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gesch's review against another edition
3.0
This book attracted me in the same way that Jack London’s Sea Wolf caught my eye. Unfortunately, in spite of the disturbing similarities between both books, this one left me unsatisfied. Never the less, a review based on the juxtaposition of one work to others similar to it will do justice to a select few.
The story centers on Harvey Cheyne, an arrogant and spoiled boy, heir to an enormous railroad empire. We are introduced to him while he travelling from the United States to Europe on a steamer where, on account of nausea from smoking a stogey and seasickness, he falls overboard. Before drowning he is rescued by the schooner “We’re Here” captained by Disko Troop. At this point the youth attempts to convince the crew his is the son of a wealthy man and pleads with them to return to port with no avail. Instead he is offered the opportunity to earn his keep on the ship by helping out during the four or so months of fishing that to be done. During this time Harvey has to adapt to the life onboard and we are presented to a variety of very particular characters, Uncle Salters, Long Jack, Pennsylvania, Manuel, the Cook and Dan Troop, Harvey’s loyal friend. The rest of the tale consists of Harvey’s growth as a person, his awakening and the shift of perception of life that occurs in him.
The book was interesting though for a good section it appeared to lack a substance for the plot was too thin. It had one very fine peculiarity for which Kipling should be truly admired and that would be his portrayal of vernacular speech in outstanding detail. This however, may make the story ambiguous and even confusing at times and may require careful reading but it remains as one of the story’s strongest points. Another part, which particularly gripped me, were the series of conversations which take place in the last few chapters of the book.
The story centers on Harvey Cheyne, an arrogant and spoiled boy, heir to an enormous railroad empire. We are introduced to him while he travelling from the United States to Europe on a steamer where, on account of nausea from smoking a stogey and seasickness, he falls overboard. Before drowning he is rescued by the schooner “We’re Here” captained by Disko Troop. At this point the youth attempts to convince the crew his is the son of a wealthy man and pleads with them to return to port with no avail. Instead he is offered the opportunity to earn his keep on the ship by helping out during the four or so months of fishing that to be done. During this time Harvey has to adapt to the life onboard and we are presented to a variety of very particular characters, Uncle Salters, Long Jack, Pennsylvania, Manuel, the Cook and Dan Troop, Harvey’s loyal friend. The rest of the tale consists of Harvey’s growth as a person, his awakening and the shift of perception of life that occurs in him.
The book was interesting though for a good section it appeared to lack a substance for the plot was too thin. It had one very fine peculiarity for which Kipling should be truly admired and that would be his portrayal of vernacular speech in outstanding detail. This however, may make the story ambiguous and even confusing at times and may require careful reading but it remains as one of the story’s strongest points. Another part, which particularly gripped me, were the series of conversations which take place in the last few chapters of the book.
emelir's review against another edition
2.0
Åh, jag ville så gärna tycka om denna pga hav och äventyr men njaa… Jag vet inte riktigt om min besvikelse över denna bok beror på att jag läste en översättning, eller att översättningen var från 1947 + daterad, eller att jag i fantasin befann mig i Assassin’s Creed: Black flag lite väääl mycket (och att boken då inte gick i den riktning jag ville...). Ingen favoritbok, men den var ändå ett äventyr såklart. Bara inte det äventyr jag ville vara med på... Känner dock spontant att man kanske inte ska ta mig på orden i denna recension pga att jag uppenbarligen befann mig någon annanstans under läsningen hehe.. Finns en del symbolik i boken, anspelningen mellan Europa och Amerika (vilket kan utgöra en intressant läsning av boken)… dess olika ideal, livsåskådningar osv under denna tid. Och då det faktum att Harvey faktiskt var påväg mot just Europa när han föll överbord; för att sedan på det amerikanska skeppet få lära sig om livet… men tyvärr ingen favorit hos mig. (Kopierat från min bokinsta @litteraturvetare)
princessleia4life's review against another edition
4.0
The biggest problem I had with this story is that there is sooooo much sailor slang, that at times I had no clue what was going on. This edition doesn't come with any footnotes or historical data on the text. If I had that I think I would have enjoyed the story more.
pheebzoc's review against another edition
Classics about boats just don’t have the right pace. Made that mistake before.
katiecatbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Great sea-story by the master of classics, Rudyard Kipling.
Story: Harvey is a rich man's son aboard a luxury liner with a large stash of cash in his pocket. Unused to the sea, he goes out to get fresh air and falls overboard. He is rescued by a fishing boat filled with men from all over the world and is informed he won't get back to shore for many long months. Never having worked a day in his life, Harvey must learn to be a fisherman in a short time and to survive the wild sea.
PACE: Fast. This is a short book with large text and most of the pages are filled with events and stories of the sea.
Language: As typical with Kipling, a lot of the dialogue is told in the characters native dialect. This might frustrate some readers, but even if some words cannot be figured out, it does not affect the story overall. For this reader, it enhanced the story and allows the reader to be further involved in the tale.
Frame: Most of the book is set out on the ocean on a fishing boat, or in smaller fishing boats. Sections of the book include Harvey's parents and their wealthy home. Everyday on the boats fishermen risk their lives to the sea, and as in reality, not everyone survives. These dark moments are lightened by Harvey and his mate Tom's teenager antics and also by humorous moments between the fishermen and sailors from other boats.
A definite classic worthy of a quick read.
Story: Harvey is a rich man's son aboard a luxury liner with a large stash of cash in his pocket. Unused to the sea, he goes out to get fresh air and falls overboard. He is rescued by a fishing boat filled with men from all over the world and is informed he won't get back to shore for many long months. Never having worked a day in his life, Harvey must learn to be a fisherman in a short time and to survive the wild sea.
PACE: Fast. This is a short book with large text and most of the pages are filled with events and stories of the sea.
Language: As typical with Kipling, a lot of the dialogue is told in the characters native dialect. This might frustrate some readers, but even if some words cannot be figured out, it does not affect the story overall. For this reader, it enhanced the story and allows the reader to be further involved in the tale.
Frame: Most of the book is set out on the ocean on a fishing boat, or in smaller fishing boats. Sections of the book include Harvey's parents and their wealthy home. Everyday on the boats fishermen risk their lives to the sea, and as in reality, not everyone survives. These dark moments are lightened by Harvey and his mate Tom's teenager antics and also by humorous moments between the fishermen and sailors from other boats.
A definite classic worthy of a quick read.
rachel_abby_reads's review against another edition
1.0
The premise sounded great: spoiled rich kid falls off cruise ship and is rescued by a fishing trawler- where he learns the hard way that hard work is the only thing that has any value or merit. "My daddy this- " and "My money that " don't count on the seas. Sadly, it was awash in dialect (which is irritating to read) and tons and tons of fishing/boating jargon and information. Frankly, I'd rather reread The Martian.
cheryl6of8's review against another edition
5.0
I recently discovered that many of the books I really enjoyed on my Read shelf do not have reviews, which strikes me as wrong. Particularly when I could/should be doing homework instead of writing reviews of books I read years ago. :)
I avoided reading this book as a younger person, because I associated it in my mind with Treasure Island and thought it involved pirates. I finally read it during my "if I can't go to school right now, I will read the classics" period and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was quite surprised to find that the captains who were courageous were not fighting pirates but were fishing for cod, I think, off the Grand Banks. If you have ever enjoyed Deadliest Catch or wanted to get your kids interested in that type of thing, this is the book to do it.
I avoided reading this book as a younger person, because I associated it in my mind with Treasure Island and thought it involved pirates. I finally read it during my "if I can't go to school right now, I will read the classics" period and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was quite surprised to find that the captains who were courageous were not fighting pirates but were fishing for cod, I think, off the Grand Banks. If you have ever enjoyed Deadliest Catch or wanted to get your kids interested in that type of thing, this is the book to do it.