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lauraborkpower's review against another edition
5.0
Hot dog this is a good book!
I don't use exclamation points lightly in my reviews (or ever), but I almost used two exclamation points in a row after that last sentence (yes, two).
I am in absolute love with this book. Wouk creates an amazing world of both nuance and specificity so that I was fully on board the Caine destroyer but I never felt like the time period or setting was pushing itself too much. That's probably because this was a book written only a few years after the story was to have taken place (and based on Wouk's own wartime experiences). It's so much better than some over researched contemporary period piece that tries too hard (as I find many of them do). The ship itself is a character, and a very good one, and the finale of a tremendous war looms in the background.
I can't go into detail about everything that makes this book great--because there are too many--but if you're a fan of stories that are character driven and claustrophobically tense with characters whose choices are morally ambiguous (oh, yeah, and there's courtroom drama [and a love story] too!), then this is the book for you. Not only are the story and characters compelling, but it was enjoyable to read a World War II book that wasn't about land battle in Europe. And since finishing, I have been diagnosing my coworkers as Queegs (which isn't good, I know, and really it's only been about three people [but they're total Queegs; trust me]).
It's a long read, but you won't notice. I hated to see it end, and the morning after I'd finished it, I woke up so sad that I almost started it right up again. Kevin Pariseau does a solid narrating job--he's pleasant to listen to and moves smoothly from character to character.
I don't use exclamation points lightly in my reviews (or ever), but I almost used two exclamation points in a row after that last sentence (yes, two).
I am in absolute love with this book. Wouk creates an amazing world of both nuance and specificity so that I was fully on board the Caine destroyer but I never felt like the time period or setting was pushing itself too much. That's probably because this was a book written only a few years after the story was to have taken place (and based on Wouk's own wartime experiences). It's so much better than some over researched contemporary period piece that tries too hard (as I find many of them do). The ship itself is a character, and a very good one, and the finale of a tremendous war looms in the background.
I can't go into detail about everything that makes this book great--because there are too many--but if you're a fan of stories that are character driven and claustrophobically tense with characters whose choices are morally ambiguous (oh, yeah, and there's courtroom drama [and a love story] too!), then this is the book for you. Not only are the story and characters compelling, but it was enjoyable to read a World War II book that wasn't about land battle in Europe. And since finishing, I have been diagnosing my coworkers as Queegs (which isn't good, I know, and really it's only been about three people [but they're total Queegs; trust me]).
It's a long read, but you won't notice. I hated to see it end, and the morning after I'd finished it, I woke up so sad that I almost started it right up again. Kevin Pariseau does a solid narrating job--he's pleasant to listen to and moves smoothly from character to character.
nicofic's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
stribr9's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
mrbear's review against another edition
4.0
Somehow also missed this review! Overall, this was much less good than Wouk’s grander series starting with The Winds of War - this is a much smaller scale story. The dialogue doesn’t age well (though it gives interesting historical insight into life for younger military men during and after WWII as a result), and the story itself is good but not amazing. Overall, I did enjoy it, even if I’m not sure I fully followed the pro-military stodginess at the end. One thing to say: the movie definitely aged MUCH worse (and is painful to watch, in my opinion). Listening to the book is definitely more fun.
curtmize's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent study in the effects of insecurity on leadership. Poignant.
mwash87's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing war novel. Intensely well-developed characters... you feel like you're a member of the ship's crew. Couldn't put it down.
yash590's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When I started reading the book, all I remember about the movie was that Humphrey Bogart played the main lead in the movie. When Queeg entered the story, I read the book assuming that he was the hero of the book. That quickly changed and kept changing so many times over the course of the novel.
The story of the ship is as interesting as the court room drama that follows it. The court room drama was not dramatic because of the elements that normally make such elements dramatic. The perspective that the defence lawyer Greenwald gives is eye opening and almost flips the entire story in its head.
Willie Kieth and his love story is probably the weakest part of the book but that serves as a contrasting civilian background to a predominantly military setting. The character of Queeg is written in a very interesting way but in some places it was laid bare rather explicitly, which takes away the charm of studying a character. And Keefer’s fate was portrayed as one in which he got what he deserved but in Keith’s words Keefer is “clever” enough to internalize and rationalise his jumping off the Caine.
The story of the ship is as interesting as the court room drama that follows it. The court room drama was not dramatic because of the elements that normally make such elements dramatic. The perspective that the defence lawyer Greenwald gives is eye opening and almost flips the entire story in its head.
Willie Kieth and his love story is probably the weakest part of the book but that serves as a contrasting civilian background to a predominantly military setting. The character of Queeg is written in a very interesting way but in some places it was laid bare rather explicitly, which takes away the charm of studying a character. And Keefer’s fate was portrayed as one in which he got what he deserved but in Keith’s words Keefer is “clever” enough to internalize and rationalise his jumping off the Caine.
kimball_hansen's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this book was pretty good. Very detailed and entertaining. The narrator did exceptionally well with all the voices. I read this book while driving from AZ to UT to TX. However I didn't finish the last four hours of it when I finally arrived to TX. I waited two months to start it up and finished it. I had forgotten some of the characters which made it tricky piecing everything together towards the end. I was mad at the ending of the book because it ended abruptly. I was hoping it'd go on to say he at least got May. Same with The Chosen One. I wished that had kept going too.