You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
The premise is funny, and the story was amusing. But the characters were not as well fleshed out and I'd like. Truly, by their descriptions - "the pirate with the scarf," "the pirate with the accordion," and "the pirate wearing green" - I didn't take much time to differentiate their personalities. Consequently, I didn't care what happened to them.
The mash-up with Darwin and a few others of note was interesting, but this novella (at a short 130 pages) could have been a short story, of the author had a good editor.
Finally, I'm a little familiar with the other books in the series, but I know this is the first. However, in the book, the narration refers to relics from other adventures the pirates had - some of which, I think, are books - and those are later in the series. What?
Basically, I'm glad I read this one to meet my curiosity, and I'm glad I got it from a used bookstore. And I'm glad that none of the other books I think the series will add to the growing list of interesting books on my TBR shelf.
The mash-up with Darwin and a few others of note was interesting, but this novella (at a short 130 pages) could have been a short story, of the author had a good editor.
Finally, I'm a little familiar with the other books in the series, but I know this is the first. However, in the book, the narration refers to relics from other adventures the pirates had - some of which, I think, are books - and those are later in the series. What?
Basically, I'm glad I read this one to meet my curiosity, and I'm glad I got it from a used bookstore. And I'm glad that none of the other books I think the series will add to the growing list of interesting books on my TBR shelf.
Actually, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would, but I still love the random facts and all the quirky moments.
Since the animated movie version is kid-friendly, I expected the same for the book, but it has some more mature moments. Like someone's head being blown apart by a cannonball. But over all, it's very silly and comic (in a good way).
Since the animated movie version is kid-friendly, I expected the same for the book, but it has some more mature moments. Like someone's head being blown apart by a cannonball. But over all, it's very silly and comic (in a good way).
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists follows the story of the Pirate captain and his unorthodox crew. On their adventures they meet Charles Darwin and his highly trained and sophisticated “man-panzee” Mister Bobo. Darwin has been banished from London by a rival scientist and manages to convince the Pirate captain to help defeat his enemies.
While this book and the rest of the series is not aimed at children, it comes as a real surprise that the stop animation movie adaption was. I’ve not seen the movie but I can’t imagine a cannon ball ripping through a woman’s head would make for good movie viewing. Having said that I wouldn’t mind seeing that, the humour would be well worth seeing. The humour really relies on clichés and irony, while will make for a very entertaining experience. While the book has the humour there is a visual aspect to some of the jokes that really would work better in a movie.
I think book really reads more like a script for a movie and while it isn’t laid out that way I can’t help but thing that a movie adaptation was the main goal of the author. I know of people who have seen the movie and then went on to enjoy the books and I think that might be the order required. I can’t help think the humour was a cross between Monty Python and Wallace and Gromit, yet again why I think the movie would work better.
While the rest of the book falls into the realms of cliché, this book is all about the humour and nothing else. I would have liked a better plot and better characters but clearly this wasn’t the focus at all. I’m really not sure if I want to continue with this series but for a bit of light reading I might return, but I have so many other books I want to read so I doubt I’ll be back anytime soon.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/03/16/book-review-the-pirates-in-an-adventure-with-scientists/
While this book and the rest of the series is not aimed at children, it comes as a real surprise that the stop animation movie adaption was. I’ve not seen the movie but I can’t imagine a cannon ball ripping through a woman’s head would make for good movie viewing. Having said that I wouldn’t mind seeing that, the humour would be well worth seeing. The humour really relies on clichés and irony, while will make for a very entertaining experience. While the book has the humour there is a visual aspect to some of the jokes that really would work better in a movie.
I think book really reads more like a script for a movie and while it isn’t laid out that way I can’t help but thing that a movie adaptation was the main goal of the author. I know of people who have seen the movie and then went on to enjoy the books and I think that might be the order required. I can’t help think the humour was a cross between Monty Python and Wallace and Gromit, yet again why I think the movie would work better.
While the rest of the book falls into the realms of cliché, this book is all about the humour and nothing else. I would have liked a better plot and better characters but clearly this wasn’t the focus at all. I’m really not sure if I want to continue with this series but for a bit of light reading I might return, but I have so many other books I want to read so I doubt I’ll be back anytime soon.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/03/16/book-review-the-pirates-in-an-adventure-with-scientists/
A hilarious story, with witty writing, clever characters and the most ludicrous plot I could imagine.
After winning a card game against his enemy, Black Bellamy, the Pirate Captain decides to trade his winnings for Black Bellamy's plan to rob a gold rich trade ship.
However, the ship turns out to be filled with monkeys rather than gold. Thus the Pirate Captain takes aboard Darwin, and offers him help get Darwin to Victorian London (a very different place from the London we know) so that he can present his greatest discovery, the Manpanzee. Escapes abound, sword fights aplenty, and a helpful lesson about eating candy instead of fruit.
The humor was a bit cheesy and goofy, but for fans of British comedy these Pirate! novels are not to be passed up!
After winning a card game against his enemy, Black Bellamy, the Pirate Captain decides to trade his winnings for Black Bellamy's plan to rob a gold rich trade ship.
However, the ship turns out to be filled with monkeys rather than gold. Thus the Pirate Captain takes aboard Darwin, and offers him help get Darwin to Victorian London (a very different place from the London we know) so that he can present his greatest discovery, the Manpanzee. Escapes abound, sword fights aplenty, and a helpful lesson about eating candy instead of fruit.
The humor was a bit cheesy and goofy, but for fans of British comedy these Pirate! novels are not to be passed up!
The best part of this book was the footnotes.
I love me some nonsense, but this was not entertaining.
I love me some nonsense, but this was not entertaining.
An enthusiastic 3.5 stars for this book. Maybe even pushing 3.75 stars?
The husband and I read this book aloud over the course of a week (it's a pretty short book) and we spent half that time chuckling about how ridiculous this book is. Most characters don't have names (they're distinguished because of arbitrary characteristics - the pirate who wears green, the pirate with an accordion, the pirate who is a jock, etc) and most of their personalities aren't too well established (with the exception of the Pirate Captain and the pirate with a scarf), and yet, they are so lovable and hilarious that you immediately like them. This book is fun because it's all one huge hair-brained scheme and there's always something to laugh about - whether it's the pirates' love of ham, their attendance at a pirate convention, or their scientist disguises. This book is whimsical and wild and wonderful.
My biggest surprise with this book is that it really isn't a children's story. There are lots of aspects of it that could be delightful to children and that I believe children will love. But there are constant mentions of using tech to look down women's shirts and how the Pirate Captain takes women into his cabin to "draw pictures" for them and comes out looking exhausted. If I could take these out, it'd be perfect for children. With all those mentions, I would do a little editing in reading this to a child - especially a young one.
Overall, this is a hilarious and delightful book and I'm so glad I read it.
The husband and I read this book aloud over the course of a week (it's a pretty short book) and we spent half that time chuckling about how ridiculous this book is. Most characters don't have names (they're distinguished because of arbitrary characteristics - the pirate who wears green, the pirate with an accordion, the pirate who is a jock, etc) and most of their personalities aren't too well established (with the exception of the Pirate Captain and the pirate with a scarf), and yet, they are so lovable and hilarious that you immediately like them. This book is fun because it's all one huge hair-brained scheme and there's always something to laugh about - whether it's the pirates' love of ham, their attendance at a pirate convention, or their scientist disguises. This book is whimsical and wild and wonderful.
My biggest surprise with this book is that it really isn't a children's story. There are lots of aspects of it that could be delightful to children and that I believe children will love. But there are constant mentions of using tech to look down women's shirts and how the Pirate Captain takes women into his cabin to "draw pictures" for them and comes out looking exhausted. If I could take these out, it'd be perfect for children. With all those mentions, I would do a little editing in reading this to a child - especially a young one.
Overall, this is a hilarious and delightful book and I'm so glad I read it.