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A Pattern of Islands
"A Pattern of Islands" is the funny, charming and self-deprecating adventure story of a young man in the Pacific. Living for thirty years in the Gilbert and Ellis Islands, Grimble was ultimately initiated but not before he was severely tested, as when he was used as human bait for a giant octopus. Beyond the hilarious and frightening adventure stories, "A Pattern of Islands" is also a true testament to the life of these Pacific islanders. Grimble collected stories from the last generation who could remember the full glory of the old pagan ways. This is anthropology with its hair down. Like discovering a treasure chest of fables, which were once true, it is full of stories of magic, dances and legends, rituals, spells and a way of life that have now disappeared from this world except within the covers of this book.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
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April 16, 2025
There’s something irresistible about this memoir, a sort of inescapable charm that gradually draws the reader in. The author was a colonial administrator in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, which today form the countries of Kiribati (The Gilbert Islands) and Tuvalu (The Ellice Islands). The latter group doesn’t actually feature in this book though, the author spends his time on various islands in the Gilberts. He lived there from 1913 to 1933, with this book covering the period from his arrival to sometime in the 1920s.
In the early part of the book Grimble throws in a variety of comic stories, with himself as the fall guy. It’s noticeable that these largely disappear as the book progresses and Grimble is appointed to more senior positions. Probably as he aged he stopped getting himself into the kind of positions that led to these incidents. Also, laughing at the pratfalls of an inexperienced young man was likely seen as more acceptable. Actually the humour was one aspect of the book that I found less successful. I didn’t dislike it, but nor did it give me many laughs.
Where the book really scores is in its description of the life and ambience of the islands a century or so ago. Grimble seems to have had a genuine interest in and sympathy for the islanders, (one might say he admired them). One of the best parts of the account is the description of their religious beliefs, and in particular the activities of sorcerers. The bulk of the population were so terrified of the sorcerers that a “death curse” could be a self-fulfilling prophecy, with the victim plunged into such despair that they would fail to eat and simply wait listlessly for the death they thought was inevitable. If the power of suggestion failed to work the sorcerers knew how to complete the job – they were experts in administering poison.
Grimble seems to have become quite immersed in the lifestyle and beliefs of the islanders, adopting some of them himself.
The book was published in 1952, and Grimble both criticises and defends different aspects of colonialism. The latter is obviously a deeply unfashionable viewpoint these days. He argues that, prior to contact, the islanders lived in a neolithic society, that the encroachment of the modern world was inevitable, and that their introduction to the outside world was better for having happened in a managed way. He also highlights that British rule put an end to endemic warfare on the islands, quoting an elderly woman who told him “how beautiful is life in our villages, now that there is no killing and war is no more.”
Photo of a Kiribati warrior with shark tooth spear, coconut fibre armour, and a helmet made from the skeleton of a puffer fish
On the other hand, Grimble criticises some of the activities of missionaries and some of the laws of the colonial authorities, who between them destroyed the shrines of the islanders and banned practices such as polygamy. Grimble comments that “The worst of interfering with the customs of simple peoples, all for their own good, is that it can end by leaving them bereft of their national will to live.”
We tend to think of colonial administrators living in the lap of luxury. That may have been true in some parts of the Empire, but those who lived on remote Pacific atolls were often in pretty primitive conditions, without access to medical assistance.
There is a follow-up book, which I may read one day, so that I can see how the rest of Grimble’s tenure played out.
In the early part of the book Grimble throws in a variety of comic stories, with himself as the fall guy. It’s noticeable that these largely disappear as the book progresses and Grimble is appointed to more senior positions. Probably as he aged he stopped getting himself into the kind of positions that led to these incidents. Also, laughing at the pratfalls of an inexperienced young man was likely seen as more acceptable. Actually the humour was one aspect of the book that I found less successful. I didn’t dislike it, but nor did it give me many laughs.
Where the book really scores is in its description of the life and ambience of the islands a century or so ago. Grimble seems to have had a genuine interest in and sympathy for the islanders, (one might say he admired them). One of the best parts of the account is the description of their religious beliefs, and in particular the activities of sorcerers. The bulk of the population were so terrified of the sorcerers that a “death curse” could be a self-fulfilling prophecy, with the victim plunged into such despair that they would fail to eat and simply wait listlessly for the death they thought was inevitable. If the power of suggestion failed to work the sorcerers knew how to complete the job – they were experts in administering poison.
Grimble seems to have become quite immersed in the lifestyle and beliefs of the islanders, adopting some of them himself.
The book was published in 1952, and Grimble both criticises and defends different aspects of colonialism. The latter is obviously a deeply unfashionable viewpoint these days. He argues that, prior to contact, the islanders lived in a neolithic society, that the encroachment of the modern world was inevitable, and that their introduction to the outside world was better for having happened in a managed way. He also highlights that British rule put an end to endemic warfare on the islands, quoting an elderly woman who told him “how beautiful is life in our villages, now that there is no killing and war is no more.”
Photo of a Kiribati warrior with shark tooth spear, coconut fibre armour, and a helmet made from the skeleton of a puffer fish
On the other hand, Grimble criticises some of the activities of missionaries and some of the laws of the colonial authorities, who between them destroyed the shrines of the islanders and banned practices such as polygamy. Grimble comments that “The worst of interfering with the customs of simple peoples, all for their own good, is that it can end by leaving them bereft of their national will to live.”
We tend to think of colonial administrators living in the lap of luxury. That may have been true in some parts of the Empire, but those who lived on remote Pacific atolls were often in pretty primitive conditions, without access to medical assistance.
There is a follow-up book, which I may read one day, so that I can see how the rest of Grimble’s tenure played out.
May 2, 2016
Some of you will be wondering how I could choose a memoir by an actual colonial officer as my world challenge book for Kiribati. The answer is that the country's literary presence seems limited to white men's expat memoirs. Within that category, this appears to be the book based on the greatest experience of the islands and their people: Arthur Grimble worked as a British colonial officer in what were then known as the Gilbert Islands for about 20 years, the first six (1914 – 1920) of which are covered in this book. And whatever else can be said of him, he was clearly fascinated by local culture and prepared to respect the people he encountered. I doubt many colonial officers were offered adoption into a local tribe, much less proved themselves by memorizing lineages and submitting to painful tattooing.
This is entertaining reading, though a bit slower going than I expected. Grimble begins the book with the story of his becoming a cadet, but once he is working on remote islands we get a lot of stories about the culture, mixing dramatic events and everyday life (everyday life may involve fighting tiger sharks). There’s also a fair bit about myth, religion and magic; Grimble claims not to believe in magic but tells several stories for which it’s the only explanation. It is interesting material, told in a pleasant, self-deprecating tone, and so makes for an enjoyable read on the whole. There are some real gems here, such as the story in which the author becomes human bait in an octopus hunt, and another in which an island is upended by religious fervor that turns it into a short-lived doomsday cult.
That said, this is a memoir by a British colonial officer, published in the 1950s after the author’s retirement, so yes, it is extremely dated. Grimble, unsurprisingly, supports colonialism. That’s easier to overlook here than it would likely be from most former officers, given that the system didn’t produce conflict in Kiribati, a remote island nation with few resources and a tiny British administration that, for the most part, seems to have worked alongside the local government. But it is evident in his writing about Ocean Island (Banaba), which did have a natural resource – phosphate – which the British mined to the point of rendering the island uninhabitable. Grimble opines that this was the right decision because it created so much fertilizer for farms in other countries, and that the British administrators were commendable because they set aside money for the resettlement of the locals on another island once their own was destroyed. One doubts the Banabans’ views would be quite so rosy.
Also, there is this little gem, following an incident in which Grimble forcibly prevents his cook from beating his wife to death with a stick: “The only thing that cheers me about this story is that the thrashing Mareve got did her a lot of good. It sounds all wrong, but it is a fact. She never resumed her nagging of Biribo: she was scared stiff of him; and from that time on there was shining peace in the back premises.” Happily ever after, is it? Ouch.
That said, sometimes works with problematic elements provide the most authentic picture of bygone times; that doesn’t mean we should excuse the problems, but that a book can be worth reading regardless. This one provides a great portrait of a culture, and the stories of Grimble’s experiences on the islands show a humility that makes them – with the exceptions mentioned above – palatable for the modern reader. This is not an easy book to find, but it's worth the read if you do encounter it.
This is entertaining reading, though a bit slower going than I expected. Grimble begins the book with the story of his becoming a cadet, but once he is working on remote islands we get a lot of stories about the culture, mixing dramatic events and everyday life (everyday life may involve fighting tiger sharks). There’s also a fair bit about myth, religion and magic; Grimble claims not to believe in magic but tells several stories for which it’s the only explanation. It is interesting material, told in a pleasant, self-deprecating tone, and so makes for an enjoyable read on the whole. There are some real gems here, such as the story in which the author becomes human bait in an octopus hunt, and another in which an island is upended by religious fervor that turns it into a short-lived doomsday cult.
That said, this is a memoir by a British colonial officer, published in the 1950s after the author’s retirement, so yes, it is extremely dated. Grimble, unsurprisingly, supports colonialism. That’s easier to overlook here than it would likely be from most former officers, given that the system didn’t produce conflict in Kiribati, a remote island nation with few resources and a tiny British administration that, for the most part, seems to have worked alongside the local government. But it is evident in his writing about Ocean Island (Banaba), which did have a natural resource – phosphate – which the British mined to the point of rendering the island uninhabitable. Grimble opines that this was the right decision because it created so much fertilizer for farms in other countries, and that the British administrators were commendable because they set aside money for the resettlement of the locals on another island once their own was destroyed. One doubts the Banabans’ views would be quite so rosy.
Also, there is this little gem, following an incident in which Grimble forcibly prevents his cook from beating his wife to death with a stick: “The only thing that cheers me about this story is that the thrashing Mareve got did her a lot of good. It sounds all wrong, but it is a fact. She never resumed her nagging of Biribo: she was scared stiff of him; and from that time on there was shining peace in the back premises.” Happily ever after, is it? Ouch.
That said, sometimes works with problematic elements provide the most authentic picture of bygone times; that doesn’t mean we should excuse the problems, but that a book can be worth reading regardless. This one provides a great portrait of a culture, and the stories of Grimble’s experiences on the islands show a humility that makes them – with the exceptions mentioned above – palatable for the modern reader. This is not an easy book to find, but it's worth the read if you do encounter it.
March 17, 2020
Arthur Grimble was fresh out of Oxford and was interviewed by the colonial office for a post overseas. He got the job and was despatched to the other side of the world to work on the Gilbert Islands in the pacific. This was the time of colonialism and he was starting there as a cadet officer. Coming from the UK this was a form of paradise and it was going to be a place that he was to fall in love with over the next three decades.
You probably think, Grimble, that you’re here to teach these people our code of manners, not to learn theirs. You’re making a big mistake.
He was given the piece of advice above and he took it completely to heart. He was fascinated by the islanders, their history and just how they managed to eke a living in the middle of the vast ocean. Not only did they survive by developing unique ways of catching food from the ocean but they also developed a sophisticated pagan culture that was full of legends, folklore, rituals and spells. It was a way of life that was vanishing as the Catholic and Protestant religion was being draped over the culture. But if you knew where to look you could still see their earlier pagan culture shining through and as the people began to trust him they began to share their stories.
I really liked this, he is an eloquent author and a sensitive observer of the culture of these islands. He is prepared to get involved in the activities too, learning to catch octopus seeing men face tiger sharks with only a spear and witnessing the initiation rituals of the clans. I think if he hadn’t have taken that small piece of advice then this would have been a much poorer book. A great read of a part of the world that I have never heard of.
You probably think, Grimble, that you’re here to teach these people our code of manners, not to learn theirs. You’re making a big mistake.
He was given the piece of advice above and he took it completely to heart. He was fascinated by the islanders, their history and just how they managed to eke a living in the middle of the vast ocean. Not only did they survive by developing unique ways of catching food from the ocean but they also developed a sophisticated pagan culture that was full of legends, folklore, rituals and spells. It was a way of life that was vanishing as the Catholic and Protestant religion was being draped over the culture. But if you knew where to look you could still see their earlier pagan culture shining through and as the people began to trust him they began to share their stories.
I really liked this, he is an eloquent author and a sensitive observer of the culture of these islands. He is prepared to get involved in the activities too, learning to catch octopus seeing men face tiger sharks with only a spear and witnessing the initiation rituals of the clans. I think if he hadn’t have taken that small piece of advice then this would have been a much poorer book. A great read of a part of the world that I have never heard of.
October 20, 2017
Neophyte Nabob's Narrations of Natives & Nature
Back in 1914 a young colonial officer went off with his wife on his first assignment to the Gilbert Islands in the central Pacific. These islands and their inhabitants had been under British rule for only 22 years at the time. But unlike the stereotype of a pukka sahib, the aloof colonial officer, Arthur Grimble developed a love of the islands and their people. He writes about them with interest and sympathy, telling all kinds of tales against himself and the attitudes of the colonial system. Due to distance and slowness of communication, he was often on his own after the first couple of years on Ocean Island (Banaba), where Britain ran phosphate mines and which was apart from the other islands. Transferred to other atolls, he lost houses in storms, dealt with copra, and courts. He had a great sense of humor, so readers of A PATTERN OF ISLANDS will laugh at how he nearly blew up his boss by using "a tad" too much dynamite to create a cistern and some of the court scenes over which Grimble presided. He argued with dogmatic French priests, ran across a few of the classic European "island characters", and suffered from dysentery. There are even ghost stories and ghastly tales about octopus hunting. Grimble was very interested in Gilbertese mythology and looks upon their religious beliefs with interest. Thanks to his open mind he writes of their behavior as diplomatic and reasonable. Today, the nation of Kiribati is facing rising tides in the lee of global warming; it is questionable if this interesting culture will even survive. All the more reason to read this very enjoyable, well-written, humorous account of the Pacific of long ago.
Back in 1914 a young colonial officer went off with his wife on his first assignment to the Gilbert Islands in the central Pacific. These islands and their inhabitants had been under British rule for only 22 years at the time. But unlike the stereotype of a pukka sahib, the aloof colonial officer, Arthur Grimble developed a love of the islands and their people. He writes about them with interest and sympathy, telling all kinds of tales against himself and the attitudes of the colonial system. Due to distance and slowness of communication, he was often on his own after the first couple of years on Ocean Island (Banaba), where Britain ran phosphate mines and which was apart from the other islands. Transferred to other atolls, he lost houses in storms, dealt with copra, and courts. He had a great sense of humor, so readers of A PATTERN OF ISLANDS will laugh at how he nearly blew up his boss by using "a tad" too much dynamite to create a cistern and some of the court scenes over which Grimble presided. He argued with dogmatic French priests, ran across a few of the classic European "island characters", and suffered from dysentery. There are even ghost stories and ghastly tales about octopus hunting. Grimble was very interested in Gilbertese mythology and looks upon their religious beliefs with interest. Thanks to his open mind he writes of their behavior as diplomatic and reasonable. Today, the nation of Kiribati is facing rising tides in the lee of global warming; it is questionable if this interesting culture will even survive. All the more reason to read this very enjoyable, well-written, humorous account of the Pacific of long ago.
February 3, 2018
Arthur Grimble clearly cherished his years spent as a colonial official in the Gilbert and Ellis Islands. He started his tenure as a young man with a new wife in 1914 and remained in the islands until 1933, although this book only relates his tale up to 1919. Grimble is honest about his naivete and inexperience and gives much credit to the native islanders who were both helpful and amused by his lack of knowledge. His adventures dealing with storms, unusual food, native customs, Pacific flora and fauna, and bureaucratic bosses are the tales of a life quite unlike most in the west will ever experience. It is an enjoyable read because Arthur Grimble enjoyed and valued the people who made up his protectorate.
The islands which make up modern Kiribati are so remote that most people in the world are unaware of their existence. Even most Pacific Islanders will never visit these islands since they are so hard to reach even today. I had never seen an article in the news about Kiribati until a few days ago (see link below). All islands in the world are threatened by global warming, and Kiribati is doing what it can to fight the inevitable encroachment of rising water, but soon most Kiribatis may have to abandon their islands and move to the largest island, Tarawa, whose water supply cannot handle the influx of a much larger population. The islands and their issues have changed in myriads of ways in the century since Arthur Grimble served there. I wonder what he would make of those changes.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35...
The islands which make up modern Kiribati are so remote that most people in the world are unaware of their existence. Even most Pacific Islanders will never visit these islands since they are so hard to reach even today. I had never seen an article in the news about Kiribati until a few days ago (see link below). All islands in the world are threatened by global warming, and Kiribati is doing what it can to fight the inevitable encroachment of rising water, but soon most Kiribatis may have to abandon their islands and move to the largest island, Tarawa, whose water supply cannot handle the influx of a much larger population. The islands and their issues have changed in myriads of ways in the century since Arthur Grimble served there. I wonder what he would make of those changes.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35...
October 4, 2017
I liked Arthur Grimble and his book. He's humble and self-deprecating in a way that feels true and unforced; he's appropriately respectful of the culture he's portraying; and he seems to have made every effort to assimilate into that culture as much as possible. He was adopted by an elder on the island where he lived, taught to recite his new family's lineage in the oral tradition of their ancestors, and was permitted to be ritually tattooed as part of his initiation into I-Kiribati society.
Grimble has a deft touch when discussing cultural differences and traditions. He often presents himself as an arrogant skeptic when confronted with traditions that he doesn't understand, and his skepticism is always proven unfounded, leaving him the butt of the joke and letting the readers draw their own conclusions.
The story does drag occasionally, being less of a narrative than a collection of episodes and observations strung together in roughly chronological order, but it is worth reading for its many memorable moments and the window it provides into a little-known culture, and could also provide a much-needed template for how to write a respectful memoir of time spent in a foreign culture.
This is a condensed and edited version of a longer review that I published on my blog, Around the World in 2000 Books.
Grimble has a deft touch when discussing cultural differences and traditions. He often presents himself as an arrogant skeptic when confronted with traditions that he doesn't understand, and his skepticism is always proven unfounded, leaving him the butt of the joke and letting the readers draw their own conclusions.
The story does drag occasionally, being less of a narrative than a collection of episodes and observations strung together in roughly chronological order, but it is worth reading for its many memorable moments and the window it provides into a little-known culture, and could also provide a much-needed template for how to write a respectful memoir of time spent in a foreign culture.
This is a condensed and edited version of a longer review that I published on my blog, Around the World in 2000 Books.
November 26, 2014
My Dad told us that 'burping' after a meal was considered polite in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. It is not in the UK. He was a very gentle father who did not like having to tell us off, but when he did we remembered. This is the book where he found that interesting little snippet of information.
In 1913 Arthur Grimble went to the Gilbert and Ellice islands as a cadet in the colonial service (a junior administrative officer), becoming a District Officer in 1916, based on Tawara and then Abemama and Beru. He wrote about the islands and their people in an entertaining and self-deprecating way. He was interested in them and wanted to find out about their way of life, so he learnt their language and talked to them, including talking to older islanders about their traditions, he fished with them, befriended them and worked with them. Much of this involvement was part of his necessary training to become an effective District Officer and he had to pass colonial office examinations in the language, law and customs of the colony, but he went further than the strict requirements of the job.
He later returned to the islands as Resident Commissioner and issued revised laws which became the basis of the constitution when they became independent. (There is a sequel to this book.) The Gilbert Islands became Kiribati and the Ellice islands separated as Tuvalu in the 1970s.
In 1913 Arthur Grimble went to the Gilbert and Ellice islands as a cadet in the colonial service (a junior administrative officer), becoming a District Officer in 1916, based on Tawara and then Abemama and Beru. He wrote about the islands and their people in an entertaining and self-deprecating way. He was interested in them and wanted to find out about their way of life, so he learnt their language and talked to them, including talking to older islanders about their traditions, he fished with them, befriended them and worked with them. Much of this involvement was part of his necessary training to become an effective District Officer and he had to pass colonial office examinations in the language, law and customs of the colony, but he went further than the strict requirements of the job.
He later returned to the islands as Resident Commissioner and issued revised laws which became the basis of the constitution when they became independent. (There is a sequel to this book.) The Gilbert Islands became Kiribati and the Ellice islands separated as Tuvalu in the 1970s.
April 5, 2019
A special book about life in the Gilbert & Ellis Islands (now Kiribati) in the early-mid 1900’s.
The story is told by a British Authority, Arthur Grimble, whilst the nation was a British Protectorate. Grimble’s humour is hilarious. He is constantly putting himself down for everyone else’s amusement. There was one story where he was new to the language and said during his first public address how great it is to meet everyone but how much better it is to say goodbye.
He sounds like an inspirational leader. Naturally a stickler for the rules yet open minded to certain bending if the situation had good intentions. It was important to him to include the local ways than to force British ways. He earns the trust of the people and is adopted as one of them.
There are so many beautiful stories with vivid descriptions of each island/atoll. There’s shipwrecks, shark attacks, ghost encounters, tribal feuds, evil curses, history, mythology and funny situations.
I felt like I learnt so much about Kiribati and now have a fair impression of daily life of that time as well as a visual on the lay of the land.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes early colonialism stories or explorer adventures.
The story is told by a British Authority, Arthur Grimble, whilst the nation was a British Protectorate. Grimble’s humour is hilarious. He is constantly putting himself down for everyone else’s amusement. There was one story where he was new to the language and said during his first public address how great it is to meet everyone but how much better it is to say goodbye.
He sounds like an inspirational leader. Naturally a stickler for the rules yet open minded to certain bending if the situation had good intentions. It was important to him to include the local ways than to force British ways. He earns the trust of the people and is adopted as one of them.
There are so many beautiful stories with vivid descriptions of each island/atoll. There’s shipwrecks, shark attacks, ghost encounters, tribal feuds, evil curses, history, mythology and funny situations.
I felt like I learnt so much about Kiribati and now have a fair impression of daily life of that time as well as a visual on the lay of the land.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes early colonialism stories or explorer adventures.
September 21, 2016
This is a great book, funny and very well written, by a British civil servant who lived in the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati) for nineteen years, from 1914 to 1933. Written in 1952, it recounts events a century old, so it definitely is dated, but it's worth reading nonetheless. If you want to understand more about today's tragic situation in the Republic of Kiribati, consider reading this long article by Jeffrey Goldberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
For a longer review in Italian, please read the post on my blog: https://sonnenbarke.wordpress.com/201...
For a longer review in Italian, please read the post on my blog: https://sonnenbarke.wordpress.com/201...
July 21, 2025
A small but neat collection of colonial life in the western isles.
The indigenous Pacific seems like a dream. The people seem wonderfully friendly, their myths and religion are magical, their customs endearing and their culture rich. What I would give to have lived the life of Arthur Grimble and to be accepted as he was in the Gilbert & Ellice Isles.
Critically, some of the chapters were as dry as muesli without milk. I think his choice in what he wrote about is a little disappointing. However, some of it is totally fulfilling and fun to read.
The indigenous Pacific seems like a dream. The people seem wonderfully friendly, their myths and religion are magical, their customs endearing and their culture rich. What I would give to have lived the life of Arthur Grimble and to be accepted as he was in the Gilbert & Ellice Isles.
Critically, some of the chapters were as dry as muesli without milk. I think his choice in what he wrote about is a little disappointing. However, some of it is totally fulfilling and fun to read.
July 8, 2013
I clearly remember the story of octopus fishing with human bait from my English classes in school some 30+ years ago and decided the pleasant memory was not in too much danger from revisiting the "autobiography".
How glad I am that I did reread it.
This is an end of empire story that is in serious danger of giving colonialism a good name. The protagonist, Authur Grimble, tells us of a lost time in the South Pacific and leaves me at least, craving for a time machine and a posting with the UK colonial office.
Don't read this book if you wish to preserve a belief in pitiless colonial oppression.
How glad I am that I did reread it.
This is an end of empire story that is in serious danger of giving colonialism a good name. The protagonist, Authur Grimble, tells us of a lost time in the South Pacific and leaves me at least, craving for a time machine and a posting with the UK colonial office.
Don't read this book if you wish to preserve a belief in pitiless colonial oppression.
July 14, 2021
Fascinating, charming and entertaining account of Arthur Grimble’s time in the Gilbert and Ellice islands in the early part of the 20th century. It is surprisingly lacking in the sense of British colonialism and entitlement that one might expect from that era. Grimble shows a genuine love for the islands and islanders, and a great understanding and sympathy for local customs and culture.
March 21, 2008
Grimble was an British govt administrator in Kiribati (kir - ee - bas) / Gilbert Islands before and during WW2. His work is only matched (or close) to H E Maude. A great non-US Pacific read.
January 22, 2019
Arthur Grimble was a British colonial administrator on various islands in the Pacific from 1914 to 1948. This memoir tells of his time in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands from 1914 to 1933. While colonial memoirs can be tedious, Grimble's is anything but. Along with a sense of self-deprecating humor and a gift for storytelling, Grimble has been reknowned as one of the few colonial administrators to develop a deep understanding and appreciation of the areas where he worked. Grimble doesn't escape all of the cultural limitations of his time, but the memoir is fascinating and respectful. It engaged me from the beginning with Grimble's thoughtful examination of his own position and his humorous ability to describe the various difficulties his youth and ignorance precipitate.
September 3, 2025
The picture of life as a far flung government servant was interesting and a reflection on how attitudes to colonial power and it's alleged entirely benign intentions have changed. The amateur anthropology was less enthralling.
December 8, 2012
this is a most amazing book!
I'm fascinated, entertained and gripped by the accounts he gives of the lives and feats of the then Gilbert Islanders and also by his own brilliant achievements, which he writes about with much modesty, but also with humour.
I'm delighted that not only is there a sequel of his to read written in the 50s, but also a film to see - Pacific Destiny - based on the 1st book! :)
My only criticism of the book is that I'd like to have read more about his wife Olivia and their children born on the Islands, but it won't diminish the 5 stars i'm giving it!
AND GUESS WHAT? - I'm now determined to visit the island he wrote most about (Tarawa) this coming May perhaps, when the central track of the forthcoming Annular Solar Eclipse will pass nearby..... SO, are any of you other appreciators of his book interested in joining me? :)
I'm fascinated, entertained and gripped by the accounts he gives of the lives and feats of the then Gilbert Islanders and also by his own brilliant achievements, which he writes about with much modesty, but also with humour.
I'm delighted that not only is there a sequel of his to read written in the 50s, but also a film to see - Pacific Destiny - based on the 1st book! :)
My only criticism of the book is that I'd like to have read more about his wife Olivia and their children born on the Islands, but it won't diminish the 5 stars i'm giving it!
AND GUESS WHAT? - I'm now determined to visit the island he wrote most about (Tarawa) this coming May perhaps, when the central track of the forthcoming Annular Solar Eclipse will pass nearby..... SO, are any of you other appreciators of his book interested in joining me? :)
May 21, 2019
Problematic due to the author's position as part of the colonial system, and although he wasn't the awful version of a coloniser, he was still extremely patronising and condescending. Grimble was a British colonial officer from 1913 to the 1950s. But this book is incredible to read as he gave so much detail and evocative retelling of stories and culture from the people of Kribati (formerly the Gilbert Islands). Which is a very tiny and very remote island nation in the pacific, with so few surviving natives we have limited recorded history of them. So, as long as you read between the lines of colonialism, you still learn a lot about the geography, history, religion and culture of these fascinating people.
August 25, 2015
Well it took me thirty years or more to get around to reading this little treasure of a book which had sat on my bookshelves through many moves. Once begun I could not put it down. Faithfully recalling a life now long gone on the Gilbert and Ellis Islands and by turns funny, tragic, fascinating and challenging Arthur Grimble writes with a candid, nostalgic but confident tone about his time there. Now , I suppose this book could be appropriately shelved as anthropology although it was not written with that purpose. Long out of print it deserves to be more widely known.
December 25, 2019
I was dreading this book, chosen for no other reason than it was the only one I could find for Kiribati in my reading around the world. What a little gem it is and how wrong I was. Yes it's British colonialism in full force but Arthur Grimble and indeed his wife just seemed to love the islands and it's people. Cracking good read.
December 14, 2022
Un viaje a Oceania en la epoca colonial inglès del inicio del 1900. Un diario de viaje aventuroso, que cuenta el respecto de la cultura de las islas a principio del siglo XX. Relato delicioso
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2024
A one-time bestseller from the 1950s, A Pattern of Islands seems to be getting new attention recently. It should. This is a mesmerizing history of the British Colonial service right before, during, and right after World War I in the Gilbert Islands (Kiribati). Arthur Grimble came to the islands as a cadet, went home to find a wife, and returned to service in the islands until the 1930s in a variety of functions. His telling of his time in the Gilberts is given over to anecdotes, which he describes in a self-deprecatory manner, always highlighting his own shortcomings and never making a point through abusing or ridiculing someone else.
The period from 1913 to 1920 strikes me as momentous in the impact it was having on the South Seas. A new era was on the horizon, one that would lead to an intensification of political expansion in the Pacific on the part of Japan and the United States especially. Meantime, British Colonial administrators lived much as they had for the previous half century. Timber and thatched houses, kerosene lamps, tinned food, basic medical supplies, and supply schooners every three or four months rounded out their way of life. Jobs included settling property disputes, religious antagonism (between Protestants and Catholics), and even acting as a surgeon or midwife when called upon. All the time in danger of falling prey to amoebic dysentery. In short, life was rugged and demanding, particularly from the perspective of soft living in the twenty-first century.
Grimble seems to have undertaken his duties without grumbling. In fact, he became something of an expert on Gilbertese myth and lore. Alas, the chapter in Patterns devoted to the subject is probably the weakest of the lot. It reads like a lecture and loses all the personal and intimate connections that fill the other passages.
Grimble achieves something else in this biographical history. He almost makes colonialism seem good. He convinces me, for example, that his motivations were earnest and self-sacrificing, all leading towards the betterment of the islanders he encounters. Granted, it's all from a strongly paternalistic point of view, but it all seems sincerely to want to avoid exploitation and racial animus. Needless to say, not all, most, or perhaps even a majority in the Colonial Service ever took the time or care to act as Grimble says he does. At the end, the only question is: do we believe him? It may be a good trick, made more effective through self deprecation, to convince his 1950s readers and listeners (Grimble broadcast the passages from his book on radio after World War II) of the rightness of colonialism and the need for a British Empire. But I don't think so. I think he's sincere and true. The Colonial service certainly would have sputtered along more fairly and effectively had it implemented "Grimblism" instead of extracting wealth and exploiting peoples elsewhere.
The period from 1913 to 1920 strikes me as momentous in the impact it was having on the South Seas. A new era was on the horizon, one that would lead to an intensification of political expansion in the Pacific on the part of Japan and the United States especially. Meantime, British Colonial administrators lived much as they had for the previous half century. Timber and thatched houses, kerosene lamps, tinned food, basic medical supplies, and supply schooners every three or four months rounded out their way of life. Jobs included settling property disputes, religious antagonism (between Protestants and Catholics), and even acting as a surgeon or midwife when called upon. All the time in danger of falling prey to amoebic dysentery. In short, life was rugged and demanding, particularly from the perspective of soft living in the twenty-first century.
Grimble seems to have undertaken his duties without grumbling. In fact, he became something of an expert on Gilbertese myth and lore. Alas, the chapter in Patterns devoted to the subject is probably the weakest of the lot. It reads like a lecture and loses all the personal and intimate connections that fill the other passages.
Grimble achieves something else in this biographical history. He almost makes colonialism seem good. He convinces me, for example, that his motivations were earnest and self-sacrificing, all leading towards the betterment of the islanders he encounters. Granted, it's all from a strongly paternalistic point of view, but it all seems sincerely to want to avoid exploitation and racial animus. Needless to say, not all, most, or perhaps even a majority in the Colonial Service ever took the time or care to act as Grimble says he does. At the end, the only question is: do we believe him? It may be a good trick, made more effective through self deprecation, to convince his 1950s readers and listeners (Grimble broadcast the passages from his book on radio after World War II) of the rightness of colonialism and the need for a British Empire. But I don't think so. I think he's sincere and true. The Colonial service certainly would have sputtered along more fairly and effectively had it implemented "Grimblism" instead of extracting wealth and exploiting peoples elsewhere.
December 5, 2019
An amazing and weird book. The kind where you have to put it down after each chapter to savour what you just read. What to make of the ghost stories? Including ghosts that whistle? Or the summoning of porpoises who willingly beach themselves and are later chopped up and eaten?
It's surprisingly advanced in its politics, or perhaps rosy in its description of colonialism. Were the people of the Gilbert Islands really so friendly and accommodating?
Reading the book made me interested in Vanuatu and the environs. It's a part of the world I have never given much thought before. Now I itch to go there. (But I love big cities and I don't know how I would handle all that water and peace and quiet.)
Occasionally the book drags here and there. But overall, it's a fascinating and weird look at a culture you most likely don't know, with a lot of fascinating stories.
Oh yeah. And if you want to kill an octopus, bite down hard between its eyes.
It's surprisingly advanced in its politics, or perhaps rosy in its description of colonialism. Were the people of the Gilbert Islands really so friendly and accommodating?
Reading the book made me interested in Vanuatu and the environs. It's a part of the world I have never given much thought before. Now I itch to go there. (But I love big cities and I don't know how I would handle all that water and peace and quiet.)
Occasionally the book drags here and there. But overall, it's a fascinating and weird look at a culture you most likely don't know, with a lot of fascinating stories.
Oh yeah. And if you want to kill an octopus, bite down hard between its eyes.
May 26, 2023
Oh if you can find this you're in for a treat. An old book, it details the adventures of a British officer in some far flung Islands, in the early 20th century.
Told in that classic style, by a very white man, this is a beautiful insight into a bygone era. It's not for the woke hearted, who will presumably curl up because it's a British officers story from his time in some islands, and it's not for those who need desperate speed in their books.
But if you loved to travel before the world got smaller, and wished to know what it might have been like when the world was so much bigger than it is now? This is an engaging, excellent book.
Told in that classic style, by a very white man, this is a beautiful insight into a bygone era. It's not for the woke hearted, who will presumably curl up because it's a British officers story from his time in some islands, and it's not for those who need desperate speed in their books.
But if you loved to travel before the world got smaller, and wished to know what it might have been like when the world was so much bigger than it is now? This is an engaging, excellent book.
January 30, 2019
An excellent insight into the culture of the Gilbertese people through the eyes of Arthur Grimble, a civil servant posted to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (now Kiribati) to work firstly as a district officer for the UK sovereignty, but also later as acting Resident Commissioner. Grimble offers a wonderful insight into the everyday lives of the unique Gilbertese people, offering great anecdotes about culture, language and tradition through his and his families lives on the island during his posting.
April 9, 2022
An evocative, enlightening and deeply thoughtful description of life life as an Englishman on a Pac
I read this as a teenager, and have just read it again 50 years later..It is witty, beautifully written and caring. One can question why he was there in the first place but his descriptions of the islanders and their homes are deeply thoughtful and caring.
I read this as a teenager, and have just read it again 50 years later..It is witty, beautifully written and caring. One can question why he was there in the first place but his descriptions of the islanders and their homes are deeply thoughtful and caring.
December 7, 2017
Well written book about how life was supposed to be on the British Overseas Territories back in the days. Mr Grimble has a good sense of humor and doesn't take himself seriously, which are 2 very important things for me. If you want to read a story about those days, buy it and read it. Enjoy !
January 18, 2019
This is a very readable account of the author's time(1913-1919) as a British Administrator in what was then the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. The wealth of information about the life of the islanders at that time is a joy to read.
Read
January 22, 2020It's fun and inspiring to read about people who try alternative lifestyles. In this case a British civil service requests assignment to the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati) in 1914 or so. His curiosity, his fondness for the people and the culture, and his travails make for a good read.
September 14, 2017
Personally?! - "Don't Bother", actually?!.. But, "Your Deal" for The Author's, Sake?!.. "Coffee-Shop"?!..
October 10, 2018
Explained so much of the historical context of these magnificent people.
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