Captains Courageous (Bookcassette(r) Edition) [Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Rudyard Kipling (Author), David Stuart (Reader)

Book Description

Series: Brilliance Corporation's Classic Collection | Publication Date: June 1, 1994

Young Harvey Cheyne is rich, spoiled, prejudiced, and totally lacking in the real experiences of life. When the fifteen-year-old is accidentally washed overboard a great ocean liner headed for Europe, he is picked up by a fisherman and brought aboard the fishing schooner We're Here. Harvey's stories of privilege and wealth mean nothing aboard this hard-working vessel, and the boy receives many lessons in self-reliance, values, and hard-bitten reality - "things every man must know, blind, drunk, or asleep" - in the words of Long Jack.

Harvey, Long Jack, Tom Platt, Manuel, and many more great characters come alive in this rich retelling of life aboard the We're Here.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist. In 1907 he became the first English writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize. He wrote several novels, including The Jungle Book and Captains Courageous.

From AudioFile

Harvey Cheyne, the spoiled fifteen-year-old son of a millionaire, falls from an ocean liner off the coast of Newfoundland in the 1890's. Rescued by the crew of a fishing schooner, he must remain on board and work the season. His experiences and the bonds he forms with the crew change him from a spoiled adolescent to a self-reliant young man. This production is an excellent choice for family listening. It's well-read by David Stuart, with believable New England and various foreign accents. Lots of action and interesting conversations portraying life aboard a fishing schooner keep the pace moving. Here's a notable example of how well classics can work on audio. M.A.M. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Bookcassette; Unabridged edition (June 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561005681
• ISBN-13: 978-1561005680
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,197,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Books on Cassette > Authors, A-Z > ( K ) > Kipling, Rudyard

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kindle Review: Wonderful Classic Short Story abut the Sea and the Men who Work in it, March 12, 2010

By 

CarsPlants (Maine) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Captains Courageous (Kindle Edition)

My favorite Rudyard Kipling story and atypical for him. Upbuilding coming-of-age story about a rich kid who was washed overboard and picked up by a fishing schooner and made to work. Ultimately likeable main character who improves himself. Very readable and full of action. The only issue affecting the interest of younger readers this story's use of phonetic spelling to reflect the colloquial pronunciations of the various characters from Gloucester, Mass, Newfoundland, Portugal, etc.

This free March 17, 2006 Kindle edition was very readable, no glaring editing errors and only the usual margin issues.

I hadn't written very many reviews. However, in reviewing Kindle reading material, I was sorry to see so few reviews of Kindle versions, especially when comparing two or more similar choices. So I am ramping up my reviews while I have the opportunity.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rich Brat Turns Real, October 28, 2010

By 

Anne Wingate (Salt Lake City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Captains Courageous (Kindle Edition)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RKRW0C/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_img

I first read this when I was seven years old, and I can't say that it made much impression on me. But future readings, up to my present age of 67, have convinced me that the story is a good one, and the characters are strong and believable. A rich brat who has been saying it would be fun for the liner he is on to collide with a small fishing boat has exactly that happen--but the fishing boat survives, and the brat falls into a new life in which he is expected to pull his full share of the load.

At first he bristles with threats and promises, but nothing changes his situation. Work he will, or eat he will not. By the end--oops, I was headed for a spoiler.

Just read it, and enjoy the characters and plot, remembering as you do so that Kipling has said that "the magic is in the words." He was extremely conscious of what words he used, and since I have been reading him since I was five, I internalized that saying long before I became a writer myself. The magic is in the words, and you will enjoy the words used in this book, unless you have a totally tin ear for dialogue.

One of Kipling's best, written while he was in love with the United States.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kipling has an ear for dialogue., July 4, 2011

By 

Annette Bloss - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Captains Courageous (Kindle Edition)

If you've ever been around a group of men who are engaged in an activity; they have a certain way of talking to each other. When they tease each other with mighty insults then you know that they really like each other. Kipling draws a male character better than anyone I've read. Even, sad to say, more so than my favorite, Jane Austen.

When this group of men are talking; they sound just like men would today; with the exception of the horrible colloquial English, that an earlier reviewer referred to, and nowadays people do not refer to their religion as if they really believed it like the story characters did. I do think that if Kipling were to portray modern working men that you would hear an accurate reflection of modern conversation.

Just a fantastic story. Highly enjoyable.