Daily Mail
'This witty, honest account just goes to prove it's never too late to jump off that nine-to-five treadmill'
Jonathan Dimbleby
'A delightful read - sharp and humorous'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
`Where the Hell is Tuvalu' is the part travelogue, part autobiography of Philip Ells' term as the people's lawyer for the small island community of Tuvalu. It is comparable to the work of Danny Wallace or Dave Gorman as it is a sideways glance at life. What separates this from other lad non-lit is that it has a deeper core than most of the books in the genre as Ells' deals with real people and their impoverished life. For large parts of the book I enjoyed the ride as Ells is a witty writer and he describes his time on the islands warts and all. At no point does he try and make out that he was a hero, but someone trying to do a job that was different from the usual daily grind.
What limited the book for me was the juxtaposition of the light nature of the writing style and the dark material it described. For the first half of the book the cases that Ells investigates are usually pretty low key including drunkenness and pig rustling. However, later on tales of domestic abuse, murder and rape become the norm. Perhaps Ells was trying to highlight the difference in cultures between `civilised' countries and remote areas or perhaps as a professional lawyer he is numbed to the nature of man? Personally, I found it all a little depressing as the women of the country were sorely put upon and charges of rape and murder were not punished enough. By introducing such dark reading matter any sense of joy or innocence that I felt for the people of Tuvalu and nearby countries was lost. Ells is obviously trying to inform the reader about life elsewhere, but I think these issues would be best tackled in a serious book, not half comedy/half serious. An initially light hearted book takes makes a dark decent around halfway.
What limited the book for me was the juxtaposition of the light nature of the writing style and the dark material it described. For the first half of the book the cases that Ells investigates are usually pretty low key including drunkenness and pig rustling. However, later on tales of domestic abuse, murder and rape become the norm. Perhaps Ells was trying to highlight the difference in cultures between `civilised' countries and remote areas or perhaps as a professional lawyer he is numbed to the nature of man? Personally, I found it all a little depressing as the women of the country were sorely put upon and charges of rape and murder were not punished enough. By introducing such dark reading matter any sense of joy or innocence that I felt for the people of Tuvalu and nearby countries was lost. Ells is obviously trying to inform the reader about life elsewhere, but I think these issues would be best tackled in a serious book, not half comedy/half serious. An initially light hearted book takes makes a dark decent around halfway.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As a former volunteer lawyer in a remote island archipaelego, I wholeheartedly endorse Philip Ells comments, and congratulate him not only on finding the time and commitment to produce his personal account, but on the humour and literary skills evident throughout the book. People's Lawyer ought to be compulsory reading for all VSO and Peace Core personnel, and also for any lawyer considering a move out of big city private practice into various esoteric and underpaid areas of the law.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was re-published in 2006 as "Where The Hell Is Tuvalu?". The 2006 edition adds a short (6 page) epilogue which gives the major details about Tuvalu's history after Ells left the country in 1996, but the epilogue is not an essential read and so this edition is still a worthwhile read.
It is an engagingly written account that covers Ells' culture shock spending so much time as an Englishman abroad, neatly balancing the personal and light-hearted social problems with the fundamental clashes of ethics and politics.
The cast of characters involved is a little hard to keep track of and Ells' habit of "hinting forward" to things he hasn't written about yet is a little confusing in parts but otherwise it is a very well-written and readable book, and should be read by any Western reader- whether you think you've got it good, or you think your own circumstances are terrible, this book will give you pause for thought.
It is an engagingly written account that covers Ells' culture shock spending so much time as an Englishman abroad, neatly balancing the personal and light-hearted social problems with the fundamental clashes of ethics and politics.
The cast of characters involved is a little hard to keep track of and Ells' habit of "hinting forward" to things he hasn't written about yet is a little confusing in parts but otherwise it is a very well-written and readable book, and should be read by any Western reader- whether you think you've got it good, or you think your own circumstances are terrible, this book will give you pause for thought.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
I just could not put it down
This book brought back some memories. I went through VSO screening to be one of two doctors for two years on Tuvalu in 1992. Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2008 by Bookworm
Who knew the law was so funny!
A thoroughly enjoyable, amusing and informative read. I couldn't put it down, not just for the humour and Tuvalu anecdotes but also for the intelligent insights into the legal... Read more
Published on 18 Aug 2000
an interesting, informative narration about another culture
The young lawyer, Philip Ells, who gives over two years of his life to service in another land,writes of his experiences in a humourous fashion. Read more
Published on 28 July 2000
Crisp and highly amusing
A gloriously written book by Philip Ells, it provides us with a fabulously colourful account of what it was like to give up on a career with a big City Law firm and become 'The... Read more
Published on 20 July 2000
Entertaining, thought -provoking and humorous
I have recently read this book and commend the author for his self-depricating humour and, more important, his willingness to take the opportunity to do something totally out of... Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2000 by susanbobfine@gateway.net
Usually funny, at times sad, but always engrossing.
I rarely take much notice of book reviews, particularly those which are on the jacket of the book concerned. But here was a book which actually lived up to it's reviews. Read more
Published on 10 May 2000
A great read - I could hardly put it down!
Needing something to read on a long journey, a friend recommended "The People's Lawyer". It was perfect, and took me into another world of experience, with plenty of... Read more
Published on 5 May 2000
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