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A review by trilled_meow
The Coral Island by R.M. Ballantyne
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.