A review by cammschwartz
The Caine Mutiny: A Novel of World War II by Herman Wouk

4.0

I don’t know where to begin. I remember page 299 when Tom is stark naked and is being bitten by Paytners crab. I was laughing so hard. In the beginning I didn’t really like Willie I thought he was privileged, cruel to May, and stupid at times. When Willie got on the Caine and hated De Vriess I thought that Willie’s hate was unwarranted. Later on when captain Queeg joins the Caine I can’t stand him. I grow to absolutely despise Queeg and I saw him as incompetent and a coward. I thought Maryk would have made a great captain and he knew how to control the ship better than Queeg ever did. Then the story went to the trial and we meet Greenwald... Greenwald gets Maryk acquitted but Maryk’s Navy career is officially over. Then at Keefers celebratory dinner Greenwald accuses Tom of spinning the idea into Maryks head because he wanted to be the captain. Greenwald also says how he was thankful to Queeg for fighting for his mother against the Germans. I still don’t know how I feel about the accusation. It makes sense because when Keefer spoke at the trial I was confused why he blamed it all on Maryk. In the end Keith proves himself a true captain when Keefer runs overboard during a Kamikaze attack and Keith saves the ship. Keith is eventually made the captain and served the ship well as the last captain of the Caine. At the end of the story Wille searches for May because he wants to marry her I think it is a sad part of the book. Willie obviously loves May and treated her terribly when he first left her but realizes that he truly loves her. It’s especially sad when Wille didn’t realize in the middle of the book how he wanted to talk things over with May like a husband needs to talk to his wife.