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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Great read when you have time to spare.. This was my 2nd attempt (1st was in the 90s while working the info desk at my bookstore gig..) You need to pay attention because there's so much going on, and not at all.. It's worth it for a sailing adventure, it's definitely worth it for the glimpse into California history. If I had the space on my shelf, I'd say it's a keeper.. but alas it's a library book.. already turned back in so the next adventurer can give it a go! =)
informative
reflective
slow-paced
I might return to this, but it's quite slow and long. Very informative, however.
An interesting sailor's narrative, made great because of Dana's constant sarcastic attitude. A big influence of Melville, so how could it be bad? Great to see a snapshot of California 180 years ago.
Exciting description of a life at sea and California before it was a state. I enjoyed this a lot, despite having to do a lot of googling for specific terms; my lack of knowledge didn't detract at all from my enjoyment of the descriptions and character sketches.
In 1834, the Harvard student Richard Henry Dana decided that he needed to improve his health by fresh air and exercise, and therefore shipped as a common sailor aboard a brig bound for California. Thus was the origin of one of the most readable and informative sea memoirs ever written. A good part of its charm comes from the enthusiasm with which Dana describes his experiences: though he does not fail to emphasize the terribly hard work, miserable discomfort, and monotony involved, nonetheless his youth allowed him to keep in good spirits, appreciate novelties, and be satisfied with the work he did. Another appealing aspect is that he paid a lot of attention to depicting the characters and interactions of the people on board; many of them actually stand out as personalities in a way that few memoirists can accomplish.
Dana was an example of the legendary Yankee propensity for thrifty industry, puritanical habits, and religious punctilio. He unquestionably disapproved of blaspheming and Sabbath-breaking, and had great faith in the power of pious tracts to reform sailors' morals. Yet he was saved from priggishness by his human sympathy and his sense of humor. Tolerance was necessary to live in the ship's close quarters, and it shines through the writing that he had plenty of it.
Dana was an example of the legendary Yankee propensity for thrifty industry, puritanical habits, and religious punctilio. He unquestionably disapproved of blaspheming and Sabbath-breaking, and had great faith in the power of pious tracts to reform sailors' morals. Yet he was saved from priggishness by his human sympathy and his sense of humor. Tolerance was necessary to live in the ship's close quarters, and it shines through the writing that he had plenty of it.
I have a tendency to read books involving sailing. This one was recommended to me while I was on a sailing trip what with the author being from Harvard and all. Anyway, it was excellent. It was intriguing to read about Henry's adventures and to see him progress as a sailor. One of the best sailing memoirs I've read.
One of the most fun and fascinating adventure books I've ever read. It can get slow, and it's got plenty of moments where you have to say "well, consider the times he was writing in." But the high times and all the historical curiosities are really incredible.
