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A review by thebookdad
Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
5.0
I want to start off by saying that I highly recommend this book. Treacherous Spaniards, cannibalistic natives, horrific storms at sea, and Kraken (ya, that's right. A gigantic octopus hell-bent on destruction). These are just a few awesome details that bring this fantastic story to life. The extraordinary adventure, strong theme, and setting are what I think make this a great story. As much as I enjoyed the book, I did struggle at times. Although well written, the reader was forgotten in parts where facts consumed the story. Michael Crichton did an amazing job with this adventurous pirate tale but also overwhelmed me when I needed to be entangled in more swashbuckling and treasure seeking.
The book has a powerful theme that comes to fruition only while reading of the pirate's constant struggle for gold. It wasn't evident in the beginning but I think I settled on: No guts, no glory. Pirate Latitudes is the story about a brave Englishman, Captain Charles Hunter, and his crew of cutthroats that venture from the newly colonized settlement of Port Royal to find treasure under insurmountable odds. They are constantly faced with a new challenge that kept me on the edge of my seat and made me wonder how they could possibly move forward in their quest for treasure. I found myself asking the same question over-and-over. Is the treasure worth it? No guts, no glory folks. Hell ya, it's worth it!
Michael Crichton will take you aboard El Trinidad the treasure galleon and place you amongst its crew to experience the Caribbean but don't be fooled, there are dark tides on the horizon. The story is set on the island of Jamaica in 1665. A time when the English Crown colonized the island but had little control of its inhabitants. There is a presence of order and even though piracy is outlawed privateering is an acceptable profession. A slight by the English Governor on the island to produce gold for the crown. I really dove into the scenes reading this book as I have travelled to Jamaica, my wife and I were even married there. I remember seeing sunsets and swimming in the ocean. This book just transported me back to those times. Of course, when I visited I didn't witness the deadly hurricanes and shark-infested waters that plagued Captain Charles Hunter and his crew.
Michael Crichton is truly a brilliant author that earns credibility from his readers by presenting facts in a scene so that you have a very clear understanding of what's going on. This is great because it's very interesting information relevant to the story but also overwhelming. I didn't think when I started this book that I would learn what the aftcastle of a ship is or how many people it takes to operate a cannon and why. Don't get me wrong, the facts are a big reason why a person reads Michael Crichton's books but I did feel slightly bogged down with narrative and it took away from the story. It's important to know that the author quickly brought me back into the tale with murderous Spanish Don's and flesh-eating Carib natives.
All-in-all I would recommend this book for anyone. It's a wild, adventurous tale that will keep you up at night wanting to read more. If you need a quick vacation from life, go grab a bottle of rum and get lost in the Caribbean with a Captain Hunter and his crew. You'll be glad you did.
The book has a powerful theme that comes to fruition only while reading of the pirate's constant struggle for gold. It wasn't evident in the beginning but I think I settled on: No guts, no glory. Pirate Latitudes is the story about a brave Englishman, Captain Charles Hunter, and his crew of cutthroats that venture from the newly colonized settlement of Port Royal to find treasure under insurmountable odds. They are constantly faced with a new challenge that kept me on the edge of my seat and made me wonder how they could possibly move forward in their quest for treasure. I found myself asking the same question over-and-over. Is the treasure worth it? No guts, no glory folks. Hell ya, it's worth it!
Michael Crichton will take you aboard El Trinidad the treasure galleon and place you amongst its crew to experience the Caribbean but don't be fooled, there are dark tides on the horizon. The story is set on the island of Jamaica in 1665. A time when the English Crown colonized the island but had little control of its inhabitants. There is a presence of order and even though piracy is outlawed privateering is an acceptable profession. A slight by the English Governor on the island to produce gold for the crown. I really dove into the scenes reading this book as I have travelled to Jamaica, my wife and I were even married there. I remember seeing sunsets and swimming in the ocean. This book just transported me back to those times. Of course, when I visited I didn't witness the deadly hurricanes and shark-infested waters that plagued Captain Charles Hunter and his crew.
Michael Crichton is truly a brilliant author that earns credibility from his readers by presenting facts in a scene so that you have a very clear understanding of what's going on. This is great because it's very interesting information relevant to the story but also overwhelming. I didn't think when I started this book that I would learn what the aftcastle of a ship is or how many people it takes to operate a cannon and why. Don't get me wrong, the facts are a big reason why a person reads Michael Crichton's books but I did feel slightly bogged down with narrative and it took away from the story. It's important to know that the author quickly brought me back into the tale with murderous Spanish Don's and flesh-eating Carib natives.
All-in-all I would recommend this book for anyone. It's a wild, adventurous tale that will keep you up at night wanting to read more. If you need a quick vacation from life, go grab a bottle of rum and get lost in the Caribbean with a Captain Hunter and his crew. You'll be glad you did.