Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

32 reviews

zeldazonks's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

Manages to be incredibly compelling and informative as well as highlight the hypocrisy, cruelty and nonsensical nature of colonialism. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fantastic, I devoured this in two days.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Abandonment, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death, Colonisation, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cannibalism

linda48's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Racism, Murder, Abandonment, and Cannibalism

eleanorjmca's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

Incredible read. I was gripped from the start to the finish. It helps when you’re writing a history book if you have a thrilling event to write about, but Grann really brought it to life. I particularly liked the emphasis he placed on the competing narratives of the events left by different survivors, and the care he took to highlight the role of the Kawesqar and Chona people in the story. Very extensively researched with thorough endnotes and a bibliography for further reading. A tour de force of history writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Abandonment, and Violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Slavery, Racism, Cannibalism, and War

kalaser's review against another edition

adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Colonisation, Gun violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Slavery, and Violence

tigerkind's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

3.5

Quite an interesting read not only about a tale of (mis)adventure but also about the importance seafaring had in shaping the world. 

On a side note; I recommend looking up Wager Island on Maps after reading for a bit of a laugh. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, War, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Body horror, Animal death, Colonisation, Torture, Confinement, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Child death, Alcohol, and Xenophobia

Minor: Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Vomit, and Slavery

simmonsj's review against another edition

adventurous informative medium-paced

5.0

This review is for the audio book read by Dion Graham 

This is a very well researched book concerning the HMS Wager and its shipwreck in 1741, including the events of the crew while stranded on an island in Patagonia. I was surprised how many sources of information there were for this event. Grann does a fantastic job pulling together the account from many sources, making a narrative fiction-like story of true events. Everything wraps up decently with the exception of a few pieces (which I expect with real events, especially from the 1740s). 

The narrator did a great job as well, expressive and a good cadence throughout. 

Overall a really good non-fiction read of a really interesting and at times larger-than-life story of shipwreck, mutiny, and murder - just like the title promises.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, Abandonment, and Death

Minor: Cannibalism and Slavery

e_freckles's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Colonisation, Racism, Animal death, War, and Violence

Minor: Blood and Ableism

saraverboom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Slavery, Colonisation, Violence, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Gun violence, Murder, Animal death, and Death

crocus_and_clematis's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

4.25

TLDR; A wild ride from start to finish, even for those for whom historical nonfiction is not the usual cup of tea.

Sailing into David Grann's The Wager was a departure from my usual reading preferences, but wow what a wild ride! This nonfiction masterpiece skillfully melds the gripping pace of a thriller with the scholarly depth expected in historical accounts. This is honestly the type of book I wouldn’t have read if it wasn’t for all the hype. The nonfiction I normally reach for tends to be memoirs or travelogues, so I was a little hesitant about going for a historical book. I was incredibly impressed—Wager reads like a thriller and more than once I caught myself audibly gasping and yelling at what was happening on the page.

Grann's writing prowess is commendable, as he maintains a dramatic narrative without sacrificing scholarly integrity. Having waded through my fair share of dry history books during college days, I was impressed by his ability to present facts, provide citations, and weave a compelling storyline simultaneously. While the story's trajectory may be somewhat predictable with the inevitable shipwreck of the Wager, the unfolding events read like a slow-motion disaster— you just can’t look away. The abundance of primary sources, especially the firsthand accounts of survivors, elevates the narrative, turning the men who chronicled their Wager experience into focal points. Grann's vivid descriptions instill a profound fear of the sea, dispelling any romanticized notions of maritime adventure (goodbye swinging around the rigging like Jack Sparrow, hello slowly wasting away to scurvy).

The Wager is a gorgeous historical thriller, and if you love (or have ever loved) true crime, adventure stories, or being on the ocean, I would recommend giving it a try. Its graphic portrayal of battles at sea, scurvy, starvation, and human resilience is not for the faint of heart, but weaves a story you won't be able to look away from. I was simultaneously horrified and entranced in the best possible way

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Murder, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Racism, Death, Medical trauma, and Alcohol

sonygaystation's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad slow-paced

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Violence, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Animal death, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

Minor: War, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, and Vomit