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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Fun and interesting view of gender roles and dynamics. A man who doesn’t stand on his own feet may as well be a woman, but his tenderness and philosophical soul is what captures Maud Brewster’s heart (as well as protecting her. Interesting view of masculinity) The character of Wolf Larson was tragic and terrifying, a force of nature worse than the storms in the book. I found his dynamic with Hump punishing and abusive while mutually intellectually stimulating. Hump’s view point often characterizes ppl’s appearance by manlike or woman like, regardless of their actual gesture. He himself is woman like, and his allies on Ghost are similarly referred to as such. Wolf Larson is the epitome of manhood, good and bad. But beneath his disdain for Hump’s softness is envy for his education, and the privilege that allowed him it. In the end, the end he faces isn’t a brutal one he understands and admires, but a result of unlucky fate, same as everything in his life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
I decided to re-read this one, as it was one of my all-time favorites as a child. I absolutely loved anything seafaring related and remain ship-pilled to this day.
The premise is a wimpy trust fund guy finds himself thrown off a ferry and picked up by the World's Worst Boss, captain Wolf Larsen. He is forced to be a cabin boy and is tortured and also gets to watch the torture of others from the hands of the ultra-violent Captain. He then finds out that the Cap is into philosophy (and a nihilist), and so the two engage in long, insufferable podcast-like discussions on life, death, and other...stuff.
This comprises the first half and is actually very readable for its time, and both entertaining and full of some great action sequences (and a good ol' squall scene). The philosophical discussions aren't so frequent that you are too bogged down, and the "opposites attract" energy of the narrator and the Captain is good. And speaking of "opposites attract", oh boy is there a good deal of homoeroticism in this book. The narrator describes how beautiful, strong, and perfectly masculine Wolf is multiple times and in one passage, he's so entranced by Wolf's naked body he's frozen in wonderment (but just cause he's like...admiring his masculinity? Sure, Hump).
The second half of the book is unfortunate and kills all the momentum. The crew brings aboard a woman, who is absolutely the most insipid female character I've ever read. The narrator constantly describes how weak and tired and fragile this person is to the point that they could have just swapped out the character with an infant. The story shifts to focus so much on her, and the narrator and Wolf fighting over her. Towards the end, it picks up a bit (even though it's highly, HIGHLY unbelievable) and has an overall pretty good ending.
I would say read if you are A. really into ship books that have ZERO pirates or B. are a Londonhead.
The premise is a wimpy trust fund guy finds himself thrown off a ferry and picked up by the World's Worst Boss, captain Wolf Larsen. He is forced to be a cabin boy and is tortured and also gets to watch the torture of others from the hands of the ultra-violent Captain. He then finds out that the Cap is into philosophy (and a nihilist), and so the two engage in long, insufferable podcast-like discussions on life, death, and other...stuff.
This comprises the first half and is actually very readable for its time, and both entertaining and full of some great action sequences (and a good ol' squall scene). The philosophical discussions aren't so frequent that you are too bogged down, and the "opposites attract" energy of the narrator and the Captain is good. And speaking of "opposites attract", oh boy is there a good deal of homoeroticism in this book. The narrator describes how beautiful, strong, and perfectly masculine Wolf is multiple times and in one passage, he's so entranced by Wolf's naked body he's frozen in wonderment (but just cause he's like...admiring his masculinity? Sure, Hump).
The second half of the book is unfortunate and kills all the momentum. The crew brings aboard a woman, who is absolutely the most insipid female character I've ever read. The narrator constantly describes how weak and tired and fragile this person is to the point that they could have just swapped out the character with an infant. The story shifts to focus so much on her, and the narrator and Wolf fighting over her. Towards the end, it picks up a bit (even though it's highly, HIGHLY unbelievable) and has an overall pretty good ending.
I would say read if you are A. really into ship books that have ZERO pirates or B. are a Londonhead.
Arrivata a 50/70 pagine dalla fine mi sono vista costretta ad un altro abbandono, viaggio sul filo del blocco e non posso permettermi di annaspare in un libro che se inizialmente mi sembrava fantastico a partire dalla metà ha iniziato ad essere ripetitivo all'inverosimile.
One of the better books of the year for me; since I just finished it, I suspect my review would be a gush-fest; there's plenty in the book to make one's eyes roll, but the back-and-forth between Hump and Wolf on the existence (or absence) of the soul, and the existence (or absence) of good or evil in a human, amidst the backdrop of some excellent sea writing, gives this book the philosophical and literary heft to make up for the out-of-place human romantic element.
Realized I was recording for the wrong edition of the book
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
It starts out with the homoerotic tension dialed in at 11/10 and I feel positive that Wolf and Van Weyden totally banged. At about 75% through the book suddenly takes a left turn into forced heterosexuality that's badly shoehorned in.
Hiç ummadığım tarzda bir kitap oldu. Daha önce okuduğum Jack London kitaplarından farklıydı.
Bir düşünce kitabı olduğunu belirtmeliyim. İki farklı zihniyet, düşünce ve bakış açısına sahip karakterin çatışmasına şahit oluyoruz. Ve bu o kadar güzel bir çatışma ki kitap kendine bağlıyor okuru. İki farklı karakterin hayata dair zıt düşünceleri okura her seferinde bir şeyler kazandırıyor.
Ve Wolf Larsen... Belli bir eşiğe ulaşmış ve bu sebeple herkesten farklı ve yalnız hisseden bir kişilik. Belki kötü karakter olarak gözüküyor kitapta ama beni kendine hayran bıraktı. Çünkü o anlaşıldığı vakit aslında kötü kelimesi ile alakasız birisi olduğu açıkça belli.
Van Weyden... Sana sadece hoşgeldin ve o rüya gibi hayattan iyi ki uyandın diyorum.
Bir düşünce kitabı olduğunu belirtmeliyim. İki farklı zihniyet, düşünce ve bakış açısına sahip karakterin çatışmasına şahit oluyoruz. Ve bu o kadar güzel bir çatışma ki kitap kendine bağlıyor okuru. İki farklı karakterin hayata dair zıt düşünceleri okura her seferinde bir şeyler kazandırıyor.
Ve Wolf Larsen... Belli bir eşiğe ulaşmış ve bu sebeple herkesten farklı ve yalnız hisseden bir kişilik. Belki kötü karakter olarak gözüküyor kitapta ama beni kendine hayran bıraktı. Çünkü o anlaşıldığı vakit aslında kötü kelimesi ile alakasız birisi olduğu açıkça belli.
Van Weyden... Sana sadece hoşgeldin ve o rüya gibi hayattan iyi ki uyandın diyorum.