If Nordhoff and Hall could ever have been said to have written a soap opera, The Dark River would be it. It is by far one of their weakest efforts. But that doesn't mean it lacks merit. It has its moments, particularly in the first half of the novel.

During that first half, it appears that several taboo subjects are about to be dealt with. Most notably is that of race. Nordhoff and Hall are at pains to address the issue of color and blood in this book. It is an indictment of European racism towards Polynesians. Except that it backs away from it. It doesn't give any of the important story developments away to remark that the novel revolves around the issue of mistaken racism. As is revealed very early on, the heroine, Naia, is an English girl raised as if she were Polynesian. The entire plot turns around not only her brother but her eventual husband and father-in-law believing she is "tainted" with "black blood." At times, this is carried out hamfistedly. There is well meaning intent behind Nordhoff and Hall's motivations, but they are clearly uneasy themselves with how they resolve and even approach the issue of race.

The second taboo subject is that of incest. Only at the beginning does the book tease the reader that an incestuous relationship might be in play. But it's quickly defused when the potential pairing is broken up through the arrival of Naia's eventual true love. Still, it lingers over the story.

Along the way, Nordhoff and Hall manage to work into the plot a catastrophic illness, sudden and shocking deaths, and even a marooning on a desert island. At some points, they also become overly enamored with their description of sailing and navigation, something their editor should have controlled. Not to mention, there is an eruption of purple prose (which, I admit, I'm sometimes more than tolerant of--so it doesn't bother me, here). If not soap opera, it is verging on what would become known as the genre of women's romance novels. Even the ending seems something of a reworking of the The Sorrows of Young Werther. The melodrama works overtime.

Nonetheless, it's Nordhoff and Hall and another wonderful story set in the South Seas, in this case mostly on Tahiti. The hero and heroine are weak and oftentimes annoying, but the description of life on the islands is a treat. The passage detailing the bus ride from one side of Tahiti to the other by itself makes the novel worthwhile. ( )

So far I have read only the beginning, which strongly suggests a possibly incestuous love affair. ( )