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Ihimaera: His Best Stories
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- GenresShort Stories
213 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
8 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Witi Ihimaera
86 books355 followersWiti Ihimaera is a novelist and short story writer from New Zealand, perhaps the best-known Māori writer today. He is internationally famous for The Whale Rider.
Ihimaera lives in New Zealand and is of Māori descent and Anglo-Saxon descent through his father, Tom. He attended Church College of New Zealand in Temple View, Hamilton, New Zealand. He was the first Māori writer to publish both a novel and a book of short stories. He began to work as a diplomat at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1973, and served at various diplomatic posts in Canberra, New York, and Washington, D.C. Ihimaera remained at the Ministry until 1989, although his time there was broken by several fellowships at the University of Otago in 1975 and Victoria University of Wellington in 1982 (where he graduated with a BA).[1] In 1990, he took up a position at the University of Auckland, where he became Professor, and Distinguished Creative Fellow in Māori Literature. He retired from this position in 2010.
In 2004, his nephew Gary Christie Lewis married Lady Davina Windsor, becoming the first Māori to marry into the British Royal Family.
Ihimaera lives in New Zealand and is of Māori descent and Anglo-Saxon descent through his father, Tom. He attended Church College of New Zealand in Temple View, Hamilton, New Zealand. He was the first Māori writer to publish both a novel and a book of short stories. He began to work as a diplomat at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1973, and served at various diplomatic posts in Canberra, New York, and Washington, D.C. Ihimaera remained at the Ministry until 1989, although his time there was broken by several fellowships at the University of Otago in 1975 and Victoria University of Wellington in 1982 (where he graduated with a BA).[1] In 1990, he took up a position at the University of Auckland, where he became Professor, and Distinguished Creative Fellow in Māori Literature. He retired from this position in 2010.
In 2004, his nephew Gary Christie Lewis married Lady Davina Windsor, becoming the first Māori to marry into the British Royal Family.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 27, 2020
It's really hard to rate this book because it's a collection of short stories and some of them I REALLY loved but some of them I didn't.
I think what Ihimaera does best is painting such a clear picture of the atmosphere and vibe, you can tell when he is writing about stuff he REALLY knows about.
The noir section of the book felt weird to me, kind of out of place but i appreciate trying new things. It's hard because the things I like in this book are like 4 or 5 star but overall as a collection I don't think I'd recommend this.
Important to note I would read more Witi Ihimaera, I just don't know if his work is best showcased in a short story format.
I think what Ihimaera does best is painting such a clear picture of the atmosphere and vibe, you can tell when he is writing about stuff he REALLY knows about.
The noir section of the book felt weird to me, kind of out of place but i appreciate trying new things. It's hard because the things I like in this book are like 4 or 5 star but overall as a collection I don't think I'd recommend this.
Important to note I would read more Witi Ihimaera, I just don't know if his work is best showcased in a short story format.
July 24, 2019
This was my first time reading something by Ihimaera. Although I appreciated his voice and obvious passion for issues facing Maori people, I was left much of the time feeling disappointed. The stories often read quite didactically, and the messages feel canned, trite.
September 3, 2021
A wonderful collection of beautifully written stories for Maori by Maori and anyone else willing to come at it with an open, curious mind. Complex interesting characters and illuminating themes and ideas. His range and his way with language is marvellous
September 29, 2022
Many of these stories were really hard to read, and I hope that the NZ they describe no longer exists.
October 15, 2023
Gritty. Exceptional account of the Māori narrative throughout history.
May 8, 2012
I'd read Pounamu Pounamu as 13 year old school kid and loved it. In subsequent years I read, The new net goes fishing and, Kingfisher come home and enjoyed them both. Sadly I didn't love this book as much.
At 13 I was a rural kiwi bumpkin and now I'm in my 30's with a much wider perspective on life having lived and travelled in Europe, America and for the last six years Singapore. The immersion in these cultures and wider more diverse environments has been very enriching but it has changed my interpretation of Ihimaera's work somewhat.
I still liked the odd story but overall I found this book pretty depressing, tedious and riddled with caricatures and simple stereotypes. To be honest it was kind of a chore to get through it so I skipped about three stories near the end.
However the final two stories were real and significant gems and I will keep the book solely for them .
At 13 I was a rural kiwi bumpkin and now I'm in my 30's with a much wider perspective on life having lived and travelled in Europe, America and for the last six years Singapore. The immersion in these cultures and wider more diverse environments has been very enriching but it has changed my interpretation of Ihimaera's work somewhat.
I still liked the odd story but overall I found this book pretty depressing, tedious and riddled with caricatures and simple stereotypes. To be honest it was kind of a chore to get through it so I skipped about three stories near the end.
However the final two stories were real and significant gems and I will keep the book solely for them .
August 16, 2012
I decided to read more Witi Ihimaera after I read The Whale Rider. I loved the book, so I needed to find more and see if he was always good. I picked up Ihimaera: His Best Stories and I am glad I did. There were so many stories that were just as good as the last and you kept turning the page. I have literally read this book five times and I would read it again if I could find it. It was so well written, and the stories are so good that I can literally see them while I'm reading his words on the page. He is a wonderful writer, and this book is good for people who are looking for stories that are aimed at an older audience than The Whale Rider
May 21, 2007
Chosen and introduced by the author himself.
June 11, 2007
Great collection of Ihimaeras' best stories and a few of my old favourites.
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August 1, 2009Ihimaera: His Best Stories by Witi Tame Ihimaera (2003)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews