Tag: Books

Sailing Back to Treasure Island

On By cherylmahoneyIn Historical Fiction, Reviews2 Comments

I think we all know that pirates are kind of an interest for me.  So naturally I was intrigued by the prospect of a sequel to one of the great classic pirate stories, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.  Often I have big objections to sequels to classics, but this particular classic falls into a nice middle area, where I’m interested, but I’m not so attached that I hold it too sacred for a new author to attempt a story.

Silver: Return to Treasure Island by Andrew Motion is told by a different Jim Hawkins, the son of the original.  This Jim is eighteen years old and thoroughly sick of his father’s stories about his glory days on Treasure Island.  Nevertheless, he can’t resist following when he’s approached by Natty, the daughter of Long John Silver.  Natty’s dying father has prepared a new expedition to Treasure Island.  Jim steals his father’s map, and he and Natty set off, hoping to find a cache of silver that the last expedition left behind.

What they find are ghosts of the past–the nephew of a man the original Jim Hawkins killed; three pirates marooned by the last party, now inflicting barbarities on a group of castaways; and always the looming memories of the first Jim Hawkins and of Long John Silver.

This story stands largely on its own, with almost the entire cast consisting of new characters, and an entirely new plot.  The events of the previous book are obviously essential, though, so I wouldn’t read this without any knowledge of the original.  That said, I think even a small knowledge would be enough, such as a familiarity with a retelling (and while we’re on that subject, Muppet Treasure Island is my favorite version!)

The writing is excellent here.  There’s a formality to it that harkens back to the original book, without going too far and sounding stiff to a modern audience.  There are wonderful descriptions, particularly of nature, which is described not only in terms of appearance but very much in mood, sometimes being almost anthropomorphized.

Jim (the younger) is a thoughtful character, who explores his own feelings and motivations, and makes interesting observations on other characters as well.  Natty is a wilder character and harder to read, but there are glimpses that make her engaging and demonstrate her complexity.

We only get a little of Jim the older, and of Long John Silver, but something interesting happens with them.  I feel I have to give a little context here–in almost every adaptation I’ve seen, there’s a complicated relationship between Jim and Long John, a love-hate situation where Long John plays almost a fatherly role.  In the original, Jim pretty much sees Long John as a devious pirate and it’s all much simpler (and less interesting).  Here, Jim describes the relationship as the book tells it–but Long John seems to remember it as the more complex relationship that we see in adaptations.  It’s an interesting balance.

The adventures in the book are tense and exciting.  There are stretches that are quieter, but the action is good when it comes.  This gets pretty dark in spots, but never quite goes too far.  It’s obvious there are very horrible things happening on Treasure Island, and there isn’t much doubt about what–but we never got it in such detail as to be too awful.  It does edge up very close to a disturbing area though, so reader beware!  There are also some hints at the very beginning of something quite odd in Natty and Long John’s relationship, but that’s never elaborated on–which to be honest, I thought was just as well!

I did think the book mis-stepped in other places by not elaborating, as Motion mostly avoids the thornier issues.  Long John Silver is married to “a colored woman,” I think based on a reference in the original book, which means Natty is mixed race.  In 1802, she would have faced enormous prejudice because of that; here, it’s skated right past.  When Jim finds out, he remarks once that it doesn’t change how much he’s drawn to her, and that’s all.  While that’s certainly admirable of him (by modern standards), it feels anachronistic.  History’s attitudes may disturb a modern reader, but this reaction in a young white man of the early 1800s makes Jim almost impossibly progressive.

The situation is similar when slavery comes up (and it plays a significant part in the plot).  All the good characters are apparently abolitionists, with no need to even discuss the question–even though this is five years before England ended the slave trade, and 30 years before slavery was outlawed in the British Empire.  Of course I don’t think the immorality of slavery is a complicated question, but it should have been a complicated one for characters living in 1802, and I think Motion oversimplified.

I won’t say that the simplification spoiled my reading of the book by any means–but I think this was a good book that had the potential to delve a little deeper, and in a way that would have been more realistic.

This is definitely worth the read if you like historical fiction about pirates and buried treasure, and especially if you enjoy the original.  Which I also recommend–along with Muppet Treasure Island. 🙂

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Other reviews:
Minding Spot
A Bookworm’s World
Man of La Book
The Literateur
Anyone else?

In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes

On By cherylmahoneyIn Historical Fiction, Reviews7 Comments

I brought a great stack of British books with me when I went to London, many of which I hope to share with you.  I thought I’d start off with Sherlock Holmes, which kills several birds with one stone.  It’s a good book for the R.I.P. Challenge, and also lets me share a little about my trip!

First, the book review.  I’ve read a lot of Sherlock Holmes stories and novels in the past, and to be honest, when I look at titles I’m not always sure which ones I’ve read!  But I was almost sure The Valley of Fear was a new-to-me book (and it was), so I brought that one with me to London.  It turned out to be an interesting mix of a novel.

It opens, as most Holmes stories do, with Holmes and Watson invited to look into a strange case.  A man is found dead in his home out in the country–complicating the situation, his home is an old fortress, complete with moat.  The drawbridge was up, so how did the murderer get in, and where did he go?  There are a few strange details about the crime scene and the other people in the house.  The murdered man seems to have had something dark in his past, but the only clue is a vague reference to “the Valley of Fear.”

So it’s essentially standard Holmes fare, and a good mystery with a clever resolution.  Holmes is in fine form, it’s always nice to visit with him and Watson, and all in all it’s a good Holmes story.  The biggest point of interest for me is that Moriarty is referenced here.  I had always previously thought that he was only in the single short story (and, of course, many adaptations).  There’s more about him here, which explains a lot.

The funny thing about this book is that it’s in two parts.  Part One I described above–Part Two is a flashback into one character’s past in the Valley of Fear.  I feel like I can see here Doyle’s desire to get away from Holmes, because he’s essentially given us a non-Holmes novella in the middle of a Holmes novel.  It’s interesting enough, but not as good as the section with Holmes.

It suffers also from a rather peculiar problem which is hard to discuss without spoilers.  Doing my best…there’s a twist near the end which changes almost everything that came before it.  The problem is, in order to give the impression which leads to the shocking twist, for most of the book we’re dealing with very unlikable characters.  It might have been better as a short story, when we wouldn’t have to spend quite as much time with unpleasant people.

Even so, if you’re a Holmes fan, this is definitely worth reading for the mystery in the first half, and the insight into Moriarty.  And it was a great choice for my trip, because I was in a Holmes mood.  You see, one of the places I visited was 221B Baker Street.

I had heard it was a tourist trap, but it was better than reported–at least, part of it.  As I think about it, the museum actually has a fair bit in common with The Valley of Fear.  It opens splendid and very Holmesian, and then diminishes as you go.

221B Baker Street, of course, is the home of Holmes and Watson.  It’s very vertical–you get to visit three small floors.  The first level has the parlor and Holmes’ bedroom, and this level is absolutely superb.  Every detail you could want is there, with Irene Adler’s photo on the mantel, Holmes’ tobacco in a slipper, and Watson’s medical bag on a chair.  In Holmes’ room there’s an open book on beekeeping, which he took up after he retired from detective work–it’s those little details that really impressed me.

The next floor is sort of Watson’s room and Mrs. Hudson’s room (although I never had the impression before that the landlady lived in the same apartment…)  This level is a mix of period things and Holmes memorabilia.  Both are interesting, but they do sit a little oddly together.

The third floor is fairly dreadful.  It’s all done up with mannequins meant to be characters from different stories, and for whatever reason they made choices towards the macabre and the grotesque.  It’s all rather creepy–and I was there at ten in the morning.  I shudder to think what it’s like in the dark.

But like The Valley of Fear, the museum is all worth it for the beginning.  The parlor makes you feel like you’ve stepped into the stories.

Stay tuned this Saturday for more pictures from 221B Baker Street.  I’m anticipating a Holmes-themed Saturday Snapshot!

Other reviews:
Lucy’s Bookshelf
The Literary Omnivore
The Flying Inn
Anyone else?

Saturday Snapshot: Travel Books

On By cherylmahoneyIn Saturday Snapshot15 Comments

I got back last week from my trip to London and Paris 🙂 and still need to do a lot of sorting through my nearly 800 photos!  So rest assured, you’ll be seeing many travel photos in weeks to come…

This week, because I haven’t figured out yet which shot of Admiral Nelson or which angle of the Peter Pan Statue is best, I have something travel-related but different.  I asked blog readers for advice on books for while I traveled, so I thought I ought to share what I ended up reading!

It is SO much fun to sit in Kensington Gardens reading the last chapter of J. M. Barrie’s The Little White Bird or Adventures in Kensington Gardens, or to sit in the lower level of the Paris Opera House reading Susan Kay’s Phantom (while waiting for a tour, I wasn’t just prowling…)

I always try to bring books that will connect me to the cities I’m visiting.  My trips tend to turn into literary pilgrimages to places I’ve read about, so it makes sense to read about the places while I’m there.  Not everything in the stack is set in London or Paris, but Susan Kay’s Phantom was brilliant for setting me in Paris, and all the others are at least British–except The Poetry of Lucy Maud Montgomery which has nothing to do with anything.  But L. M. Montgomery falls into the “don’t leave home without it” category.

And I had a nice time reading Montgomery’s nature poetry while on a boat on the Thames.  So it all worked out.

And these were all good books, most of which I plan to review.  Besides sorting photos, I have lots of book reviews to write…

Come back soon for book reviews and more photos!  In the meantime, check out At Home with Books for more Saturday Snapshots.

Quotable S. I. Hiyakawa

On By cherylmahoneyIn Quotable1 Comment

“It is not true that we only have one life to live; if we can read, we can live as many lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.”

– S. I. Hiyakawa

Classic Review: The Little White Bird

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Reviews2 Comments

A quick update today, to say that I just got back from my trip to London and Paris.  I scheduled posts ahead, but if you noticed a distinct silence in the comments, that was why.  The trip was amazing 🙂 and you will be hearing (and seeing) more about it soon!  While I’m getting back on top of things, I have another classic review today, very relevant to my recent trip.

My hotel in London was near Kensington Gardens for a variety of reasons.  It really was a practical choice.  But I also stayed in that part of town because of J. M. Barrie.  The author of Peter Pan, he lived near Kensington Gardens, where he met the Davies boys, the real life inspirations for Peter.  He wrote another book inspired by the Davies, featuring Peter in a cameo.  It’s really that book, The Little White Bird, that’s given me my fascination with Kensington Gardens.

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It really all began in the The Little White Bird.  It’s very possibly my favorite J. M. Barrie book, even over and above Peter Pan.

The Little White Bird; or Adventures in Kensington Gardens is a tale about a man who befriends a little boy, and has adventures with him in London and Kensington Gardens.  If you’re not already suspecting the autobiographical nature of this novel, the little boy’s name is David.  Historically, J. M. Barrie befriended the Davies brothers in Kensington Gardens.  Not too subtle!  He also has a dog named Porthos, as did Mr. Barrie.  The man in the story is left unnamed.  He’s referred to as Captain W–.  I somehow picked up the habit of calling him the kindly old gentleman.

A review in The Times said of the book when it was first published, “The peculiar quality of The Little White Bird…is it’s J.-M.-Barrie-ness…whimsical, sentimental, profound, ridiculous Barrie-ness…Mr. Barrie has given us the best of himself, and we can think of no higher praise.”

I couldn’t put it better.  The Barrie-ness is often the best part of Mr. Barrie’s books.  The charm, the whimsy, the flights of fancy, the sweet sadness…the book is funny and tragic, absurd and heartbreaking, and sometimes all at the same time.  The tragedy, for the kindly old gentleman at least, is that David doesn’t really belong to him, and will one day grow up and leave him.

And there we come to the Peter Pan connection.  Besides thematic connections, there are also four chapters in the middle of the book that are about Peter.  They’re almost oddly unrelated to the rest, other than by geography, but I think they’re meant to be stories that the kindly old gentleman tells David.  In Peter Pan, Peter tells Wendy, “I want always to be a little boy and to have fun.  So I ran away to Kensington Gardens and lived a long, long time with the fairies.”  And this is that story.

We read about Peter’s running away from home, find out why he doesn’t grow up, see him meet the fairies, and also meet a girl he knew long before there was Wendy.  This is before Peter went to Neverland (although an island features) and the Lost Boys and Tinkerbell are yet to come on the scene, but there are other wonderful magical creatures and adventures.  The four chapters about Peter, along with one chapter giving a Grand Tour of the gardens, have been excerpted and published as Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, with lovely illustrations by Arthur Rackham.

The Baby’s Walk

The Grand Tour (and map) is especially wonderful, because if you’re ever in London, I highly recommend spending an afternoon in Kensington Gardens with The Little White Bird in one hand.  It’s what I’ve done, and I spent a couple of hours going, “Oh, there’s Mabel Gray’s gate!  And the Round Pond!  And that must be the Baby Walk!  And this is probably the weeping beech where Peter sat!”  Even a century later, I was able to find almost everything J. M. Barrie described.  And it’s a little easier to get to Kensington Gardens than to figure out which star is the second one to the right.

One more note on The Little White Bird–George Davies, who was the chief inspiration for David, took a copy of the book with him to the trenches in World War I.  I think that’s one of the saddest and sweetest things I ever heard.

Even in much less dire reading circumstances, it’s a lovely and enjoyable book–and, of course, magical too.