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I’m not proud of
it, but it was the title of this book that got me. Captain Blood. Cool. If
you’re looking for a really fun novel that will take you back to the days when you used
to sit on the top bunk of your bunk beds and yell “Land-ho me hardies!” at the top of
your little lungs, then you’ve come to the right place.
Captain
Blood is the story of Peter Blood, a doctor by intention who simply can’t keep
himself from getting involved in troublesome adventure. Called on in the midst of a
rebellion against the king (a rebellion he specifically intended to stay out of) to aid a
wounded rebel nobleman, Blood rushes to the rescue, only to end up arrested for treason,
tried, and sentenced to death. Luckily for Blood, King James soon realizes that it’s far
more profitable to sell these death-row inmates as colony slaves in Jamaica than to
actually kill them. So Blood is sailed away to the Caribbean, where his talents as a
doctor soon earn him greater freedom than the other slaves, and he quickly becomes
indispensable to the gout-ridden governor to whom only Blood can offer
relief.
Eventually, he escapes the island and begins his years as a wanted
pirate captain. There are many other plot twists and conflicts to follow—all ripe with
plank walking, cannon firing, ship sinking action.
The only down side—if
there is one—is that there isn’t much to this book but one cliché pirate situation after
another. There isn’t much depth of character or complexity of emotion. Everything is
simple, much in the campy style of Pirates of the
Caribbean, though, in fairness to Sabatini, the book was written in 1922—before
much of what is now cliché about action epics was ever done.
The book is a
very fast, page-turning read, but as a classic, it falls short of any real long-standing
relevance. There’s nothing particularly remarkable about the writing or the story. But,
off the record, I loved it; I tend to enjoy these shallow, fun reads as much as I enjoy
the deep, thought-provoking works of other classic authors. The choice is yours, and
what it really comes down to is this: Have you read Treasure Island, The Swiss
Family Robinson, Robin Hood or The Three Musketeers? Did you find
yourself wanting to read more books like these? If so, then pick up a copy and
enjoy!
