! One of the women thinks her husband is still alive, but he’s actually been dead this entire time. What does she do when she finds out the awful truth? Don’t know! These bitches were all but resorting to cannibalism! What’s their psychological state after that?
Don’t! Know!
What about the sleazy corporate executive who wanted to call off the search or the tinpot dictator who caused all this suffering in the first place? Do we at least get to see their comeuppance?
What do you think?
Maybe the author was saving all the catharsis of this long, LONG story for a sequel that would go into depth about their return to civilization, but the story feels simply unfinished without some sort of resolution beyond the boring “they lived and got rescued.” Yes, obviously, we know the book isn’t going to end with them all sinking to the bottom of the sea! What about details? What about specifics? I gladly would’ve traded a couple hundred pages from the endless middle about their boring fishing and hammock-making and whatever the fuck they even did for six hundred goddamn pages for just a little novella about how all this rattled out!
It’s like some editor gave Conran free rein to make this storyline as long and as boring as she saw fit, but insisted on calling it a day at six hundred pages. So Conran, instead of going back and leaving some stuff on the cutting room floor, just ended the book as abruptly as possible once she hit her word count.
I can’t overstate how unsatisfying this is. Could you imagine if Lord of the Rings ended with Frodo tossing the Ring into Mount Doom and boom, you’re staring at the backmatter? They’re your dumb characters, you can at least tell me whether they all ended up in a mental institution or what.
Wait, sidebar. You’d think, with basically an entire PAPERBACK in the offing before we get to the action, these would be some richly developed characters. No, not really. Most of the girls are variations on “timid neurotic.” I needed to put a cheat sheet together to keep track of who was who. Making it worse/better is that when this book-length first act finally ends, most of the cast gets (spoiler alert) wiped out within the space of a paragraph. I guess it’s supposed to be shocking, but it really ends up feeling like you wasted your time on a section that could’ve been covered in a few concise pages.
But finally, we get to the good stuff. The girls are stranded on a tropical island, caught between cannibals and right-wing death squads with no hope of escape. Alright, time to party, right? Shit just got real, correct? Bring on the piranhas. Send in the crocodiles. Tell the pythons that they’re on in five.
No. Nothing happens. The author seems to have done a lot of research into how people would stay alive under these circumstances and she seems determined that you read every. Last. Iota. Of it. 90% of the peril these chicks face is just them making mistakes, you know, things that would entirely not be an issue if they were just competent and careful. Yeah, they’re supposed to be society types that are totally inexperienced with rough living, but even by the end, when they’re supposed to be all empowered and shit, they’re still making dumbfuck mistakes that nearly get them killed!
I get it, realistic, sure. And I’m sure you have a much better chance of dying from slipping in the shower than being killed by an axe murderer dressed as a clown. But this is fiction! I don’t want that much realism! I want the axe murderer dressed as a clown!
Even what little dramatic incidents that there are go by without the author being able to milk any suspense or thrills from them. The ladies capture a soldier and force him to labor on their behalf, while also finding him attractive because they’ve been on the island a long time. Some of them are sure he can’t be trusted, but others are receptive to the sob story he tells them of being press-ganged into the army. Sounds like a good recipe for some trashy fun, right?
Nope. The narrative immediately tells us he’s a bad guy, out to cause trouble. It only takes a few pages for him to escape and a few more pages for the problem to be solved. This subplot could’ve filled multiple chapters with tension, but it’s over and done with in about twenty-five pages.
And this is a nearly six hundred page book!
What really leaves a bad taste in your mouth is the ending. After a series of Gilligan’s Island style setbacks, resulting in the women having to build raft after raft and wait out storm after storm, they finnnnally get off the island. We get a lengthy, lengthy sequence of them starving to death as they float around (as if the entire cast is going to get wiped out after this many pages). There are suggestions of cannibalism but—this is downright hateful—the girls actually doing the deed is relegated to a dream sequence. Finally, FINALLY, they’re rescued—
The book ends RIGHT there.
No epilogue, no tying up loose ends, nothing. We’ve been following this guy who’s in love with one of them, trying desperately to rescue the girls. Does he get together with his lady love? Don’t know! One of the women thinks her husband is still alive, but he’s actually been dead this entire time. What does she do when she finds out the awful truth? Don’t know! These bitches were all but resorting to cannibalism! What’s their psychological state after that?
Don’t! Know!
What about the sleazy corporate executive who wanted to call off the search or the tinpot dictator who caused all this suffering in the first place? Do we at least get to see their comeuppance?
What do you think?
Maybe the author was saving all the catharsis of this long, LONG story for a sequel that would go into depth about their return to civilization, but the story feels simply unfinished without some sort of resolution beyond the boring “they lived and got rescued.” Yes, obviously, we know the book isn’t going to end with them all sinking to the bottom of the sea! What about details? What about specifics? I gladly would’ve traded a couple hundred pages from the endless middle about their boring fishing and hammock-making and whatever the fuck they even did for six hundred goddamn pages for just a little novella about how all this rattled out!
It’s like some editor gave Conran free rein to make this storyline as long and as boring as she saw fit, but insisted on calling it a day at six hundred pages. So Conran, instead of going back and leaving some stuff on the cutting room floor, just ended the book as abruptly as possible once she hit her word count.
I can’t overstate how unsatisfying this is. Could you imagine if Lord of the Rings ended with Frodo tossing the Ring into Mount Doom and boom, you’re staring at the backmatter? They’re your dumb characters, you can at least tell me whether they all ended up in a mental institution or what.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2020
It's a 3.5 starrer for me, plot was good but ending was not so appealing, it could have been better I guess.
Anyway, my review is as following.
I always wondered how would I be surviving in situations not known to me... This book gave me so much insight of the scenarios I was thinking of.
I liked patty and carey much more than other women allthough each character was well potrayed.
I liked their will to live... adapt to worst to worst situations... to keep presense of mind in adverse situations... never to give up in case where they failed thrice continuously for rafts.
It was indeed a long read, but it was worth reading it.
I came to know what box jellyfish are, how to know whether something is edible or not(try it on captivated rat! 😂), how not to lose cool and think calmly, art of climbing the cave, what seashells can do if they clasp your hand, how high tide and low tide play an important role in survival, how to plan for expedition , how to use cigarette judicially as mosquito repellent and to remove leeches and worst is how to drink human blood.
It has somehow an open end to what happened to Gen. Raki and how their lives changed after this all turmoil in their lavish life.
Anyway, my review is as following.
I always wondered how would I be surviving in situations not known to me... This book gave me so much insight of the scenarios I was thinking of.
I liked patty and carey much more than other women allthough each character was well potrayed.
I liked their will to live... adapt to worst to worst situations... to keep presense of mind in adverse situations... never to give up in case where they failed thrice continuously for rafts.
It was indeed a long read, but it was worth reading it.
I came to know what box jellyfish are, how to know whether something is edible or not(try it on captivated rat! 😂), how not to lose cool and think calmly, art of climbing the cave, what seashells can do if they clasp your hand, how high tide and low tide play an important role in survival, how to plan for expedition , how to use cigarette judicially as mosquito repellent and to remove leeches and worst is how to drink human blood.
It has somehow an open end to what happened to Gen. Raki and how their lives changed after this all turmoil in their lavish life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2019
Actual rating 4,5
For one of my first goodreads updates I wrote this little snippet:
Oh I‘m enjoying myself SO MUCH. This is just about the book I subconsciously needed/craved. Not literary and filled with stunning prose but an utterly compelling and readable survival adventure tale, one I don‘t want to put down, and one that has enough bulk to satisfy.
And I‘m happy to report, it stayed that way for all 700 pages and ahhhh the rollercoaster ride I was taken on!! Thanks to all the people that endured me whilst being immersed in Savages.
You will need this as an A+ beach read this summer.
Another thing - Savages seemed at times really advanced re feminism etc for something written in the eighties, but perhaps I’m just a bit clueless about the currents of the time. But yay, that was interesting to see.
#Thankspetra
For one of my first goodreads updates I wrote this little snippet:
Oh I‘m enjoying myself SO MUCH. This is just about the book I subconsciously needed/craved. Not literary and filled with stunning prose but an utterly compelling and readable survival adventure tale, one I don‘t want to put down, and one that has enough bulk to satisfy.
And I‘m happy to report, it stayed that way for all 700 pages and ahhhh the rollercoaster ride I was taken on!! Thanks to all the people that endured me whilst being immersed in Savages.
You will need this as an A+ beach read this summer.
Another thing - Savages seemed at times really advanced re feminism etc for something written in the eighties, but perhaps I’m just a bit clueless about the currents of the time. But yay, that was interesting to see.
#Thankspetra
August 22, 2016
Don't let the cover turn you away. It is an excellent summer read. The story line is believable and the main characters(all women) are interesting and likable. I have to admit that only a few people have read this on my recommendation and they were not as sold as I was but so what...Give it a chance.
June 26, 2015
The story does start out a little slow...but give it time, because it ends up being AWESOME!! This was a very intriguing storyline, and I loved how these wealthy women had to survive and tough it out. One of my most favorite reads!! I always recommend this book!!
I rarely keep books...but this one sits on my shelf because it really is that good.
I rarely keep books...but this one sits on my shelf because it really is that good.
October 2, 2013
Oh my gosh. This book was so good. Engrossing. I had trouble putting it down to do anything else. It's going on my list of favorite books. And, it was educational. I learned a lot about wilderness living. Just wow, really.
July 14, 2014
When I read this book back in 1987, I thought it was one of the best books I'd ever read. Twenty-seven years later, it's dropped off my best list, but it was still a good read. Would have liked it to have an epilogue rather than just an abrupt ending.
July 2, 2011
I read this book a long time ago, but I still recall that this was one of my favorites that I couldn't put down!
April 28, 2012
This is a great book, but the original cover of the book was much better. Why they think they need to put a half-naked blond on the cover to sell this book is beyond me!
January 4, 2020
one of the best books I read as a teenager
October 3, 2024
Fantastic book
August 6, 2018
I wasted 392 before finally giving up. Screw this book. It's titled the catchy, lurid "Savages", the dramatic image of a girl in a bikini wielding a machete (at least on my copy) and the back cover promises glamorous women thrown into "an adventure that arouses their raw untamed emotions, the passions of the wildest...Savages" and lots of critic blurbs saying things like "Men in power...beautiful women in jeopardy..sex...savages has everything." Even reviewers got me hyped with the comparisons to Lord of the Flies except for desperate housewives. But this is all some elaborate hoax to make book sales because this is really a group of shallowly defined, female caricatures (the dumb pretty one, the workaholic, the athletic one, the old pretentious one) thrown into the jungle with a survival expert MAN, Jonathan, babysitting their every move. For what could have been a really kick ass, girl-power concept, the execution is disappointingly sexist. As far in as I got, they remain completely dependent on Jonathan and the author even out-rightly suggests that women require a man to guide them and that most women are too sensitive, lazy and useless to handle a true survival situation. It gets even more insultingly ridiculous when the women start to compete for Jonathan's attention and turn on eachother at every opportunity. They never grow as characters or connect with eachother and overcome their differences despite the undeniable intimacy of such a desperate situation and the requirement to rely on one another. Nope- because women are petty, backstabbing babies that are incapable of teamwork or backbone. And everytime one of them so much as earns a bit of pride in her efforts, the writer is careful to insert more catfights, whining, cowardice and crying and Jonathan's snide observations to remind you just how delicate and unhinged girls are in any kind of serious conflict.
Also for all the blurbs promising sexy-sex and savage emotion, the most surprising thing that happens is one half-hearted lesbian scene and it was full of uncomfortable purple prose and the participants and nonparticipants reactions were disgustingly immature, ignorant, and homophobic. I think one of them even said they hoped lesbianism wasn't "catching". And one of the girls involved treats the other girl she slept with a mixture of disdain, revulsion, and embarrassment that I found offensive. If you're going to insert some lesbian lovemaking into a book at least treat it with respect and don't use it for exploitation.
The prose itself is also very problematic even without the horrible characters and sexist scenarios. Conran is a very clinical, dry writer. The first half of the book is a bunch of info dumpage about mineral mining and Paui political climate and the "adventure" half is mainly textbook survival practice for the girls. I guess if you consider a detailed outline of every mundane survival task the girls had to do on a daily basis "adventure", this book will be a thrill a minute. I can't even count how many times I had to read about one of the girls eating smoked fish and napping on the tarmac.
Also for all the blurbs promising sexy-sex and savage emotion, the most surprising thing that happens is one half-hearted lesbian scene and it was full of uncomfortable purple prose and the participants and nonparticipants reactions were disgustingly immature, ignorant, and homophobic. I think one of them even said they hoped lesbianism wasn't "catching". And one of the girls involved treats the other girl she slept with a mixture of disdain, revulsion, and embarrassment that I found offensive. If you're going to insert some lesbian lovemaking into a book at least treat it with respect and don't use it for exploitation.
The prose itself is also very problematic even without the horrible characters and sexist scenarios. Conran is a very clinical, dry writer. The first half of the book is a bunch of info dumpage about mineral mining and Paui political climate and the "adventure" half is mainly textbook survival practice for the girls. I guess if you consider a detailed outline of every mundane survival task the girls had to do on a daily basis "adventure", this book will be a thrill a minute. I can't even count how many times I had to read about one of the girls eating smoked fish and napping on the tarmac.
June 8, 2016
Loved this. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so much. I originally started reading it and dismissed it as 80's mindless trash, but picked it up again out of desperation after there was literally nothing else in the house to read. Glad I did, as this book took me on a shocker of a roller coaster ride, full of gory murders, and gritty, realistic horrors of survival. I could hardly put it down.
The plot is about a group of spoilt, pampered women abandoned on a tropical island, after their husbands' immoral business conduct come back to bite them on their behinds. They learn to survive against the odds and against giggantic obstacles such as severe weather extremes (hot humidity and relentless storms), an army hunting them down and unfriendly locals. Lots of other sub plots and themes of political, psycological, economic and geographical interest.
There are some hugely unlikeable characters here, including some of the main female characters. As the novel revealed their backgrounds, it explained why some of the women were the way they were. Despite their selfish and mean traits, they were all stoical, brave and tenacious, and I ended up caring about them and willing them to find a way off the island to safety.
I thought a lot about how I would have coped in their position. I was so grateful to be tucked up in my warm, cosy bed, eating snacks, with my dog, cats and daughter all curled up asleep next to me, reading this novel in comfort, peace and safety.
Great novel, Shirley.
The plot is about a group of spoilt, pampered women abandoned on a tropical island, after their husbands' immoral business conduct come back to bite them on their behinds. They learn to survive against the odds and against giggantic obstacles such as severe weather extremes (hot humidity and relentless storms), an army hunting them down and unfriendly locals. Lots of other sub plots and themes of political, psycological, economic and geographical interest.
There are some hugely unlikeable characters here, including some of the main female characters. As the novel revealed their backgrounds, it explained why some of the women were the way they were. Despite their selfish and mean traits, they were all stoical, brave and tenacious, and I ended up caring about them and willing them to find a way off the island to safety.
I thought a lot about how I would have coped in their position. I was so grateful to be tucked up in my warm, cosy bed, eating snacks, with my dog, cats and daughter all curled up asleep next to me, reading this novel in comfort, peace and safety.
Great novel, Shirley.
March 1, 2018
Hey, this was pretty fun! A group of pampered women are thrust into a survival situation in the jungle with an enemy military on the prowl. The first quarter of the book is spent getting to know these women before they art thrust into the jungle. By the end of the book, you will probably have your favorite "savage", as each of the women has a very defined personality.
From reading other reviews, I went into this with certain ideas about what it would contain, but it was much different than I was led to believe. For example, the talk of lesbian sex from other reviewers is greatly exaggerated. There is one very short and relatively tame sex scene that leaves more to the imagination than it actually describes (bonus points for the lesbian foot fetish, however). For that matter, even the violence leaves more to the imagination than it actually shows. I am not saying that this is a PG story, but it is certainly no "Cannibal Holocaust".
If I have to criticize anything about this book, I will say that Shirley Conran has a penchant for telling us about things that we just don't care about. We don't need to know the detailed history of the hotel that one of the characters stays at, and we don't need to be given an overview of the mining business. Also, the women's story is so interesting and exciting that, whenever Conran shifts focus back to civilization and the efforts to find the women, the story seems to slow down quite a bit.
Overall, this was a really fun ride!
From reading other reviews, I went into this with certain ideas about what it would contain, but it was much different than I was led to believe. For example, the talk of lesbian sex from other reviewers is greatly exaggerated. There is one very short and relatively tame sex scene that leaves more to the imagination than it actually describes (bonus points for the lesbian foot fetish, however). For that matter, even the violence leaves more to the imagination than it actually shows. I am not saying that this is a PG story, but it is certainly no "Cannibal Holocaust".
If I have to criticize anything about this book, I will say that Shirley Conran has a penchant for telling us about things that we just don't care about. We don't need to know the detailed history of the hotel that one of the characters stays at, and we don't need to be given an overview of the mining business. Also, the women's story is so interesting and exciting that, whenever Conran shifts focus back to civilization and the efforts to find the women, the story seems to slow down quite a bit.
Overall, this was a really fun ride!
July 23, 2017
I don't even remember where or when I picked this book up, but it sounded interesting (not the same old blah, blah, blah.) Another draw, I live in Pittsburgh and quickly found there are quite many legitimate references to companies and areas. I've crossed the Allegheny, listened to Pittsburgh Symphony alfresco and attended the regattas in the Golden triangle (A.k.a., Point State Park.) more times than I can count.
This book absolutely shocked me all throughout the story and with the fact that it was so very good.
I assign VERY few books a five star rating. This book was outstanding in good characters and their change and growth. The pace seemed just right and I somehow found it believable, so much so that I got totally caught up in it.
My only disappointment was the rather abrupt ending. I would have loved to follow these ladies back to Pittsburgh and new lives!
Re-read began on July 2017
There are very few books that I would re-read. I have reread this one and found it even more interesting than the first time. I'm sure, in a few years, I will do a third read.
Two major conclusions:
No. 1 I wish I could give this book at least eight stars.
No. 2 I really, really want to see what happens to these women upon their return to Pittsburgh. Really!
This book absolutely shocked me all throughout the story and with the fact that it was so very good.
I assign VERY few books a five star rating. This book was outstanding in good characters and their change and growth. The pace seemed just right and I somehow found it believable, so much so that I got totally caught up in it.
My only disappointment was the rather abrupt ending. I would have loved to follow these ladies back to Pittsburgh and new lives!
Re-read began on July 2017
There are very few books that I would re-read. I have reread this one and found it even more interesting than the first time. I'm sure, in a few years, I will do a third read.
Two major conclusions:
No. 1 I wish I could give this book at least eight stars.
No. 2 I really, really want to see what happens to these women upon their return to Pittsburgh. Really!
April 2, 2020
Nice 20th century thriller ... unexpected turn of events; thrilling, and decapitating the soul.
A group of Nexus executives take their wives to the South Pacific paradise of Paui with a secret mission while the wives think that they are on vacation. Having found rare minerals on the island, the husbands want to strike a swift deal for mining rights. But in their greedy rush to claim the prize, the men fail to take into account a rapacious general, who takes control of the island in a military coup and brutally executes all of them.
Returning from a sail in time to see the massacre, the women escape into the jungle, where survival in the jungle skills came in hand, albeit slowly and painfully. The ship's captain teaches them, but his death leaves the once shy Annie in charge of the rest: Silvana, Patty, Carey, and Suzy, all rich and pampered women used to the Hollywood glamour and glitz.
Misfortune rains down on the women, but magically opportunity appears to save themselves as they battle jungle, cannibalistic natives, and their own frightening desires with a gritty determination that belies their pampered pasts.
A group of Nexus executives take their wives to the South Pacific paradise of Paui with a secret mission while the wives think that they are on vacation. Having found rare minerals on the island, the husbands want to strike a swift deal for mining rights. But in their greedy rush to claim the prize, the men fail to take into account a rapacious general, who takes control of the island in a military coup and brutally executes all of them.
Returning from a sail in time to see the massacre, the women escape into the jungle, where survival in the jungle skills came in hand, albeit slowly and painfully. The ship's captain teaches them, but his death leaves the once shy Annie in charge of the rest: Silvana, Patty, Carey, and Suzy, all rich and pampered women used to the Hollywood glamour and glitz.
Misfortune rains down on the women, but magically opportunity appears to save themselves as they battle jungle, cannibalistic natives, and their own frightening desires with a gritty determination that belies their pampered pasts.
April 1, 2010
Survival in a very long book - but the pace is such that you don't notice the length. I was amazed that I sat and read a book (and finished it)which conjured up 1001 ways in how to survive in a jungle on a cannibal riden island in the Pacific. Gruesome in parts, annoying females at times (well they were a bit like Desperate Housewives transplanted into a tropical setting, complete with inch long blood red talons and 3 carat diamond engagement rings...)
But for all that it was a journey in finding themselves and coming to terms with all their shortcomings - and there were many.
The only criticism, and it is a minor one is that the ending was rather sudden. Nail biting to almost the last page - and then puff - The End.
I first read this novel when it was first published and remembered enjoying it then. The little grey cells had forgotten most of the detail over the years and I thought it worth another read.
A good read.
But for all that it was a journey in finding themselves and coming to terms with all their shortcomings - and there were many.
The only criticism, and it is a minor one is that the ending was rather sudden. Nail biting to almost the last page - and then puff - The End.
I first read this novel when it was first published and remembered enjoying it then. The little grey cells had forgotten most of the detail over the years and I thought it worth another read.
A good read.
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