Im 28 and I just finished reading the Mosquito Coast last week. I LOVED the story and the writing but another thought crossed my mind; I would have hated to read this book in high school. Im POSITIVE that somewhere in the good ol' USA, some english department is dishing this word puppy out to the kiddies for a nice brain bender of exam questions. The Mosquito Coast marries Social Commentary and symbolism together like Peanut Butter and Jelly. This novel may well join the ranks of
The Scarlet Letter, Of Mice and Men, and The Cather and the Rye in "Classic Classroom Literature"; if not ...well the story has the muscle to do so. Enjoy this book (I did)...and if you have to read this book for an exam...kick some butt.

This book explores the character of a father who takes his family to several remote locations in Honduras to escape what he sees as the evils of mid-20th century America. The father is believable and finely drawn, and although readers may not like him, they may well empathize, as the father's motives and actions are all too understandable. The novel does a fine job in describing the dangers a man faces, and how dangerous to others that man can be, when he becomes alienated, albeit for good and defensible reasons, from society.

A minor criticism is that the father's inventions are described in detail, but the author does not seem to have much understanding of such things. Thus, glasses of water freeze in the space of a short conversation in the father's novel refrigerator (what would the temperature have to be to do this, -60 degF or so?). There are brackets, levers, pumps, gears, and pipes galore throughout the book, all of which never quite seem to combine into anything understandable. Maybe it's the former engineer coming out in me, but if you don't understand technology it's best to dwell elsewhere in your writing (and maybe it's best to dwell elsewhere even if you do).

I originally became interested in the theme of "Mosquito Coast" while reading "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver, in which a father takes his family to the Congo for similar but more religiously motivated reasons. I was especially interested in gaining insights into the character of such a person. Unfortunately, in that book, the father is sketched as a parody and his character is flat. Instead of character development, the author devotes herself to amateurish left-wing political speculation, an often incorrect recounting of historical events in Africa, and a transparently feminist agenda. If you think literature and politics are best left separate, or if you want sophisticated political analysis, don't waste your time on "The Poisonwood Bible."

Allie Fox not only thinks he is right, he thinks everyone else is wrong. In fact, every person and thing is so wrong, he can see nothing good in New England, and everything right about the life he creates for his family on the "Mosquito Coast". His psyche is so defended against being wrong, he cannot see what he is doing to his wife and small children as they become fully jeopardized by the privations he has exposed them to.

Theroux succeeds because he touches familiar chords. Allie Fox's attitudes, opinions and self-righteousness resonate because most readers are familiar with them through family members, neighbors or workplace aquaintances. Most people, themselves, share a degree of Allie's self centeredness and we all have made mistakes that have hurt others. As good literature should, seeing these traits bundled together in the extreme and performing under pressure jolts the reader and forces thinking beyond Mosquito Coast to the nature of human behavior.

Who hasn't dreamed of leaving the world behind and venturing into the unknown to recreate the world without imperfections?

Seeking to escape globalisation, commercialism, and a multitude of abominations and maladies, inventor and genius Allie Fox abandons civilisation and heads for the Honduran rain forest, taking his family.

Whereas the missionaries he so despises use the pretence of bringing religion to the forest in order to colonise it - as did the conquistadors in the 16th century - Allie brings ice: the symbol of his god-like ingenuity - and sets about creating a new world free of the poisons of the West. However, Allie maybe a genius in one sense, but his socialist ideals and visions of utopia are far from infallible.

Although The Mosquito Coast sounds like a contemporary version of Henry David Thoreau's Walden (which, like this story, is also an allegorical fable) it's an infinitely darker exploration of flawed genius - made all the more disturbing by being presented through the eyes of Allie's twelve year old son, a child on the brink of manhood.

For me, the biggest attraction to this story aside from the travel aspect is the fact that it can be read on so many levels. At once it's a book children will understand and enjoy, but as an allegory a lot of people will see the deeper meanings and lessons - the implications of our own actions and how they can affect others - and possibly learn from them.

Overall, a fantastic book which can be re-read and studied many times.

This book is extremely well written. Its subject matter of a dysfunctional family is somewhat of a downer.