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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
DNFing on page 10.... it just feels so meh and the characters & the way things are explained rub me the wrong way so after talking to some peeps & reading reviews (and noticing most of the 3 star + were by men) & looking up a plot summary I decided this probably is not going to be something ill enjoy and even if i finish it id just give it the same rating im giving it now...
I did not enjoy this book. It is a lengthy good that spans a huge stretch of the world but the characters are narrow and flat. This is the first book in this series that I have read. I think it stands on its own just fine. The author goes to some lengths to highlight the connections between previous novels. I will say that it is pretty obvious where future books will build from.
The novel primarily focuses on the eastern shores of Africa in the 17th century. The main characters are Englishmen participating in privateering and trade. I was excited to read about a part of world that attracts my interest, but sadly the story did not engage me. It is written in the romantic style and glorifies England, which simply doesn't appeal to me. As with some romantic work the characters are flat, they are quite black or white. Bad characters are not simply bad, they tend to be hideous and conniving and dishonourable and abusers of the innocent. The heroes are likewise perfect standards of virtue, and at worst, lovable rogues. In addition smart characters are often seem as devious and cloying as compared to the rugged and honest warriors.
I am not sure if it is the author's attempt to catch the spirit of the time or if the author himself is writing in the Orientalist frame. The "East" is depicted in the typical exotic, mystical fashion. The female characters leave much to be desired. Most of the women in the story are introduced as children and simply serve as love interests for the male protagonists.
The plot is predictable and by the end I was just burning through the pages to get to the end. I am confident some will read this book with great enthusiasm but it did not work its magic on me at all.
The novel primarily focuses on the eastern shores of Africa in the 17th century. The main characters are Englishmen participating in privateering and trade. I was excited to read about a part of world that attracts my interest, but sadly the story did not engage me. It is written in the romantic style and glorifies England, which simply doesn't appeal to me. As with some romantic work the characters are flat, they are quite black or white. Bad characters are not simply bad, they tend to be hideous and conniving and dishonourable and abusers of the innocent. The heroes are likewise perfect standards of virtue, and at worst, lovable rogues. In addition smart characters are often seem as devious and cloying as compared to the rugged and honest warriors.
I am not sure if it is the author's attempt to catch the spirit of the time or if the author himself is writing in the Orientalist frame. The "East" is depicted in the typical exotic, mystical fashion. The female characters leave much to be desired. Most of the women in the story are introduced as children and simply serve as love interests for the male protagonists.
The plot is predictable and by the end I was just burning through the pages to get to the end. I am confident some will read this book with great enthusiasm but it did not work its magic on me at all.
adventurous
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNFing on page 10.... it just feels so meh and the characters & the way things are explained rub me the wrong way so after talking to some peeps & reading reviews (and noticing most of the 3 star + were by men) & looking up a plot summary I decided this probably is not going to be something ill enjoy and even if i finish it id just give it the same rating im giving it now...
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Smith continues the final collection of Courtney novels, developing some of the early ancestry of the family he has made famous in nine previous novels. The novel opens with an adult Hal Courtney, who has taken up a life as a farmer in rural England. Courtney has four sons from a few marriages: William, twins Tom and Guy, as well as Dorian. These boys have their own quirky characteristics, which are exemplified throughout the novel. When the English summon Hal to take up a nautical voyage to contest an Arab pirate who has been plundering ships, the elder Courtney seeks the assistance of his sons, who have been told of their fathers many voyages from years before. Tom and Guy find themselves in love with the same woman, though she is unable to admit her love for them because of her caste in life. When Guy agrees to a mission in India, he follows the woman he loves, causing grief for the other twin. William, much older than his other siblings, also refuses the mission, choosing to continue his life in England, where he is fostering business and political contacts. This leaves Tom and Dorian, who become the central characters in the novel and whose lives prove fundamental. While on the high seas, Dorian and Tom help their father seek out the Arabs, but trouble befalls the ship and Dorian is captured by the Prince of Oman, who takes him back to his settlement off the African coast. Dorian's appearance echoes a prophecy in Islam, leaving the settlement to believe he is a direct descendent of Muhammad. While in captivity, Dorian meets one of the Prince's daughters, Yasmini, in whom he develops strong affections. This forbidden love is discovered and the Prince banshees Dorian to death for incestuous behaviour. He is able to escape with Yasmini, though the Arabs in the settlement choose to deem him dead and erect a tomb to substantiate the story. Meanwhile, Hal suffers a horrific fate, leaving Tom in charge of the English ship. The search for Dorian continues, though when Tom is convinced his brother died at the settlement, he agrees to stop looking. Years pass and Dorian has become extremely acclimated to the Muslim way of life, which does not bode well when Tom Courtney returns to finish the mission on which Hal was originally sent. Facing off, Tom and Dorian must fight for their respective honours, where only one side can prevail. Smith tells a powerful tale that develops the multi-generational flavour of the series and plants plots that are sure to be developed in novels to come. An interesting addition to the Courtney saga.
As with the previous novel, the nautical flavour of the story left me less than enthralled, but the theme was not lost, nor was the character development built throughout the narrative. Smith effectively keeps the political and social actions of the day at hand as he develops a wonderful story that spans years and sees his sons grow into their own personalities. The battle of the twins over one woman foreshadows the storyline of Sean and Garrick Courtney in the first collection of novels, which will likely also play a role in future novels, should the child be raised in India under Guy's tutelage. The ties and animosity developed throughout this novel between Tom and Dorian will play an interesting role in upcoming novels, especially as they head to the African continent. One other aspect worth noting is Smith's use of the Muslim pirates as the central enemies of the novel. While the book was penned at a time when Muslim fundamentalism began to emerge as the new ideological war in the world, Smith is able to use this clash at a time when the high seas were the ultimate battleground. How nice to see this spin on the hero-aggressor storyline that does not include mention of al-Qaeda or suicide bombers. The subtle discussion of the religious beliefs and tolerances exemplifies that the seventeenth century was also a time when Christianity battled Islam and both tossed 'infidel' monikers on one another, while surviving together. Smith's trademark use of Africa as a backdrop also comes to pass in small part throughout the novel, which will soon develop into a major setting for future novels, as the Courtneys settle on the continent and begin making a name for themselves.
Kudos, Mr. Smith for another interesting novel. Perhaps settling in Africa will allow the characters to make roots and settle, leaving seafaring storylines off the starboard side.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
As with the previous novel, the nautical flavour of the story left me less than enthralled, but the theme was not lost, nor was the character development built throughout the narrative. Smith effectively keeps the political and social actions of the day at hand as he develops a wonderful story that spans years and sees his sons grow into their own personalities. The battle of the twins over one woman foreshadows the storyline of Sean and Garrick Courtney in the first collection of novels, which will likely also play a role in future novels, should the child be raised in India under Guy's tutelage. The ties and animosity developed throughout this novel between Tom and Dorian will play an interesting role in upcoming novels, especially as they head to the African continent. One other aspect worth noting is Smith's use of the Muslim pirates as the central enemies of the novel. While the book was penned at a time when Muslim fundamentalism began to emerge as the new ideological war in the world, Smith is able to use this clash at a time when the high seas were the ultimate battleground. How nice to see this spin on the hero-aggressor storyline that does not include mention of al-Qaeda or suicide bombers. The subtle discussion of the religious beliefs and tolerances exemplifies that the seventeenth century was also a time when Christianity battled Islam and both tossed 'infidel' monikers on one another, while surviving together. Smith's trademark use of Africa as a backdrop also comes to pass in small part throughout the novel, which will soon develop into a major setting for future novels, as the Courtneys settle on the continent and begin making a name for themselves.
Kudos, Mr. Smith for another interesting novel. Perhaps settling in Africa will allow the characters to make roots and settle, leaving seafaring storylines off the starboard side.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
This one took a few years for me to get to. Mostly because I was a very inexperienced, impatient reader when I started it. But I'm glad I stuck with it until the end. I learned a lot about writing descriptions from this book, as well as a glimpse of what sea trade must've been like (in the extreme though) during the time of King William.
3.5 stars
It's been twenty-odd years since I last read a Wilbur Smith, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I quite enjoyed this sweeping epic about a generation of Courtneys, with scenes ranging from England to the high seas and the breadth of Africa. It was a hardcover of daunting size, but an easy and relatively quick read. There's also no need to have read any of the other Courtney novels in the series. A grand adventure!
It's been twenty-odd years since I last read a Wilbur Smith, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I quite enjoyed this sweeping epic about a generation of Courtneys, with scenes ranging from England to the high seas and the breadth of Africa. It was a hardcover of daunting size, but an easy and relatively quick read. There's also no need to have read any of the other Courtney novels in the series. A grand adventure!
Rating: 4* of five
The Book Report: Second chronologically in the Courtney family saga, Monsoon covers Hal Courtney and his sons' efforts to end the scourge of piracy plaguing the East India Company, and their inexorable, inevitable removal from an England too small and too meager to hold the family's talents, abilities, and personalities, to a colonial future in the Cape Colony.
The multipolar world of southern and eastern Africa, its long-established power dynamics, and the astounding riches of India, south Asia, and Arabia, are all economically and still excitingly delineated by the Courtney family's arrival and conquest of and by this gigantic, extraordinary prize they seek. Their family dynamic, a violent and competitive and bitter one, is brought to several surprisingly exciting climaxes...it's not like one can't see the events coming, but Smith's ability to tell a tale is such that the inevitable feels like a shipwreck in progress.
After an amazing set of adventures in the clutches of people whose self-interest marches against the Courtneys', the family's future is firmly established and their connection to Africa becomes, by the dawn of the 18th Century, unbreakable.
My Review: Of all the Courtney family saga, this book reigns supreme in my affections. Hal's sons are a quarrelsome, angry, fascinating lot, and their well-roundedness makes even their worst traits and meanest actions feel real, comprehensible, and emotionally powerful.
I've read Wilbur Smith books since I was eleven, and I've only seldom felt let down. This book was not, in any way at all, a let-down. It was as violent as the monsoon it takes its name from, and still, like that monsoon, it gave life and comfort to its recipients. Powerfully imagined, powerfully written, passionate and real and engrossing. Don't miss it.
The Book Report: Second chronologically in the Courtney family saga, Monsoon covers Hal Courtney and his sons' efforts to end the scourge of piracy plaguing the East India Company, and their inexorable, inevitable removal from an England too small and too meager to hold the family's talents, abilities, and personalities, to a colonial future in the Cape Colony.
The multipolar world of southern and eastern Africa, its long-established power dynamics, and the astounding riches of India, south Asia, and Arabia, are all economically and still excitingly delineated by the Courtney family's arrival and conquest of and by this gigantic, extraordinary prize they seek. Their family dynamic, a violent and competitive and bitter one, is brought to several surprisingly exciting climaxes...it's not like one can't see the events coming, but Smith's ability to tell a tale is such that the inevitable feels like a shipwreck in progress.
After an amazing set of adventures in the clutches of people whose self-interest marches against the Courtneys', the family's future is firmly established and their connection to Africa becomes, by the dawn of the 18th Century, unbreakable.
My Review: Of all the Courtney family saga, this book reigns supreme in my affections. Hal's sons are a quarrelsome, angry, fascinating lot, and their well-roundedness makes even their worst traits and meanest actions feel real, comprehensible, and emotionally powerful.
I've read Wilbur Smith books since I was eleven, and I've only seldom felt let down. This book was not, in any way at all, a let-down. It was as violent as the monsoon it takes its name from, and still, like that monsoon, it gave life and comfort to its recipients. Powerfully imagined, powerfully written, passionate and real and engrossing. Don't miss it.