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ashmeow's review against another edition
2.0
I'm sure this book was fantastic in it's time but frankly, it bored me. I was only reading it for my Children's Literature class at Uni, and so I will just have to make sure I choose one of the other texts to do my assignments on because there's no way I will get through this fully with the short amount of time I have. Perhaps I will finish it one day when I have nothing else to read, because I didn't hate it, I just didn't have time enough to get through it. Will there ever be a time when I have nothing to read?! Probably not..
hayesstw's review against another edition
3.0
I think I read this some time in my childhood, but had lost my copy long ago, and when I saw a copy on the toss-out counter of a church bookshop I picked it up and re-read it, mainly in order to compare it with [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512], whose plot I do remember, though I first read it a long time ago too.
I had often heard it said that [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512] was a kind of realistic retelling of the story of [b:The Coral Island|226800|The Coral Island|R.M. Ballantyne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1343840889s/226800.jpg|2167233], but it was only on re-reading the latter that I realised that the two main characters had the same names. And I also realised how much I had forgotten of the story. Virtually the only thing I recalled was my mental picture of the island on which they landed, and I had a vague recollection that the boys in [b:The Coral Island|226800|The Coral Island|R.M. Ballantyne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1343840889s/226800.jpg|2167233] were a bit older.
What I had completely forgotten was the extent to which [b:The Coral Island|226800|The Coral Island|R.M. Ballantyne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1343840889s/226800.jpg|2167233] deals with Christian mission and missionaries, especially in the second part, and that links with a current project of mine, on missiology in fiction, which was sparked off by reading Things fall apart | Notes from underground about a month ago.
The main difference between the two island books, it seems to me, is the age of the characters -- teenagers in [b:The Coral Island|226800|The Coral Island|R.M. Ballantyne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1343840889s/226800.jpg|2167233], doing resourceful teenage things that could have come out of [b:Scouting for Boys|947104|Scouting for Boys A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship|Robert Baden-Powell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347732999s/947104.jpg|932032], if the latter had been published by then. [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512] has pre-teen children, less resourceful, more easily distracted. And where The Coral Island has savages becoming civilised, thanks to the influence of missionaries, Lord of the Flies has the civilised becoming savages, in the absence of such influences.
The comparison is quite interesting, but I'll say no more here, lest I introduce spoilers. But it would be interesting to read them one after the other, and to follow both up with [b:A High Wind in Jamaica|188458|A High Wind in Jamaica|Richard Hughes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388190660s/188458.jpg|2166961].
I had often heard it said that [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512] was a kind of realistic retelling of the story of [b:The Coral Island|226800|The Coral Island|R.M. Ballantyne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1343840889s/226800.jpg|2167233], but it was only on re-reading the latter that I realised that the two main characters had the same names. And I also realised how much I had forgotten of the story. Virtually the only thing I recalled was my mental picture of the island on which they landed, and I had a vague recollection that the boys in [b:The Coral Island|226800|The Coral Island|R.M. Ballantyne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1343840889s/226800.jpg|2167233] were a bit older.
What I had completely forgotten was the extent to which [b:The Coral Island|226800|The Coral Island|R.M. Ballantyne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1343840889s/226800.jpg|2167233] deals with Christian mission and missionaries, especially in the second part, and that links with a current project of mine, on missiology in fiction, which was sparked off by reading Things fall apart | Notes from underground about a month ago.
The main difference between the two island books, it seems to me, is the age of the characters -- teenagers in [b:The Coral Island|226800|The Coral Island|R.M. Ballantyne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1343840889s/226800.jpg|2167233], doing resourceful teenage things that could have come out of [b:Scouting for Boys|947104|Scouting for Boys A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship|Robert Baden-Powell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347732999s/947104.jpg|932032], if the latter had been published by then. [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512] has pre-teen children, less resourceful, more easily distracted. And where The Coral Island has savages becoming civilised, thanks to the influence of missionaries, Lord of the Flies has the civilised becoming savages, in the absence of such influences.
The comparison is quite interesting, but I'll say no more here, lest I introduce spoilers. But it would be interesting to read them one after the other, and to follow both up with [b:A High Wind in Jamaica|188458|A High Wind in Jamaica|Richard Hughes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388190660s/188458.jpg|2166961].
sednadragon35's review against another edition
4.0
Quite an enjoyable book, no wonder it inspired so many more!
hellsbellsells's review against another edition
2.0
The unrealistic, rose-tinted imperialistic lens through which this entire story is told makes it hard to take any enjoyment from it. That the characters possess the required knowledge to make use of all the resources the island just so happens to have in abundance for any and all of their needs is simply unbelievable - much like their lack of conflict or tension in their relationships with each other and their situation. The overt themes of racism, sexism and religion-with-agenda I find far too shocking and obvious for any modern reader to tolerate. It only serves as the original basis to see what William Golding's 'The Lord Of The Flies' is later written to mock/correct post WWII.
sadbhkellett's review against another edition
3.0
Like William Goulding, I too was baffled as to why Ralph and Jack had not killed Peterkins.
Came for the coconuts, stayed for pirates, wanted to leave because of the racism.
Came for the coconuts, stayed for pirates, wanted to leave because of the racism.
faerin82's review against another edition
5.0
This is a shipwreck story of three boys in a tropical setting. Truthfully, this is probably not 5-star literature, but I have fond memories of this book, which I’ve read several times. I can remember reading it in the dead of winter and mulling over the description of the beautiful surroundings.
mybookishhedgemaze's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
literaryheidi's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
trilled_meow's review against another edition
2.0
This felt much longer than it was, which is never a good thing. The two-star review shouldn't be a surprise: the novel became increasingly racist, imperialistic, and brow-beatingly religious as the shipwrecked boys come more and more into contact with natives.
The Coral Island was written between Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and Stevenson's Treasure Island. The first half or so is a lot like the former (though the kids' efforts were comparatively aimless), and the second half is more similar to the latter. This won't endure for me as well as the other two, but it was a large influence on Treasure Island. I can easily see how the character of Long John Silver may have been inspired by a rather minor and unexplored character in this book.
As a reader, I felt like there was an abrupt change in the genre I was reading, which made the entire island half feel like mere exposition. Again, I think Stevenson improved upon this by figuring out a way to integrate the island within the greater story, so the narrative goal wasn't as disjointed.
It was okay, but I wouldn't go so far as to say I liked it. Ballantyne was writing for boys approaching 200 years ago, not for a cynical 30-year-old woman. Nevertheless, I think the read was valuable for being able to better contextualize other literature. I expect an even bigger payoff when I finally get around to reading Lord of the Flies, which I've read was written as a contrast to this.
The Coral Island was written between Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and Stevenson's Treasure Island. The first half or so is a lot like the former (though the kids' efforts were comparatively aimless), and the second half is more similar to the latter. This won't endure for me as well as the other two, but it was a large influence on Treasure Island. I can easily see how the character of Long John Silver may have been inspired by a rather minor and unexplored character in this book.
As a reader, I felt like there was an abrupt change in the genre I was reading, which made the entire island half feel like mere exposition. Again, I think Stevenson improved upon this by figuring out a way to integrate the island within the greater story, so the narrative goal wasn't as disjointed.
It was okay, but I wouldn't go so far as to say I liked it. Ballantyne was writing for boys approaching 200 years ago, not for a cynical 30-year-old woman. Nevertheless, I think the read was valuable for being able to better contextualize other literature. I expect an even bigger payoff when I finally get around to reading Lord of the Flies, which I've read was written as a contrast to this.
_amy_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Loved the desriptions of the islands, and the reefs, made me feel as though I was on the island with them.