by Michael Crichton
This is a fast-paced adventure yarn, highly suitable as a companion as one sits in the waiting room while the doctor is doing his thing elsewhere or they are trying to clear the snow from the runway. It was published after the author’s death, so it may be his last or one of his last manuscripts.
All of the action takes place in the Caribbean in the mid 1600’s, and the plot centers upon the voyage of a Jamaican privateer, Captain Charles Hunter, sanctioned to capture a Spanish treasure galleon stranded near one of the many area islands.
As can be expected, there is a very large amount of blood, gore, and combat. Obviously the story is designed with an action movie in mind; if it’s not already in production it soon will be. Johnny Depp already has his pirate persona firmly grounded, so this might be a vehicle for a George Cloony or Jude Law type.
Even though superficialities prevail, there were several interesting tidbits scattered here and there based, I hope, on the author’s fact-filled research
Being a life long land-locked Midwesterner, I’m profoundly ignorant regarding sailing. However, I enjoy sea stories, and usually learn something about the techniques of handling the old wooden ships from them. For example, I’ve always considered the lookout seaman’s function simply to be alert for far-off sails or land masses. In this tale, however, we have a more compelling picture of the operation – there is a description of the intricate interaction, via hand signals, of the sharp-eyed lookout (in this case, a woman) atop the mast and the helmsman far below as the ship maneuvers through a shallow coral reef..
Further, the carnage after being bombarded with a broadside from a ship-of-the-line must have been horrendous – fragments of splinters, sailcloth, human tissue wreaking havoc.
There is also a description of a new (at the time) French “weapon of mass destruction”, a small shot- and explosive-filled bottle with a short fuse attached. The interior fragments, resembling fruit seeds, give the device the French name for pomegranate, “grenade”
Early on in the text, Crichton provides a detailed look at the morning toilet rituals of a gentleman of the day, in this case the governor of Jamaica. Among several others, his habits included application of a paste of olive oil, ashes, and ground earthworms to prevent his hair whitening and the use of another paste composed of ground rabbit’s head, pomegranate peel and peach blossom as a finger-applied tooth cleanser. Fashionable facial pallor was achieved by applying white lead and vinegar. Fascinating!
This book is far from being great literature, and, although I’ve never been an addicted fan of Crichton, it’s quite readable and holds one’s attention well. I recommend it as a fast, but light, read.
Reviewed by Ken West
All of the action takes place in the Caribbean in the mid 1600’s, and the plot centers upon the voyage of a Jamaican privateer, Captain Charles Hunter, sanctioned to capture a Spanish treasure galleon stranded near one of the many area islands.
As can be expected, there is a very large amount of blood, gore, and combat. Obviously the story is designed with an action movie in mind; if it’s not already in production it soon will be. Johnny Depp already has his pirate persona firmly grounded, so this might be a vehicle for a George Cloony or Jude Law type.
Even though superficialities prevail, there were several interesting tidbits scattered here and there based, I hope, on the author’s fact-filled research
Being a life long land-locked Midwesterner, I’m profoundly ignorant regarding sailing. However, I enjoy sea stories, and usually learn something about the techniques of handling the old wooden ships from them. For example, I’ve always considered the lookout seaman’s function simply to be alert for far-off sails or land masses. In this tale, however, we have a more compelling picture of the operation – there is a description of the intricate interaction, via hand signals, of the sharp-eyed lookout (in this case, a woman) atop the mast and the helmsman far below as the ship maneuvers through a shallow coral reef..
Further, the carnage after being bombarded with a broadside from a ship-of-the-line must have been horrendous – fragments of splinters, sailcloth, human tissue wreaking havoc.
There is also a description of a new (at the time) French “weapon of mass destruction”, a small shot- and explosive-filled bottle with a short fuse attached. The interior fragments, resembling fruit seeds, give the device the French name for pomegranate, “grenade”
Early on in the text, Crichton provides a detailed look at the morning toilet rituals of a gentleman of the day, in this case the governor of Jamaica. Among several others, his habits included application of a paste of olive oil, ashes, and ground earthworms to prevent his hair whitening and the use of another paste composed of ground rabbit’s head, pomegranate peel and peach blossom as a finger-applied tooth cleanser. Fashionable facial pallor was achieved by applying white lead and vinegar. Fascinating!
This book is far from being great literature, and, although I’ve never been an addicted fan of Crichton, it’s quite readable and holds one’s attention well. I recommend it as a fast, but light, read.
Reviewed by Ken West
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