wanderaven's review against another edition
4.0
I wandered into this book knowing only that it was based on a true story and that it was highly recommended by a friend. Actually, he most highly recommended the second and third books in the trilogy, but one must start somewhere.
Roger Byam is our protagonist, a fictional character dropped into an adventure that happened in real life, in the year 1789. The crew of the HMS Bounty, fed up with cruelty of their captain, commandeered the ship and sent him and those who supported him adrift.
This first book follows Byam and others who were unfortunate enough to not be one of the mutineers but were also not set adrift with their captain. Byam makes his way back to Tahiti but remains constantly on the lookout for the next British ship to appear on the horizon.
Mutiny is a classic and very well written seafaring adventure. Though the penalties for muntineering were severe, one can see why men would have been tempted to do so when saddled with a captain who was intolerably cruel with an intemperate personality.
Though I might not have approached this book without the recommendation, I'm happy to have discovered it and will almost certainly continue with the trilogy.
Roger Byam is our protagonist, a fictional character dropped into an adventure that happened in real life, in the year 1789. The crew of the HMS Bounty, fed up with cruelty of their captain, commandeered the ship and sent him and those who supported him adrift.
This first book follows Byam and others who were unfortunate enough to not be one of the mutineers but were also not set adrift with their captain. Byam makes his way back to Tahiti but remains constantly on the lookout for the next British ship to appear on the horizon.
Mutiny is a classic and very well written seafaring adventure. Though the penalties for muntineering were severe, one can see why men would have been tempted to do so when saddled with a captain who was intolerably cruel with an intemperate personality.
Though I might not have approached this book without the recommendation, I'm happy to have discovered it and will almost certainly continue with the trilogy.
summersctle's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
yureikertia's review against another edition
3.0
It's a good book, though you can tell it's from a very different time. The themes of duty, discipline and respect among a crew and how inhumane treatment can and will eventually lead to rebellion and mayhem are interesting but not as deeply investigated as I hoped.
wwatts1734's review against another edition
5.0
There's something about a good story of adversity at sea to get the blood pumping. Robert Louis Stevenson figured that out. He made a name for himself by writing stories of pirates. In "Mutiny on the Bounty", Nordhoff and Hall have hit a home run by writing about mutiny. Their novel takes place in 1789 - 1794 on board the British armed merchantman "Bounty", which traveled from England to Tahiti to pick up a load of Breadfruit trees with the purpose of planting the trees in the West Indies to provide a cheap source of food for slaves in the new world. Although this is a novel, the story of the mutiny is a true story, with lots of drama to go around.
This story actually has five parts to it. The first part is the story of the voyage from England to Tahiti, which highlights the brutality of life in the British navy and the sacrifices of life at sea. The second part is the stay at Tahiti, which is a great description of the natives on the island and the paradise that is life in the South Pacific. The third part is the story of the mutiny itself, which is full of drama. The fourth part is the story of the trip back to England which involved imprisonment and a shipwreck and a desperate trek through thousands of miles of open ocean. The fifth part is the story of the trial of the mutineers, which was also full of drama. The story keeps the reader riveted. The characters are very well developed and the story has lots of twists and surprises.
It is interesting that Captain Bligh was such a tyrannical commander. I often find it interesting that naval officers in works of fiction tend to be so much more psychotic and controlling than officers of other services. Consider Captain Queeg in the "Caine Mutiny" and Captain Ahab in "Moby Dick". Bligh may actually be the worst captain of the lot, although Nordhoff and Hall make him a complex and interesting guy.
I would highly recommend "Mutiny on the Bounty" to anyone.
This story actually has five parts to it. The first part is the story of the voyage from England to Tahiti, which highlights the brutality of life in the British navy and the sacrifices of life at sea. The second part is the stay at Tahiti, which is a great description of the natives on the island and the paradise that is life in the South Pacific. The third part is the story of the mutiny itself, which is full of drama. The fourth part is the story of the trip back to England which involved imprisonment and a shipwreck and a desperate trek through thousands of miles of open ocean. The fifth part is the story of the trial of the mutineers, which was also full of drama. The story keeps the reader riveted. The characters are very well developed and the story has lots of twists and surprises.
It is interesting that Captain Bligh was such a tyrannical commander. I often find it interesting that naval officers in works of fiction tend to be so much more psychotic and controlling than officers of other services. Consider Captain Queeg in the "Caine Mutiny" and Captain Ahab in "Moby Dick". Bligh may actually be the worst captain of the lot, although Nordhoff and Hall make him a complex and interesting guy.
I would highly recommend "Mutiny on the Bounty" to anyone.
thespiceoflife's review against another edition
5.0
Not too many books make me go in to 6 AM reading. This has been one of my all time favorite books!
vicvic30's review against another edition
5.0
So highly recommend this book if life sucks and you feel mopey. Filled with SWORD FIGHTS, MUTINEERS, LUSTY WENCHES, TRIBAL TATTOOS, DESERT ISLANDS, NAKED WOMEN IN GROTTOS and all-around ADVENTURE. Best of all: it's a true story!
paul_cornelius's review against another edition
4.0
For the first time in 50 years, I have just finished rereading Mutiny on the Bounty. After all that time, it still retained its vividness and pace. It remains a great adventure story. And it still appeals to me.
A few things to remark upon regarding what I see in its origins and structure:
First, the power of the storytelling is immense. The narrative is clean, punctuated with just the right moves to advance to the next level of the tale. I'm imagining that the strong structure of the novel is due to Nordhoff more than Hall. At least that is the point Paul Briand made in his double biography of the two authors--that Nordhoff at the beginning of their partnership and later supplied the discipline that Hall needed.
Second, early in his career Nordhoff became a successful author of boys adventures books. There is a trace of that lingering in Mutiny on the Bounty. But with the narration of Mutiny being through the eyes of young Roger Byam, having a touch of the boys adventure creep into the pages actually works to the benefit of giving the novel its verisimilitude.
Third, the syntax, vocabulary, rhythm of the language seems perfectly to fit to the 18th century subject matter. There is a touch of the archaic to it that is effective in detail and in overall effect.
------------------------------
Now, below, is the review I made of Mutiny on the Bounty some years ago. This is how I remembered it. Turns out that my memory was strong and accurate, for I still stand by it.
This is what I read for adventure when I was twelve years old. Still a good choice. Inspired by the Clark Gable/Charles Laughton film, I found my way to the trilogy and discovered Men Against the Sea and Pitcairn's Island to be the equal of the first book. Together, all three volumes elevate the story of the mutineers and their captain to mythological heights, all the while providing fertile ground for the germination of the South Sea idyll stories that followed in its wake, both on film and in literature. I've yet to read Caroline Alexander's The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty, which apparently debunks much of that earlier romantic myth-making, especially concerning the character and motivations of the principals. No, this version is to deeply etched into my memory to disturb, I think.
A few things to remark upon regarding what I see in its origins and structure:
First, the power of the storytelling is immense. The narrative is clean, punctuated with just the right moves to advance to the next level of the tale. I'm imagining that the strong structure of the novel is due to Nordhoff more than Hall. At least that is the point Paul Briand made in his double biography of the two authors--that Nordhoff at the beginning of their partnership and later supplied the discipline that Hall needed.
Second, early in his career Nordhoff became a successful author of boys adventures books. There is a trace of that lingering in Mutiny on the Bounty. But with the narration of Mutiny being through the eyes of young Roger Byam, having a touch of the boys adventure creep into the pages actually works to the benefit of giving the novel its verisimilitude.
Third, the syntax, vocabulary, rhythm of the language seems perfectly to fit to the 18th century subject matter. There is a touch of the archaic to it that is effective in detail and in overall effect.
------------------------------
Now, below, is the review I made of Mutiny on the Bounty some years ago. This is how I remembered it. Turns out that my memory was strong and accurate, for I still stand by it.
This is what I read for adventure when I was twelve years old. Still a good choice. Inspired by the Clark Gable/Charles Laughton film, I found my way to the trilogy and discovered Men Against the Sea and Pitcairn's Island to be the equal of the first book. Together, all three volumes elevate the story of the mutineers and their captain to mythological heights, all the while providing fertile ground for the germination of the South Sea idyll stories that followed in its wake, both on film and in literature. I've yet to read Caroline Alexander's The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty, which apparently debunks much of that earlier romantic myth-making, especially concerning the character and motivations of the principals. No, this version is to deeply etched into my memory to disturb, I think.
shaekin's review against another edition
4.0
Very readable (in my case listenable). Definitely things I found annoying, but that's no fault of the author, just of the time the book was set. I found myself constantly looking up history of the ship to see what kind of creative liberties were taken, but enjoyed the story all the same.
ashleyk1's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5