Hokitika Town
Randall, CharlotteHokitika in the 1860s is a bustling and colourful town, home to a young lad, Halfie, and a motley bunch of ne'er-do-wells.
Delighting in linguistic high jinks, this story brings to life the glory days of the gold rush and offers a vivid snapshot of West Coast history.
Comments from Groups
A good story about early West Coast life. Lively discussion, especially about language! Matamata 001 Once we became used to the 'vernacular', everyone thought it was a delightful story. We couldn't help making comparisons to 'The Luminaries' with the setting being so similar, as was the era. The humour in 'Hokitika Town' and the clever portrayal of the characters and their surroundings brought many a laugh to our discussion. Nelson 019 Those that finished the book agreed that it was a nice gentle read which they enjoyed. The other members struggled over the use of 'patois'. They commented that they might have tried harder to finish it but grew annoyed over the use of 'pigeon' English. Auckland 006 'Hokitika Town' sparked off a lively discussion in our group. The majority of the group found it difficult to get into. The use of the Maori/New Zealand idiom of the 1860s was a challenge. However, they persevered and thoroughly enjoyed the story although quite a number commented that there seemed to be little plot. Many agreed that the writing was clever, and must have exhausted author Charlotte Randall! The group is now keen to read her other acclaimed work, 'The Curative'. Matamata 003 Very popular book. Voted the best read of 2014. Oxford 001
Pages
272
272
Year
2012
2012
Reviews
20-11-2023
An enjoyable insight into West Coast goldfields with an amusing linguistic idiom.
20-11-2023
Some members enjoyed it more than others. Some liked the historical aspect to it. The book notes were good.
20-11-2023
A mixed reaction to this book. Most enjoyed it but some found the use of Halfie's pigeon English and phonetic spelling annoying. But despite this we thought the characterisation was good, and it gave you a real 'feel' for Hokitika in the 1860s gold rush period.
20-11-2023
Half of us enjoyed the book very much, but some were more ho-hum about it.
20-11-2023
We found the dialect in which the book was written difficult, but we enjoyed the relationships in the story.
20-11-2023
If you can get past the use of language, a really good read and quite funny in places.
20-11-2023
Good discussion but no-one enjoyed the book. Very good notes.
20-11-2023
All our Group enjoyed this story, particularly once one got used to the vernacular used by Halfie.
20-11-2023
Funny and moving book.
20-11-2023
Those who persevered enjoyed this book. Some were put off by the language style. A difficult read for those whose first language is not English!
20-11-2023
Great story. Some readers struggled with the language, but it added to the characters.
26-09-2023
Laugh out loud read at times. Great read.
25-05-2023
An unexpected delight.
04-07-2019
Most of us loved this book - it was entertaining, amusing, and gave an insight to the hardships of life in Hokitika and the goldfields. Harvey's language is both a challenge and a delight.
04-07-2019
A bloody good read!!! A wonderful portrayal of the times, with powerful characters. West Coast gold rush times brought to life.
03-07-2019
We loved it, quirky and fun. Reminded us of 'The Luminaries'. Wonderful snapshot of NZ history - sharing the diversity of our nation through the eyes of a youngster.
03-07-2019
Great discussion as most loved it, but some didn't. Discussed whether the 1st person language of Tiwakawaka was 'belittling'. Most found the 'ridiculousness of the Inglish langwitch' very humorous. Great story.
03-07-2019
Most members of the group enjoyed the book a lot. They particularly enjoyed the playful use of language.
03-07-2019
We mostly enjoyed reading this book, and had a good discussion.