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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I loved [a: Brian Jacques|5329|Brian Jacques|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1309635011p2/5329.jpg] when I was a kid. In my opinion, this is one of his best non-Redwall books, and I think it's definitely the best out of this trilogy.
This book is in three parts, and firstly Ned and Ben's story of origin is presented. You can't help but feel sorry for the poor, mute boy -- Ben -- at the beginning of the book. It's not long before this orphan finds a friend in Ned, a stray Labrador, and destiny has plans for these two, including being accidental stowaways on a pirate ship. You can feel the pitching of the ship as the waves toss it back and forth and hear the storms as their story takes you onto the pirate voyage and then later to the home of a shepherd in Tierra del Fuego.
The bulk of the book, however, takes place in the English village of Chapelvale. There is a whole cast of fun and eclectic characters here, including a sad and lonely widow lady who takes Ben and Ned in. Like Redwall, this novel contains riddles, and it's fun to solve the mysterious puzzles along with the villagers. I wish I could have tea and ice cream and lemonade with them -- they seem like a quirky and kindhearted bunch!
I read this book years ago, and it was fun to go back and revisit and travel along with Ben and his dog. There was all sorts of potential and opportunity for these two, and it's a pity this series ended after only three books.
This book is in three parts, and firstly Ned and Ben's story of origin is presented. You can't help but feel sorry for the poor, mute boy -- Ben -- at the beginning of the book. It's not long before this orphan finds a friend in Ned, a stray Labrador, and destiny has plans for these two, including being accidental stowaways on a pirate ship. You can feel the pitching of the ship as the waves toss it back and forth and hear the storms as their story takes you onto the pirate voyage and then later to the home of a shepherd in Tierra del Fuego.
The bulk of the book, however, takes place in the English village of Chapelvale. There is a whole cast of fun and eclectic characters here, including a sad and lonely widow lady who takes Ben and Ned in. Like Redwall, this novel contains riddles, and it's fun to solve the mysterious puzzles along with the villagers. I wish I could have tea and ice cream and lemonade with them -- they seem like a quirky and kindhearted bunch!
I read this book years ago, and it was fun to go back and revisit and travel along with Ben and his dog. There was all sorts of potential and opportunity for these two, and it's a pity this series ended after only three books.
This remains one of my favorite series of all time, definitely a comfort read.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It's been a while since I've read this. I loved this book when I was younger. I still have a soft spot for it, but adult me definitely has a harder time ignoring the weaknesses in the dialogue, writing, and story. Still pretty fun.
This is one of the first books I really fell in love with and read several times over. Definitely preferred to "Redwall."
Classic and enjoyable example of Jacques' style, but this time with 100% more human characters!
This is the kind of book whose title and cover are rather misleading: hearing 'Castaways of the Flying Dutchman' made me think I'd be reading some kind of pirate or seafaring novel, albeit with a captain and crew cursed to make an eternal voyage for their blasphemy.
For the first quarter, it was that kind of story, but then suddenly it switched into a totally different novel altogether and became a book about a small sleepy village about to be swallowed up in the yawning jaws of progress unless the original deed to the town can be found, setting off a village-wide treasure hunt. I felt as though I'd been promised Pirates of the Caribbean and instead ended up with Cranford, with a touch of The Boxcar Children thrown in for good measure. Perhaps I didn't read the description carefully enough, but either way the shift between the tales was jarring: from savage cruelty aboard The Flying Dutchman, where Neb endures truly horrific abuse at the hands of the sailors, to the petty tyranny of Smithers in Chapelvale, where the worst evils are the little gang of thugs employs by his son and maybe getting punched. These two experiences are no where near the same in intensity and am attempt to weave them together failed miserably. In addition, it's rare to read a book where the main characters are unashamedly perfect; in fact, it's their most important (one might argue only) character trait.
And yet, despite all this, the book manages to charm. The denizens of Chapelvale, while perhaps a bit idealized, are humorous and well-sketched, and serve as a gentle reminder that the little places of the world matter too. And it is satisfying to be once again reminded that the rule of tyrants, whether great or petty, will eventually come to an end.
*** I highly recommend the audio version of Castaways, which greatly enhanced the book's charm (and helped me decide to move on to the sequel): it's narrated by Jacques himself with a full cast of characters, each with proper accents.
For the first quarter, it was that kind of story, but then suddenly it switched into a totally different novel altogether and became a book about a small sleepy village about to be swallowed up in the yawning jaws of progress unless the original deed to the town can be found, setting off a village-wide treasure hunt. I felt as though I'd been promised Pirates of the Caribbean and instead ended up with Cranford, with a touch of The Boxcar Children thrown in for good measure. Perhaps I didn't read the description carefully enough, but either way the shift between the tales was jarring: from savage cruelty aboard The Flying Dutchman, where Neb endures truly horrific abuse at the hands of the sailors, to the petty tyranny of Smithers in Chapelvale, where the worst evils are the little gang of thugs employs by his son and maybe getting punched. These two experiences are no where near the same in intensity and am attempt to weave them together failed miserably. In addition, it's rare to read a book where the main characters are unashamedly perfect; in fact, it's their most important (one might argue only) character trait.
And yet, despite all this, the book manages to charm. The denizens of Chapelvale, while perhaps a bit idealized, are humorous and well-sketched, and serve as a gentle reminder that the little places of the world matter too. And it is satisfying to be once again reminded that the rule of tyrants, whether great or petty, will eventually come to an end.
*** I highly recommend the audio version of Castaways, which greatly enhanced the book's charm (and helped me decide to move on to the sequel): it's narrated by Jacques himself with a full cast of characters, each with proper accents.
I like it, but Redwall is my favorite of his books. Still, very nice story.
This book is fantastic. Of course I may be biased because Brian Jacques was quite literally my favorite author when I was a kid. The book is a few shades darker and more mature than his Redwall series, but it is his keen descriptive ability and his ability to craft such memorable characters that really make this book such a rich and wonderful story.