Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Do you like stories about the seven seas-or shipwrecks-or survival stories-or treasure seekers- or last but not least-PIRATES?

If the answer is yes, then please join us in our Summer of the Pirates!

The stories need to be at least 40 years old(original publishing date).

Since this is a children's/YA buddy read, the books should be approriate for readers of all ages, including children or younger teenagers.

The main goal with this theme is to have fun!

I'll be reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, which I hope is age appropriate for me. I've never read the book before.
I did watch the movie as a kid and my memory is that Long John Silver gave me the creeps (maybe not as much as his food does, though). Robert Newton does a memorable job in the role.
Due to a frustratingly busy schedule, I likely won't get to it until sometime later in July. Aargh!

Good choice, Brian. Silver is a more nuanced character in the book than in the movie.

Captain Blood (1922) by Rafael Sabatini came up on a search for children's pirate books but when I picked it up at the library today it definitely seems more of an adult read. I have read reviews by people who read it when they were 12 and loved it and there are a few genre listings (all second page) - young adult, children, childhood books, kids. It's a commitment at nearly 300 pages so I just want to be sure it qualifies before I dive in! What do you think?

If anyone is looking for a suggestion, I read The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes, a Newbery winner, last year and really liked it!

I read Captain Blood and would say it's suitable since we're also reading YA books. It's a fun read.

I'm about 40 pages in and loving it so far. Thanks.

Good to hear!

Finishing a book is rarely a traumatic experience for me although I know that is a thing for a lot of people. I'm pretty sure I am going to need medication I am so sad to see the last of Captain Blood! Such a great read written by Rafael Sabatini in 1922. I'm told there is a movie but I'm of two minds about seeing it having loved the book so much.

It's an intriguing page turner that was often laugh out loud funny. The characters, particularly Captain Blood and the villians he comes up against are all wonderfully written and I loved the language. I enjoyed reading it out loud. A pirate who doesn't want to be a pirate but has no choice, a love story, an adventure story and even some history. Loved it. Glad I found this summer buddy read!

How is Treasure Island coming, Brian?

Karen, I love Captain Blood the movie so much. You can't go wrong with Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland and especially Basil Rathbone as a French pirate. And you get to see Rathbone's expertise as a fencer.

I'm glad you enjoyed Captain Blood, Karen. It's such a fun read.

I am 2/3 done with Treasure Island and enjoying it very much. It's much more exciting and clearly written than the David Balfour novels Kidnapped / Catriona It has a simpler feel to it, more of a boy's adventure story than those two.
I find it also more enjoyable than The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It's the first RLS novel that I like enough to continue reading beyond my planned endpoint because I really want to see what happens next.
Perhaps I like it so much because I'm just a boy at heart although, apparently, a fairly bloodthirsty one. Whenever I get a bit startled by the violence I just remind myself of how violent the original Grimm fairy tales were.
Having an illustrated version has really helped me visualize the story.

I'm glad you're enjoying the book, Brian. And you're right about Grimm's fairy tales!

I'd like to read Treasure Island. I listened to it a few years ago and really liked the pirate speak, but I bet the book is a whole different experience. I also listened to Kidnapped and loved it. Could be because it was read by Michael Page and I'd sit and listen to him read the phone book A-Z! Still mourning Captain Blood. :(

Melanie wrote: "Karen, I love Captain Blood the movie so much. You can't go wrong with Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland and especially Basil Rathbone as a French pirate. And you get to see Rathbone's expertise as ..."

My neighbor, who brought the movie to my attention, is also determined that I will watch it, so I guess I will have to look for it! :) Thanks for the encouragement!

Rosemarie, I had thought about reading Captain Blood based on your praise, and Karen's effusive review clinched the decision - I just bought the Kindle of it.
In my youth a friend and I used to pretend playing swashbucklers like Errol Flynn played in his movies, creating storylines as we roamed the neighborhood.
I'm still a fan of Flynn's Robin Hood and his Captain Blood and Sea Hawk portrayals. All three movies are worth watching. I saw Captain Blood again about 8 years ago and it held up for me, though I no longer do pretend swordplay afterwards.

I've finished The Coral Island by R.M. Ballantyne. Three young sailors are ship wrecked on a desert island and successfully there peacefully until an expected visit from-Pirates! Of course!
There are some exciting moments in the book, and surprisingly, some grisly scenes towards the end.

I thought I’d toss Princess Bride in as a possibility. I’ve already read it so I’ll be looking for something else - maybe I’ll read Scarface by Andre Norton. My library has it on hoopla.

I'm sure I read Treasure Island last year - but I enjoy it so much I think I'll re-read it in July.

Great!

I have started Captain Blood and have just run into a familiar real life personage: the infamous Judge Jeffreys. Actually I had never heard of ol' Hanging Judge Jeffreys until he entered another story set at the time of the Monmouth Rebellion in late 17th Century Britain: Lorna Doone

I think I shall enjoy this tale of Doctor Peter Blood. I do think that with that name, Captain is indeed the better career choice.

I've just started The Sea-Hawk by Rafael Sabatini, set in Elizabethan times.

Rosemarie wrote: "I've just started The Sea-Hawk by Rafael Sabatini, set in Elizabethan times."

Rosemarie, I bet that's good. I'm halfway through Captain Blood and so far it has been extremely smooth sailing. I am reading on a Kindle and all my Kindle reads are at the same font so comparisons are possible. When I take a pause from reading this book, I continuously underestimate what I have read based on my previous experience. What feels like 15 pages is always 20 pages instead. (I've now adjusted expectations)
This book flows effortlessly even through relatively sedate unexciting passages. In fact I find the book relatively free from overwrought, over-sensational writing. While that may be just by comparison as I'm just coming off experiencing a great deal of such writing in The Monk, I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of Sabatini's writing.
A pleasure to read, at least at the half-way point.

The Sea Hawk is good so far. I've finished part 1, which is 25% of the book.
Part 2 is the rest of the book.

I just finished Scarface by Andre Norton and I enjoyed the adventure!

That's good to hear!

I finished The Sea-Hawk by Rafael Sabatini. It was good but Captain Blood is still my favourite pirate. The Sea-Hawk did have a terrific ending!

I'm reading an early book by Farley Mowat called The Black Joke, set in the waters of Newfoundland and the island of Saint Pierre.
It's also my Canadian read for July.

I've finished The Black Joke, which is the name of the ship. It's a good adventure story for readers twelve and up, set in Newfoundland before it was part of Canada and also on St Pierre and Miquelon, two islands which are part of France.

My review of Captain Blood https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've just read a short story by Jules Verne called Les revoltes de la Bounty/The Mutineers of the Bounty. It's only three chapters long and deals with the mutiny and what happened to Bligh's group and to the mutineers.

I really enjoyed Captain Blood, and I agree with Brian that it was smooth sailing. I especially enjoyed the verbal sparring between Blood and M. de Rivarol. This book satisfied a need that I didn’t know that I had, and I’m glad we had our Pirate Summer. I hope to read another before it ends.

I'm glad you liked Captain Blood too, Melanie.

Thanks, Rosemarie!

How long is our Pirate Summer? I'm thinking that since I didn't finish reading Treasure Island last year for the Scottish buddy read, I'll read it now.

Our pirate summer ends when summer ends, on September 21, but the thread will stay open after that for further comments.

I've just finished another Jules Verne book, L'école des Robinsons/The School for Robinsons, a ship-wreck book with a twist.