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123 reviews for:
Cup of Gold: A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History
John Steinbeck
3.33 AVERAGE
123 reviews for:
Cup of Gold: A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History
John Steinbeck
3.33 AVERAGE
The 2nd Steinbeck book in my quest to perhaps read all his work.
I went into Cup Of Gold with excitement, but I was prepared to be let down. After all, it has been said that Steinbeck himself didn't even acknowledge the book as his. However, being that it doesn't seem to be read very often, I had trouble locating a copy for quite a while until I stumbled upon it at one of the Pegasus Book stores in Berkeley for a couple dollars.
I immediately went to work on the book and found myself pleasantly surprised as to how much I enjoyed it.
It's definitely different compared to Steinbeck's other works, being that it's "historical fiction" in a sense. Steinbeck doesn't have the Salinas valley to rely on or those rough and tumble American characters to describe in this book, but he makes due.
The story follows Captain Morgan from youth to his education in slavery to his quick prominence as a pirate captain. From there is where the story starts to get really interesting. Steinbeck changes directions and goes into the head of the notorious pirate, making him human, and delving into his obsession for friends and a certain woman.
A very engaging tale that failed to bore me as it had with so many others.
I went into Cup Of Gold with excitement, but I was prepared to be let down. After all, it has been said that Steinbeck himself didn't even acknowledge the book as his. However, being that it doesn't seem to be read very often, I had trouble locating a copy for quite a while until I stumbled upon it at one of the Pegasus Book stores in Berkeley for a couple dollars.
I immediately went to work on the book and found myself pleasantly surprised as to how much I enjoyed it.
It's definitely different compared to Steinbeck's other works, being that it's "historical fiction" in a sense. Steinbeck doesn't have the Salinas valley to rely on or those rough and tumble American characters to describe in this book, but he makes due.
The story follows Captain Morgan from youth to his education in slavery to his quick prominence as a pirate captain. From there is where the story starts to get really interesting. Steinbeck changes directions and goes into the head of the notorious pirate, making him human, and delving into his obsession for friends and a certain woman.
A very engaging tale that failed to bore me as it had with so many others.
Completely different from his regular down to earth fiction, this book is about pirates, dreams, growing up, meaning of life and death. Books about pirates are usually entertaining, but if you add the fascinating history of Buccaneering in the Carribean, British crown's relation to it and the tales of the great historical figure Henry Morgan to it you have got a recipe for a nice novel. I liked Steinbeck's thesis that the great men are just children at heart who are too ignorant to realize that their dreams are impossible. I also liked how he stresses about the poignant fact that you are perceived by not who you really are, but by the myth that surrounds you. This rings especially true in our post-truth era. This book might have been written better by someone else, but Steinbeck's grounded style makes it a unique read.
What I love about Steinbeck is his ability to capture the internal struggles of his characters in their actions. Though much shorter than some of his other works, it certainly felt much longer on account of the fact that so much story changing detail can be found within one or two pages. Steinbeck blurs the line between reality and fantasy, between ambition and insanity, and between love and the idealization of love. When you read this book you might not get the best book about pirates, but you'll get one of the best books about people.
this was ok. interesting to read some early steinbeck but ultimately the it feels like his style as an author hadn’t really been properly developed yet, and i don’t find that that style such as it was this early in his career meshes particularly well with the subject matter and setting of this novel; i’m not surprised that his later work is better remembered since to my mind novels like east of eden and the grapes of wrath are more thematically consistent and stylistically interesting.
adventurous
emotional
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s a very long time since I’ve read a Steinbeck novel. His writing style is dazzlingly good-even here, his first novel. It’s an imagining of the life of Henry Morgan the infamous buccaneer. It’s a really interesting character examination of a man who is not actually that bright but has presence and the determination to get what he wants. But when he gets it there is still no happiness or fulfilment. Really enjoyed it. Now I have East of Eden on my tbr list. .
4.5 stars. Have really been enjoying Steinbeck lately. This particular story follows Cpt Morgan and his conquest for lust and wealth. Along the way he realizes that he is no greater than any other man, and a part within him dies. I have a suspicion that there were a couple themes in this book that went over my head, it would definitely be worth it to read this again in the future
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My third Steinbeck book and the first of his that has ever been published. As I'm slowly making my way through his bibliography, it was interesting to see where he came from. There were glimpses of the writer he would become but overall this book felt a bit disjointed. The pacing, style and tone changed dramatically numerous times. Still, there were some really good parts, especially in the last third when they made their way towards Panama and the dissection of Henry Morgan's character began . I don't think I would have finished it without the incentive of reading everything by Steinbeck, but I'm so glad I stuck with it.