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Fans of the Redwall series eager to sink their teeth into the latest adventure from Brian Jacques will be surprised to find that the cover of Castaways of the Flying Dutchman belies the contents of this fine mystery novel. A handsome young lad, sporting a billowing, ripped shirt, gazes off into the distance, while behind him a ship founders on an eerily tempestuous sea. It's true, the first (brief) section of the book does tell the tale of a stowaway orphan on the legendary, ill-fated ship, the Flying Dutchman. And that's as swashbuckling a story as they come. But as soon as the boy and his newly adopted dog are tossed into the sea during a ferocious storm, the book takes a sharp turn. Ben and his dog, Ned, given eternal life by a sympathetic angel, now set out to "bring confidence and sympathy, help others to change their fate." Two centuries later, they arrive in the village of Chapelvale, which is filled with quirky, affectionate citizens, who immediately welcome the mysterious but kindhearted and brave boy and his dog. The impending destruction of their village by the blustering, bloated Obadiah Smithers, an industrial speculator, propels Ben and his new friends into a thrilling search for a solution, involving ancient Byzantine gold chalices, mysterious coded messages, and some fierce tête-à-têtes with hired bullies. Illustrator Ian Schoenherr's intriguing line drawings at the beginning of each chapter hint at the upcoming clues to the mystery. Redwall fans be warned: you'll find no warrior mice here. But readers will find a satisfying story that never leaves a doubt as to the ability of good to triumph over evil. (Ages 9 to 12) -- Emilie Coulter
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Well known for his Redwall books (over a dozen volumes detailing the quests and feasts of various plucky woodland creatures), Jacques here turns his attention to the human world, and his fans will not be disappointed. Readers led by the title and cover art to expect a briny swashbuckler may be surprised to find that the bulk of the story consists of an ambling scavenger hunt set in a cozy English village. Pure-hearted enough to escape the curse that befalls the crew of the legendary Flying Dutchman, a boy and his dog are instead granted immortality and sent forth to "spread peace and joy" throughout the world. Two centuries later, in 1896, the ageless Ben and Ned (the latter is the dog) land in Chapelvale, a quaint village threatened with industrialization by a passel of nasty developers and ruled by a gang of juvenile delinquents. With the help of the villagers, the duo conducts a fairly contrived search (one clue is even written in invisible ink) for the ancient land title that will save Chapelvale from its grim fate. Though most of the characters are bipeds, the story doesn't veer much from the Redwall formula. Ultimately, it doesn't much matter whether the bumbling thugs sent from London to intimidate the Chapelvale populace are weasels or humans--Jacques's fans will be tickled by the characters' goofy slapstick regardless of their genus. The care taken with design (among other features, line drawings are set niftily into the first page of each chapter) adds to the appeal. All ages.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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First Sentence
THEY SAT FACING ONE ANOTHER ACROSS A table in the upper room of a drinking den known as the Barbary Shark. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
THEY SAT FACING ONE ANOTHER ACROSS A table in the upper room of a drinking den known as the Barbary Shark. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
It started off good, but then the plot slowly weakened......,
By A Customer
This review is from: Castaways of the Flying Dutchman (Paperback)
At first the book was great. I was thrown into an exciting ride on the Flying Dutchman, filled with action, suspense, and intrigue. But the everything changed.Once the main characters (a boy named Neb and his friend dog Den)were actually "cast off" from the flying Dutchman, the book got a little silly. The author then plunged us into this other story where our heroes, now able to speak tele-kenetically in their minds to each other,arrive at a small English sea -side villiage where they must help their friends solve a mysterey to save the town. The story basically is flat, disappointing,and definitely lacking something and the characters are very poorly depicted and everything they say is extremely corny or devoid of true emotion and feeling. If I were you I would rather read the "Redwall" series. Those books, unlike this one, show that the author does have some talent.
4.0 out of 5 stars
okay but STRANGE,
By A Customer
This review is from: Castaways of the Flying Dutchman (Paperback)
it was a pretty good book with the exception of angels and a mute miracle. it's not something i would have totally expected from this author...it has come a long ways for any of those who have read Redwall..another of his series. from animals with good nature to a boy with his black labrador.It was overall good. once your mind runs away with the mystery...the angels won't seem troublesom and all
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Castaways of the Flying,
By Harmony Chai (Cerritos, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Castaways of the Flying Dutchman (Hardcover)
This book is about a boy named Ned and a dog he met on aboard the Flying Dutchman, a ship captained by the ambitious Phillip Vanderdecken and his crew of evil men. While on the journey the ship has to go around Cape Horn. At first attempt he and his crew are forced to turn back because of the overly harsh conditions. Determined to make it across the Cape Horn is a on the captains mind. Yet, he was also angry at some of his crew because he has heard the idea that some aboard his ship is going to try and take over. So that would make two things on his mind. The real reason why Vanderdecken is making this daring journey is because he had made a deal with a Chinese gem dealer that if he comes back with all the emeraldslocated in Valparaiso then he will give Vanderecken three of these precious stones. Vanderdecken deals with the problem by hanging the man of the idea by himself! Next Vanderdecken tries to go across the Cape Horn again. Unfortunately this time no one survived except Ned and his dog, which he named Denmark. They are saved by an angel that bless' them with not only the ability to live forever, but also the ability to read each others minds! On top of that, Ned finally gets to have a voice another gift from the angel. For the rest of his is lives, he helps the people who need help.I think that this book is really good. I couldn't put it down. I especially liked how Neb and Denmark could talk to each other. I have a dog and we're best pals, but to be able to tell him something and have a response would be so cool. The angel said this blessing and a it went like this: "You are saved by the innocence of your heart and granted your lives anew, the gift of heavens mercy bestowed faith in you! I am sent to bless you both which you both need: boundless youth, understanding, and speech to succeed." Another reason I liked the book was because there are teachings that are important when it comes to bullying. There is a boy in the story that Ned and Denmark help that has this bully. The boys name is Alex, and he has some bully problems. Lucky Neb is there to help him to control his problems. Instead of beating the bully back there are other ways. Neb says things like, "Courage shows itself in different ways-chin up pal, and you'll see..." My favorite part in the story was when Ned and Denmark help the people. It makes me think that if someone decides to be your friend and helps you through your problems is sort of like an angel too. There aren't many people in the world like that, but it makes me think that it would be nice if people were as nice as the characters in the book. Ned and Denmark really help the people in the story and they are grateful. When they help people, it gives the person a good feeling that there is someone who cares. I can see the feelings through the words, which makes it a really good book.
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