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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Do yourself a favor and watch the movie instead. It has better plotting, stronger character development, funnier jokes, and none of the rampant misogyny.
This is a cute book, it's funny, but I stopped reading after 2 chapters. It's more for the kiddie crowd, methinks. But I look forward to the movie.
Hrm. Well the story is cute and sometimes clever. But I kept stumbling over a lot of moments where a woman being murdered is a punchline, or women are treated only as dateable targets. Those jokes never seem to be clever or layered enough to be a critique of anything, and really just feel like a big thread of plain old misogyny throughout.
It was...ok. A little too pointlessly silly for my tastes. If I'm going for humor, I'll go for Terry Pratchett, enjoy it more, and realize that he's still making some underlying points that are, usually, spot on.
First published on Booking in Heels.
So, the basic premise has the Pirate Captain and his crew going on adventures, shockingly. In this one, they are led to believe by their arch nemesis, Black Bellamy, that there's a ship from the Bank of England carrying tons of gold across the Ocean and they set off in search for it. Except perhaps Black Bellamy is not quite as reformed as they have been told, because the ship in question turns out to be the HMS on their second voyage to the Galapagos Islands!
It's got a very simple tone - verging on clunky at times, but never quite crossing over the border. It never seemed to take itself seriously - it's just a good, funny story told for a laugh. Very few people actually have names and there's hardly a great deal of time invested in character development, but it just adds to the whimsical nature of ...with Scientists.
'Living at sea tended to leave you with ratty, matted hair, but the Pirate Captain somehow kept his beard silky and in good condition, and though nobody knew his secret, they all respected him for it. They also respected him because it was said he was wedded to the sea. A lot of pirates claimed they were wedded to the sea, but usually this was an excuse because they couldn't get a girlfriend or they were a gay pirate, but in the Pirate Captain's case none of his crew doubted he was actually wedded to the sea for a minute.'
It's not laugh-out-loud funny, but there are a few paragraphs that made me smile. Gideon Defoe (I've looked and looked, and it really does seem to be his real name) has a knack for using a sardonic, conversational tone that reminds me a little of a simpler Terry Pratchett, which can only be a good thing. I love how he brings in historical characters like Charles Darwin and Robert Fitzroy, who I didn't know much about but was apparently the Captain of the HMS Beagle, and his work in the meteorology field is responsible for the accuracy of weather predictions today.
The author even uses footnotes in a similar way to Terry Pratchett, although to enlighten us with factual asides, not to amuse. For example, apparently the HMS Beagle was only ninety feet long and notoriously unseaworthy - in his notes Darwin described the voyage as 'one continual puke.' I've wandered off to check the accuracy of a few of these facts so I don't look like a complete moron believing made-up things meant only to entertain, but no, they're true. They aren't frequent enough to really be annoying but they do add a nice happy bonus to the book :)
I got my copy from Sheffield Library, but I have every intention of purchasing this book and the next four in the series the second I get paid next week. I need my own copy to nuzzle and smile at lovingly! It's just so, so good!
So, the basic premise has the Pirate Captain and his crew going on adventures, shockingly. In this one, they are led to believe by their arch nemesis, Black Bellamy, that there's a ship from the Bank of England carrying tons of gold across the Ocean and they set off in search for it. Except perhaps Black Bellamy is not quite as reformed as they have been told, because the ship in question turns out to be the HMS on their second voyage to the Galapagos Islands!
It's got a very simple tone - verging on clunky at times, but never quite crossing over the border. It never seemed to take itself seriously - it's just a good, funny story told for a laugh. Very few people actually have names and there's hardly a great deal of time invested in character development, but it just adds to the whimsical nature of ...with Scientists.
'Living at sea tended to leave you with ratty, matted hair, but the Pirate Captain somehow kept his beard silky and in good condition, and though nobody knew his secret, they all respected him for it. They also respected him because it was said he was wedded to the sea. A lot of pirates claimed they were wedded to the sea, but usually this was an excuse because they couldn't get a girlfriend or they were a gay pirate, but in the Pirate Captain's case none of his crew doubted he was actually wedded to the sea for a minute.'
It's not laugh-out-loud funny, but there are a few paragraphs that made me smile. Gideon Defoe (I've looked and looked, and it really does seem to be his real name) has a knack for using a sardonic, conversational tone that reminds me a little of a simpler Terry Pratchett, which can only be a good thing. I love how he brings in historical characters like Charles Darwin and Robert Fitzroy, who I didn't know much about but was apparently the Captain of the HMS Beagle, and his work in the meteorology field is responsible for the accuracy of weather predictions today.
The author even uses footnotes in a similar way to Terry Pratchett, although to enlighten us with factual asides, not to amuse. For example, apparently the HMS Beagle was only ninety feet long and notoriously unseaworthy - in his notes Darwin described the voyage as 'one continual puke.' I've wandered off to check the accuracy of a few of these facts so I don't look like a complete moron believing made-up things meant only to entertain, but no, they're true. They aren't frequent enough to really be annoying but they do add a nice happy bonus to the book :)
I got my copy from Sheffield Library, but I have every intention of purchasing this book and the next four in the series the second I get paid next week. I need my own copy to nuzzle and smile at lovingly! It's just so, so good!
I grew up in a family where you just can't go wrong with silly pirate humor. I picked this up a few years ago when browsing the library and grew attracted to the humor in Defoe's biography. I quickly ran out and bought the entire series just after finishing. The zany, madcap humor is a great way to take a break from more "serious" literature and just enjoy a book on a nice day. I have passed it on to many friends since when they desperately needed a laugh. I am looking forward to when I have the chance to see the new movie and am very eager for the release of The Pirates! In an Adventure with Romantics! (as an English major, the latter will be particularly exciting) I highly recommend it!
First in a series of joyous little romps, this book details what happens when our inept pirate crew come across Charles Darwin's Beagle. In a little known chapter in Darwin's life, the pirates take him back to London to rescue his true love. Involves lots of cross-dressing pirates and dozens of laugh out loud moments.