| Title | : | Captains Courageous |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0543895882 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780543895882 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 161 |
| Publication | : | First published March 1, 1897 |
A pampered millionaire's son tumbles overboard from a luxury liner and falls into good fortune, disguised in the form of a fishing boat. The gruff and hearty crew teach the young man to be worth his salt as they fish the waters off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Brimming with adventure and humor.
Captains Courageous Reviews
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Say what again?
Harvey Cheyne Jr is a pampered child travelling with his wealthy parents in a transatlantic steamship through the Grand Banks. Accidentally falling from the ship, he is miraculously later rescued by a common casual sailor. By those hard chances of fate, he forcedly awakens to a new life as mariner and fisherman, trying to earn his keep, awaiting the day he can finally reunite with his family again.
Few times I disliked a book so much, reading this incomprehensible thing was an extremely painful experience like few other I wish I could forget. The sea language used by Kipling in this work has unspeakable grammatical deviations, countless abbreviations, and a marine vocabulary sometimes indecipherable, maybe very pertaining to the era it was written (1800’s), but today excessively difficult to read and an unbearable torment to endure. The story overall is good and moderately interesting, if you can get past the linguistic maze that surrounds it, or you are familiar with Kipling’s style of writing. None of which was my case.
Still remaining, the movie (1937).
It’s public domain, you can find it
HERE.
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PERSONAL NOTE:
[1897] [160p] [Classics] [1.5] [Not Recommendable]
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¿Qué dijiste?
Harvey Cheyne Jr es un niño malcriado viajando con sus acaudalados padres en un transatlántico a vapor a través de los Grandes Bancos. Al caer accidentalmente del barco, es luego milagrosamente salvado por un común y casual navegante. Por esas duras chances del destino, despierta forzadamente en una nueva vida como marino y pescador, tratando de ganarse el pan del día, esperando algún día poder reunirse finalmente de nuevo con su familia.
Pocas veces me desagradó tanto un libro, leer esta cosa incomprensible fue una experiencia extremadamente dolorosa como pocas veces que desearía poder olvidar. El lenguaje de mar utilizado por Kipling en esta obra tiene indecibles desviaciones gramaticales, innumerables abreviaciones, y un vocabulario marítimo a veces indescifrable, tal vez muy acorde a la época donde transcurre (1800), pero hoy excesivamente difícil de leer y un insufrible tormento de soportar. La historia a grandes rasgos es buena y medianamente interesante, si se puede obviar todo el laberinto linguístico que la rodea, o si estás familiarizado con el estilo de escritura de Kipling. Ninguno era mi caso.
Queda pendiente, la película (1937).
Es dominio público. Lo pueden encontrar
ACA.
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NOTA PERSONAL:
[1897] [160p] [Clásicos] [1.5] [No Recomendable]
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CUCCIOLO D’UOMO CRESCE
Questa ‘still’ di Spencer Tracy insieme a Freddie Bartholomey al timone della nave è l’immagine più famosa del film.
Tra i suoi due romanzi più famosi, Il libro della giungla del 1894 e Kim del 1901, si colloca questo Capitani coraggiosi del 1897. Kipling è un cantore del Commonwealth, cioè dell’imperialismo inglese, che per lui è un grandioso incrocio di razze con la bianca inglese a fare da capofila. Io, invece, sono stupito pensando che il Commonwealth non solo esista tuttora, ma raggruppi ancora ben 54 stati.
L’adulto insegna al ragazzino a guardare lontano.
Con Capitani coraggiosi siamo non solo nella letteratura per ragazzi (Young Adult?) e nella narrativa d’avventura, ma in pieno coming-of-age, romanzo di formazione. Libro educativo, edificante, che racconta la storia di un quindicenne, Harvey, ricco, viziato, strafottente, sostanzialmente maleducato, che cade in mare dal transatlantico che lo sta conducendo in Europa: viene fortunosamente e fortunatamente ripescato da un peschereccio, il We’re Here, dove passerà mesi imparando il mestiere. Ma soprattutto imparando a vivere, a faticare, a guadagnare il pane, a rispettare gli altri e il lavoro.
I due adolescenti protagonisti, Freddie Bartholomew/Harvey, all’epoca tredicenne, e Michey Rooney/Dan, che di anni ne aveva diciassette, ma ‘grazie’ alla sua modesta altezza continuava a sembrare più piccolo.
La parte che ho preferito è l’amicizia tra i due ragazzi, il protagonista e Danny, il figlio del capitano del peschereccio, una di quelle profonde amicizie ai limiti dell’amore tipiche dell’età.
Mesi nell’Atlantico del Nord, tra l’Islanda e Terranova, le Azzorre a sud, pescandfo merluzzi, imparando la disciplina, imparando a ubbidire, con maestri pescatori, marinai, e sopra tutti il capitano Disko Troop.
Un altro ‘cucciolo d’uomo’ che cresce, un altro Mowgli o un altro Kim che da adolescente diventa uomo. Il mare e le onde invece della giungla.
Spencer Tracy, Freddie Bartholomew e Lionel Barrymore.
Un libro che plasma e insegna che dietro a un uomo c’è sempre una storia da raccontare che rispecchia chi è realmente colui che si cela dietro il volto.
Freddie Bartholomew, la star bambina più pagata della storia dopo Shirley Temple, è Harvey , dopo essere già stato David Copperfield: il film è del 1937, diretto dal regista di Via col vento, Victor Fleming, un’altra star bambina nella parte di Dan, il figlio del capitano, Mickey Rooney, Lionel Barrymore nella parte di suo padre, Disko, il capitano del peschereccio, Spencer Tracy in quella di Manuel, il nostromo, e Melvyn Douglas che interpreta il padre di Harvey. Freddie Bartholomew era una vera star, che aveva esordito già a tre anni, e da adolescente guadagnava 2500 dollari alla settimana.
Spencer Tracy con John Carradine, indimenticabile in “Stagecoach – Ombre rosse”, padre di David, Keith e Robert, tutti e tre attori (più il primogenito Chris che però si è tenuto lontano da schermo e palcoscenico.
Infatti, i suoi genitori, che Freddie praticamente non conosceva dato che dall’età dell’esordio artistico era andato a vivere con la zia zitella sorella del padre, i suoi genitori quando lo videro guadagnare così bene avviarono pratiche legali per riprendersi la custodia della piccola miniera d’oro a due gambe: ironia della sorte, la battaglia legale fu così lunga e dispendiosa che Freddie Bartholomew ci spese tutti i suoi guadagni. Con la seconda Guerra Mondiale rimase lontano dallo schermo troppo a lungo per poter ritornare a brillare come prima: così, dopo anni oscuri di recitazione sui palcoscenici di mezzo mondo, si ritagliò una buona carriera come regista e produttore televisivo di soap opera. Capitani coraggiosi rimase il suo più grande successo.
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Harvey Cheyne Jr. an arrogant fifteen -year- old, greatly disliked by the annoyed passengers, spoiled son of a multi -millionaire railroad tycoon from San Diego, ( my hometown) is being taken to Europe by his parents on a luxury liner, a steamship, set in the late nineteenth century. As they enter the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, a fertile fishing area, Harvey is seasick, not helped by smoking a strong cigar, he needs fresh air fast, going on deck his legs are a bit wobbly,
head aching too, a rough sea's giant wave throws him overboard, the unconscious boy floats on the foaming surface...doomed. Fortunately the fishing- fleet is all around there and a Portuguese fisherman, Manuel, from Madeira Island, (been there also) on a dory, a small fishing vessel used to catch cod, is surprised seeing the strange object, as Harvey will be when he awakes on board the parent boat. At first the teenager doesn't know where... but soon telling the owner captain, Disko Troop, of the seventy- ton schooner, "We're Here ", from Gloucester, Massachusetts, to take him to New York. His rich father will pay him a vast amount of money for this little trip. The skeptical man cannot believe this fair tale from a penniless boy, instead hires him at ten and a half dollars a month as a common fisherman, indignant...yet Harvey needs to eat.The captain's son the same age, Dan is, becomes his best friend, the bright kid learns fast, helping the other eight men on board the boat, they quickly give him their respect, through hard work, in the back-breaking, slimy job, he has rightly earned. The environment turns strangers into friends , then family ( his busy father and emotional mother neglected him), the dangers of the treacherous ocean, where many of the brave die, lost in the thick fogs of the banks, are almost forgotten, for the first time in his life Harvey feels useful, he is contributing to a cause, joining with fellow men...happy, even when he recites stories of his wealth, they the fishermen smile but don't believe, it does not anger Mr. Cheyne anymore, he is a man now...Kipling is a magnificent writer, he shows how people interact with each person in a realistic way, the emotions and dispair of everyday life. This short novel will entertain but also give the reader something to think about , if you give people a chance , most will reciprocate the kindness. -
I'm writing this review to honour the likes that my friends have bestowed upon this book.
I tried to take part in a bookish bingo challenge, and, patting myself on the back, I got this Rudyard Kipling booklet. How awful could it get, right?
It was so poorly paced that I thought I was reading a 900 paged book. Avoid this at all cost. -
I read most of this aloud to my older boys as I was putting them to sleep at night, and I think that's probably the best way to navigate through Kipling's tale. It's a lot of fun, but if you're reading silently, not trying on the accents as Kipling's written them, I think you miss a lot. This book is chock full of sailing terms that Kipling never explains, nor does he provide a glossary, but I liked this. Much of the time, I didn't understand what the characters were talking about in their daily business of sailing and fishing, but in a way my experience mirrored that of the main character, spoiled landlubber brat who is forced to get his sea legs. Kipling's narration somewhat mirrors the slang and dialect of his characters, so it is very much a character itself, and I'm glad he didn't step out of it to explain the slang and terms. It would have shattered the illusion. A lot of readers don't like this. They want to understand everything they read. I think some literature, like some film, can be an unexplainable but nevertheless vivid experience, like a Terence Malick film with much more humor and swagger. We all celebrate Shakespeare, but if you don't allow the swing and rhythm of his language to envelop you, you're going to work very hard to explain every line to yourself rather than just experience it as it unfolds. This book is the same way.
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This book was a refreshing change from modern life. Suddenly I found myself among cod fisherman, learning the ropes alongside our hero, Harvey, and listening to sea ditties (thanks to the vastly entertaining Audible version of this book). Kipling brings pure adventure with his lively plots filled with near misses, ghostly fog, and surly sailors. His skillful writing always makes me pause. There are many interesting turns of phrase but also great variety in the types of sentences, verb selections and wry observations of humanity in his work. I enjoyed this book so much more than I expected to.
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This was a book I read as background for teaching British Literature, back when Barb and I were homeschooling our girls. My prior acquaintance with Kipling consisted of having read The Jungle Book as a kid, plus some of his short and short-ish fiction and a handful of his poems. (Though this novella is not long, either --it runs to about 147 pages of actual text, though some editions have introductory material.)
15-year-old Harvey Cheyne is the arrogant, self-centered, spoiled-brat son of a "robber-baron" style millionaire. The boy's on his way to Europe on a luxury liner, for a stint at a (no doubt pricey and prestigious) boarding school; but when he accidentally falls overboard off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, and gets saved from drowning by the crew of the fishing boat We're Here out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, he's in for an education of a much different sort. Captain Troop isn't about to return to land until he's ready (which will be in about four months), doesn't believe Harvey's dad is as rich as the boy claims, and isn't impressed with his bluster. In the meantime, he can have his room and board on the boat (and a modest wage), provided he works for it. (Of course, Harvey's never worked a day in his life.) This is the story of his summer at sea, of its immediate aftermath, and a brief (about a page long) look at three of the characters a few years later.
Goodreads' description for its main or default edition declares that this book is, "Brimming with adventure and humor." Adventure may be what readers of Kipling expect. (I don't know about humor in that respect --there is some here in places, but it's definitely not something that stands out as very noticeable.) In the main, though, this is not primarily a tale of adventure. Yes, there are storms at sea, and the wreck of another boat (caused by being rammed in the fog by a large steamship going too fast). But the We're Here is primarily after herring, not Moby Dick; the age of piracy is long over, and war at sea is something in the remote past or the unguessed future. Commercial fishing in 1897 is rough and dangerous work (and, I'd surmise, still is); but this is mainly about the realistic routine of rough work at sea, and about a boy learning to be a man that other people can respect. Erroneous reader expectations going in may account for some low ratings and unflattering reviews the book gets; Kipling is usually associated with the Romantic school, but this is no romance of high adventure at sea. Instead, he's writing here very much in the Realist style. That accounts for his use of New England dialect for some characters' speech, which some critical reviewers also complain of, but which he handles pitch-perfectly. (Kipling lived in Vermont from 1892-1896, and wrote Captains Courageous during that time.)
For the kind of novel this actually is, the tale is skillfully crafted and well told. It conveys, very effectively, important messages about what really is and isn't important in life, what qualities of character a person should aspire to, what responsibilities you have to make your own way in the world (and about how you owe a lot more to the human world around you than the world owes you), and how other human beings ought to be treated. (Kipling also takes a serious look at the parent-child, and particularly father-son relationship, through the exploration of two very different ones. It's not necessarily a spoiler to say that Harvey isn't the only Cheyne who could benefit from learning some lessons.) Vivid, round character development is a strength of the book, and the author displays a profound understanding of human psychology, for both the main and the secondary characters. (Personally, I found Penn one of the most intriguing.) The boat's cook (who claims to have "second sight" --and perhaps does) is a black man, and he's referred to twice here with the n-word, reflecting the way some people of that time would speak; but he's neither a buffoon nor a villain, and I don't think the author's treatment of him is invidious or demeaning.
All in all, IMO, this book is as relevant today as it ever was. Indeed, I'm inclined to think many of today's entitled and irresponsible teens (who may be as pampered as millionaries' sons were in 1897) could benefit from a shove into the water near a boat like the We're Here.
A couple of side notes: the odd title here comes from a popular ballad of that day, "Mary Ambree," which opens with the line, ""When captains courageous, whom death could not daunt...." Also, the 1996 movie adaptation starring Robert Urich (
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115825/ ) drastically changes the ending here in order to ratchet up the drama. It's good enough as its own story --and should have been made with the proper names changed to make it its own, different story-- but as an adaptation I'd have to give it very low marks. -
A story of how one 15-year-old rich boy's moment of bad luck changes his life, from spoiled brat to a mature, better person with solid values who can work well with others and doesn't need to prove his worth with questionable things and boasting.
Forced to spend a summer with fishermen (no radios or other ways to communicate where he is) - no chance that the men would drop him off after picking him up from the sea where he had fallen - he gets a good glimpse as he works with them of what their life is like... and gradually his flaws are replaced with the things I've mentioned.
It's nice to see in the end that even after the summer he stays in contact with them (particularly Dan, a boy near his age who was one of the crew on that boat); he's definitely heading for a better future, a better man that what would've been if he hadn't had that moment of misfortune, falling off the big ship into the life on fishermen's boat called "We're Here".
I read this first somewhere around my early teens - no Nancy Drew or other aimed-for-girls books for me, I read adventure, mystery and scifi books most of the time - it was then in its Finnish translation; I still love this book. A great adventure. :) -
This is Kipling's only novel concerning North America. It is consistent with his others in the underlying theme that experience is the great teacher. Harvey Cheyne is a coddled adolescent whose parents' wealth he takes for granted. The bulk of the story concerns his going over the rail on an Atlantic steamship crossing and being rescued by the crew of a Great Banks fishing boat.
Kipling has done a lot of research on North Atlantic fishing and the New England fishing crews. He gets the details right (as he does with his shorter description of American railroads late in the story). Much of the plot is predictable and the details not nearly as interestingly presented as Patrick O'Brian does in his books called the Aubrey-Maturin series.
Glad I read it, but the old movie with Spencer Tracey was quite adequate. -
Second reading November 2016
First reading: August 2014
I didn't really expect to love a sailor's story but clearly I didn't have any idea how much Leadership Education can be cultivated on the dangerous fishing lines of the Atlantic. The book is totally different than anything else I have read by Kipling. It is an American story (as opposed to his more typical Indian writing), high adventure, perfect for boys (I couldn't keep my 7 year old away) (not to say that girls wouldn't enjoy it too) and chock full of timeless lessons in how to become a real man. I cannot more highly recommend this as a Leadership Education classic that is family friendly and accessible as young as 6 or 7 as a family read aloud.
I did find that I struggled to understand the lingo on the ship. I purchased the David Stuart Brilliance Audio version from Audible and it came to life for me. Stuart sang, spoke in accents and clearly articulated the jargon in such a way that I intuitively understood more of the meaning than I would have had I just been reading a spine. The audio was a treat! -
Finished reading this with the kids. Enjoyed it, just didn't love it. The last section should have ended about 20 pages earlier. It was like Kipling hit the natural climax for the story and then felt he needed to write another twenty pages to make somebody happy and decided to just phone-it-in (or the equivalent to phoning-it-in would be in 1897).
The story was interesting, but just not THAT interesting. I guess I would class this as a minor sea story and a minor Kipling. If you are into Sea Stories AND Kipling, for sure, don't skip this book. Otherwise, I'd stick with Kim and Moby-Dick. -
Another book that I listened to on my morning walk. Trying to add to my list of books that I think that I've read but actually hadn't read. The idea for this story was better than the actual telling of it. Love the idea of a rich, entitled boy learning to work for his keep. But this book seemed to have too many names and details to keep me engaged. I found my mind wandering...
Perhaps it is better in print than audio? Although, no fault of the reader. -
my favourite leftist. such a great advocate for equality.
"Να σε συγχωρώ, πλέον αδιαφορώ
Και μπροστά προχωρώ
Δεν είσαι εδώ"
anyway, i got it for free from a newspaper and i read it. it's boring. the movie may be watchable i don't know, haven't seen it. the drawings are nice -
If you take a look at the informative channels on cable tv like National Geographic, Discovery, and Animal Planet, you will notice that there are a lot of programs about fishing. Deadliest Catch, Monster Fish, Wicked Tuna. Good to see fishermen plying their trade and makes one appreciate a job most people in cities do not give importance to.
But a century before these shows, there was a book that portrayed fishing and the folks whose lives depend on it. But it wasn't just a book about fishing; it was also a tale of a coming of age for a spoilt brat who thought himself an untouchable prince. Fallen from a ship where he was a passenger, Harvey Cheyne also fell from the lofty pedestal he was on. Aided by "rough" but worldy-wise fishermen, Harvey Cheyne emerged from a cocoon of luxury and detachment and into the real world where people can be your real teachers, mentors, companions, and friends. Where work is not a source of shame but a virtue worthy to be proud of and not only keeps someone alive, but actually gives you the essence of LIVING.
In a modern age of a yawning gap between the haves and the have-nots, Captains Courageous is a fitting book for people to know the importance of hard work for success, especially for persons who were born with silver spoons in their mouths; that real life is not just about having iPhones, iPads, and material things. It is not just about I, I, I. It is also about WE, WE, WE. There is a wide world out there to discover, where life is not just handed to you on a platter. You have to work it and LIVE it. -
Un racconto per ragazzi che ho letto soltanto adesso, da adulto. Nonostante sia stato scritto a fine '800, resta un bel romanzo di formazione che, purtroppo, non so quanti giovani di oggi saprebbero apprezzare davvero. Il libro è sicuramente più godibile se letto prima dei 15 anni, ma se come me siete appassionati di racconti di mare consiglio la lettura a tutte le età. Il mio voto: 3,5 stelle.
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Now, I know it’s not fair to judge a book on its movie (or vice versa), but I totally did. I love the adaptation of this story so much, but the book just doesn’t live up. No Harvey/Manuel relationship, and Harvey’s character arc happens in the space of a single chapter in the first quarter of the book. The rest is all interesting and colorful accounts of fishing life—and some didactic moralizing later on—but it doesn’t live up to Freddie Bartholomew and Spencer Tracy.
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I’m a big Kipling fan but this novel so far is my least favourite work of his.
“Captains Courageous”, opens with the spoilt callow school boy protagonist Harvey falling into the sea from an ocean liner off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. He is rescued by a nearby dory from the cod fishing schooner, “We’re Here”. The captain employs him as the, “second boy” and he remains on board learning about the sea and fishing from the crew over the summer season.
Note the subtitle of the book - , “A Story of the Grand Banks”. The Banks are one of the world’s richest fishing grounds for species such as cod and haddock. The, “We’re Here’s”, home port is Gloucester that Kipling describes in his autobiography as the, “metropolis”, of cod fishing. In the final chapter Harvey proudly describes himself to his father as a, “Banker—full-blooded Banker”.
Kipling dedicates the novel to, “James Conland, M. D., Brattleboro, Vermont”. Kipling had lived in Brattleboro for four years and said he was, ”the best friend I made in New England.” According to Christopher Benfey who wrote, “If: The Untold Story of Kipling's American Years”, it was at Brattleboro that Kipling wrote some of his best works including “The Jungle Book” and “The Second Jungle Book”, “Captains Courageous,” and the first draft of “Kim.”
Unlike some of his contemporaries - Herman Melville, Joseph Conrad and Jack London who had all also written famous seafaring adventures - Kipling had no first hand experience of the hardships of working for months at sea as a sailor. He had spent time at sea but only as a paid passenger on steamers and ocean liners. To address this gap he engaged the help of Conland who had worked as a cod fisher in his youth, see below from his autobiography -
“One thing leading to another, as happens in this world, I embarked on a little book which was called Captains Courageous. My part was the writing; his the details.”
However this resulted in some criticism that the book was a mere collection of facts keeping in mind Kipling’s background as a journalist. See below the following passage from his autobiography written nearly 40 years later where he addressed this issue -
“Yet the book was not all reportage. I wanted to see if I could catch and hold something of a rather beautiful localised American atmosphere that was already beginning to fade. Thanks to Conland I came near this.”
One of my problems with the book is Harvey’s rapid transformation in character. Once he was rescued he demanded to be taken back to New York, a 1,000 mile trip. This would have resulted in the loss of eight men’s wages for an entire fishing season. However all it took was one punch in the nose from the captain and Harvey decided to accept his offer of employment. From then on he worked hard to become a productive member of the crew.
Another problem for me is the speed record breaking train trip that Harvey’s parents took across the US in order to meet him after he returned to shore. Kipling explains in his autobiography how he received help from a railway magnate in writing the passage. He then proudly goes on to say -
“..a real live railway magnate was so moved after reading the book that he called out his engines and called out his men, hitched up his own private car, and set himself to beat my time on paper over the identical route, and succeeded.”
Wikipedia described it, “as a classic of railway literature”. However I didn’t really understand the urgency given that Harvey was safe and well. The father was a multimillionaire who owned railways, and so the record was virtually a forgone conclusion.
Book recommendation - Cod: A biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlanksy -
Παρά το "βαρύ" όνομα του συγγραφέα, το βιβλίο δεν μ΄ ενθουσίασε...
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An interesting adventure voyage story wasn’t expecting this genre by the author you can tell in some places he struggled to write
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Like a lot of reviewers here I was SUPPOSED to read this book in grade school, but that never happened. I tried again my junior year of college and stopped 40 or 50 pages into it. So now at forty years old I decided I would finally read it cover-to-cover, no matter what. The copy that I read is literally the same 1964 version that I started some 30 years ago. The yellow pages and old-fashioned library smell of the book actually added to the experience.
When I finish a really good book I always feel a sense of sadness because I will miss the characters and I will never find out the details of the rest of their lives. With Captains Courageous I found myself 30 pages from the last page wishing it would end. Unfortunately the last 30 pages are also the least exciting of the book. Once the story is removed from the boat itself, the pages just drag on and on.
Don’t get me wrong, I did not hate this book. It was a good story with likeable and original characters. But the dialogue was difficult to follow and on occasion there seems to be just page after page of meaningless narration.
Another oddity of this book is that the most monumental moments seem to be given the least amount of attention. While descriptions of the fog may go on for hundreds of words, catastrophic events are nothing more than a blip on the page. I found myself constantly backing up to re-read passages and asking myself, “Did someone just drown?” and then a few chapters later, “What happened? Did a boat just sink?”
And then onto another 1500 words about Harve’s rowing technique.
Again, I did not hate this book and I am glad that after 30 years of failed attempts I did finally finish it. But when I sit down to read tonight, part of me will be glad that I’ve moved on to something else. -
When Rudyard Kipling was staying in Vermont in February 1896 he listened to the stories of the local physician telling about his time on a schooner thirty years before. That gave Kipling the idea to write “Captains Courageous.” Kipling said he tried to change his writing style for the book using allegory, parable, and metaphor to suit his subject.
The story of “Captains Courageous” like that of the earlier “Jungle Book” is of a boy who finds himself in a new environment and is profoundly affected by the experience. The protagonist, Harvey Cheyne is a fifteen year old and has acquired bad habits as an over-indulged son of a millionaire. When he falls into the sea from an ocean liner he is rescued by a Portuguese fisherman, Manuel and is taken to the schooner “We’re Here” whose Captain is Disko Troop. He is made a member of the crew and whipped into shape as a sailor and fisherman. At the end of summer the schooner returns to its home port of Gloucester and Harvey is reunited with his parents.
I believe the book was made into a movie in 1937 starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney. I had read “Kim” by Kipling last year and I do not remember reading this book when I was a kid, so decided to give it a try. Kipling has always been one of my favorite poets. I got this free book from iTunes and read it in iBook's on my iPad. -
Hay al menos dos niveles obvios de lectura. Está la novela de aprendizaje, la conquista de la madurez por compulsión del azar. Y está la meditación político-cultural, la estratificación de clases vista desde dentro de la mentalidad británica. Kipling entrelaza ambas lecturas con maestría. Más todavía, logra situar la atención en tales abstracciones mientras narra episodios concretos que llegan a ser sensoriales. Entonces la lectura se parece a ver una película de aventuras bien contada. Los arquetipos náuticos de aquella época quedaron hoy anticuados, pero se entienden las simpatías y antipatías del autor. La lectura un poco se escora cuando se pone obsecuente con esa idiosincrasia imperialista que privilegia tanto como maltrata. Al mismo Kipling le pasó. Novela inteligente y entretenida. Un poco áspera la traducción castiza para lectores rioplatenses.
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The spoiled son of a railroad tycoon is saved from drowning by the crew of a fishing boat. Now he has to work on the boat until they get back to shore and he learns some valuable life lesson along the way.
To be fair, this is a really strong coming of age concept. The execution makes the story drag a lot though, making it a bit of a struggle to read. The writing style is not exactly inviting and the plot is not always that interesting. -
How a short book by a notable author can be so long is beyond my understanding. When I picked it up, I thought I’ll finish it in half-hour. Two months later, I still couldn’t get past the midpoint. A bit of a bore and so not my thing.
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Free download available at
Project Gutenberg. -
ძალიან კარგი პატარა საყმაწვილო წიგნია, საზღვაო თავგადასავლებით სავსე. მეთევზეებთან მოხვედრილი განებივრებული ბიჭის მაგალითზე შრომის ფასს ასწავლის ახალგაზრდა მკითხველებს.
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I read this book year's ago--in junior high school. I can't remember much--it was one of those adventure sort of novels that we were always reading to keep the boys involved in class. You know what I mean--Lord of the Flies, Call of the Wild, Adventures of Huck Finn...I read all of these when I was 12 or so. Only later in high school, did I delve into books more my taste, books not so decidedly action-adventure.
The only reason I'm writing this review, or even including this on my book shelf for that matter, is the funny memory I have related to this book. It's my 10-year high school reunion this year, so I'm having some flashbacks lately...bare with me.
Anyway, one day, Mrs. Bixel my 8th-grade English teacher (honors of course!) was out sick. Our assignment: silent reading of Captains Courageous. Well, you can imagine, we didn't do much reading--laughing, sitting under our desks, throwing papers, leaving to wander the halls, etc., etc., etc. I can't remember the substitute teacher, but she wrote a scathing report and must have written up virtually the entire class. Kids who never served detention were written up, really, we must have been awful. I just remember laughing uncontrollably thinking we were so clever and then the next day, like a bad hangover, dealing with the sober facts of Mrs. Bixel's return. She was furious. I had never seen her so angry. I remember, head bowed, studying intently the cover to my copy of Captains Courageous (this one I've selected is NOT the same cover by the way).
I think the crux of the matter: Captains Courageous is a bit of boring read and not appropriate for 8th graders forced to silent read for an hour. -
I absolutely love Kipling!
A spoiled little rich boy on a cruise with his mother falls off a cruise liner & is rescued by a fishing boat. They don't believe him to be the rich kid that he claims & forces him to work for his keep just like everyone else on board for the entire fishing season as they're not able to simply abandon the season just to take him home. Thus begins his education into manhood & character.
The book has a wonderfully uplifting ending & unlike many of the other reviewers who seem intent on demanding equity in society, I find the book incredibly charming, uplifting, & encouraging. Life is not fair nor is it easy or equitable. Some start out life with advantages that others don't get. It is what it is! The lesson is what do we do with what we're given. I realize some people have deep resentment for being forced to read this book in school. I wish I had read it sooner & feel as if it should indeed be required reading. Another reason I feel so strongly about this is the fact that so many today are incapable of comprehending the English language as it was written by such as Kipling, Keats, Shelley, Shakespeare …
They're slothful illiterates & I have no sympathy for any one of them when they are incapable of understanding simple English! -
I started with the paperback copy that I've had for a hundred years but switched over to the Kindle for the ease of getting definitions of the many, many words I didn't know. Sailing terms and also some of the vernacular used by the characters. It was helpful for some of the sailing terms. Oh well. I loved it anyway.
I absolutely loved the descriptions of the sea and the interaction between it and the boats. And Harvey. One of my favorites "...a low, gray mother-wave swung out of the fog, tucked Harvey under one arm, so to speak, and pulled him off and away...". Description of the boat’s movement: “…wriggling about in a silly, aimless way, like a colt at the end of a halter.” And about midway through the book a conversation between the schooner and the sea which the boys understand perfectly. Beautiful! The dialect in which the sailors spoke put the finishing touches on the experience. I felt all the time as though I were tossing about on that sea, smelling the smells of the sea and the fish, and in the midst of those conversations. Reading this book was an experience – I was on that sea with those men in that weather, feeling that fear and exhilaration.
