Tales of the South PacificTales of the South Pacific
Score Classic
What it's about
James Michener served in the Navy in the South Pacific during the Second World War, and these linked stories come from that experience: sailors and officers waiting for the next battle on remote islands, a nurse from Arkansas who falls for a French planter, a Marine lieutenant who loves a young Tonkinese woman, and the boredom, loneliness and terror of the war.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize and became the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. It's Michener's first book and launched his career.
You'll love it if you liked
The Caine Mutiny
The Things They Carried
From Here to EternityGood to know
It's episodic, and its depictions of Pacific peoples and racial attitudes reflect the 1940s, though it also criticizes prejudice.
By the numbers
- Readers52 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller6 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
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Quick answers
Is Tales of the South Pacific worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize and became the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. It ranks #1,071 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Tales of the South Pacific about?
James Michener served in the Navy in the South Pacific during the Second World War, and these linked stories come from that experience: sailors and officers waiting for the next battle on remote islands, a nurse from Arkansas who falls for a French planter, a Marine lieutenant who loves a young Tonkinese woman, and the boredom, loneliness and terror of the war.
How long does it take to read Tales of the South Pacific?
About 5 hours (192 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Tales of the South Pacific won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (1948).
What should I read after Tales of the South Pacific?
If you liked it, try The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien or From Here to Eternity by James Jones.