Customer Reviews

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Everyone knows how great Brian Jacques is, from the 12-plus Redwall series. Though he specializes in medieval rodent battles, Jacques's talent shines in a new and unique offering. Though the cover, with a handsome lad in a storm-tossed ship, seems to indicate a very different kind of book from the kind it is.

Ben, the mute hero of the story, survives the destruction of the Flying Dutchman, a sailing ship. Now he wanders the Earth with his talking dog (interesting switch), living forever thanks to an angel. Apparently they're supposed to "bring confidence and sympathy, help others to change their fate." Though this sounds like the beginning of a "Once in a Lifetime"/"Touched by an Angel" drama, it's anything but.

Centuries pass, and the two come to the peculiar town of Chapelvale. The citizens allow them to stay, but the villain is plotting the industrial destruction of their town. A scramble ensues to save the town, full of riddles and hidden clues.

Ben and Ned (the dog) are a delightful duo, well-balanced and sympathetic. Jacques' writing style is smooth and polished, his well-loved formula of good vs. evil as present as ever, even if Ben isn't a walking mouse with a sword.

With delightful dry wit and a supernatural thread running through the prose, Jacques steps outside his series. As well-beloved (and still fresh) as the Redwall books are, hopefully he will write more books in this vein.

Being a Brian Jacques fan for the past five years, I was surprised when he decided to come out with something new. I mean I couldn't picture him telling any other kind of story than Redwall (I mean let's face it his seven short stories aren't his usual masterpieces). So when I picked up this book I was a little skeptical. But when I finished it I was plesently surprised. Castaways... tells the story of Neb and his talking dog Den who are the only survivors of the famous Flying Dutchman. After the shipwreck through an Angel's gift the two are left alive, and with the ablilty to never age or die. In the 19th century he is pulled into a mystery which could save a sleeply little town from being destroyed. But he's on a time limit. Becasue he has to ring with the sound of a church bell, and the villains who are going to steal the town aren't gonna wait for them to solve the mystery.

If you're a fan of Brian Jacgues or just a really good mystery novel read this book. I'm hopeing for a sequel or a prequel to fill in some of the missing years.

Brian Jacques, best known for his popular Redwall fantasy-adventure series, launches a new series in his new novel, "Castaways of the Flying Dutchman." With Castaways, Jacques leaves his world of Medieval mice and roguish rats, for a story of a forever-young boy "condemned" to roam the world for eternity, doing good deeds and helping people in need help themselves.

Let me start by saying that I enjoyed this book and strongly recommend it to readers 9 and up. However, chances are Redwall fans will be initially disappointed in this tale. The first fifty pages - the story of how this boy and his dog came to wander the Earth - is a ripping sea yarn worthy of Robert Louis Stevenson. Set in 1620, it has a tyrannical sea captain and a mutinous crew. After the murderous captain curses God in the midst of an epic battle against nature, an avenging angel descends to condemn The Flying Dutchman and its crew to an eternity upon the seas. When the boy, Ben, and his dog are washed overboard, the angel grants the innocent lad a reprieve of sorts: an eternal quest to do good.

Here again, the author must battle the expectations of even first time readers. I was looking forward to an epic tale of Ben's journey through the ages. Instead, Jacques takes us to the small English village of Chapelvale in 1896. The bulk of the book essays a single task given to the boy. In this thin plot, Ben must help a widow find the deed to her lands and save the village from developers.

But, like Lois Lowry's "Gathering Blue," Castaways is made a very enjoyable read by the sheer quality of the writing. Jacques gives us nice, comfortable characters we can instantly like or despise and his easy, good-natured style carries us through a treasure hunt filled with riddles and non-violent confrontations with a local gang, to a predictable, yet satisfying ending.

I do hope, however, that in future volumes the author will fulfill the promise of adventure he displayed in the opening sequence of this novel.

When I got 'Castaways' from a librarian, I thought- 'Hmmm, interesting.' I didn't have very high expectations after reading his other works outside of the Redwall plot (Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales) which in my opinion were horrible.

But I was wrong. This tale about a mute boy and his dog, aboard the Flying Dutchman with cruel hearted crew members and a horrible captain. When the Angel curses the ship and its crew to eternal voyages, this young boy and his dog are passed over because of their innocence. With the boy receiveing the gift of speech and a telepathic connection with his dog, the are sent to help the oppressed people staying young forever....

Most of this book is centered on the boy and his dog helping an old lady to find clues that lead to the deed proving her ownership of the land and stopping the tyrannic developing company. Jaques uses the characteristic riddle-to-find-something-that-saves-everyone ideas that sprinkle the whole Redwall series. Personally, you get along a lot better not trying to solve the riddles- seeing as it takes the genius people in the books a while to finish.

A wonderful book, and I think you should buy it- fan of sword bearing rodents or not.

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, written by Brian Jacques author of Redwall, is pretty good. A boy and his dog are saved buy a guardian angel after almost dying after being onboard the Flying Dutchman, a ghost ship later said to haunt the sea. Their mission is to travel through time helping people and then moving on. The story is pretty good, but the title is a bit misleading. Most of the story revolves around Ned and Ben helping an old woman prove that she owns the land in a village about to be destroyed. The story is cleverly written, and very descriptive.

I think that it will be enjoyed by Redwall fans, as well as fans just trying out Brian for the first time. Teens and adults would enjoy this book.

My twelve year-old daughter has been reading this book. I hear more giggles and disappointed sighs each night as she reads in bed. As an avid reader who has a twelfth grade reading level, she is rather critical when it comes to books. If the plot or writing style bore her, she will stop. Since this one meets with her approval, I fully recommend it.

Ben, a boy who cannot speak, runs away from his cruel home. He then accidentally finds himself on a crazed pirate's ship commanded by Captain Vanderdecken. There, he meets the friend who will be with him for the rest of his life, a dog he names Ned. When Vanderdecken curses the heavens for his bad luck in passing the dangerous Cape Horn, an angel ascends from heaven and banishes the captain and his crew to sail the seas for eternity. But Ben and Ned are blessed with special gifts. Ben is given the powers of speech and they are both given the power to talk to each other through their thoughts. The angel finally gives them the gift of eternal youth and commands them to go about the world and help those in trouble. They are then thrown from the ship and find themselves on the shores of Cape Horn. This is another brilliant novel by Brian Jacques and as always, employs bits of humor, suspense, and riddles. This novel follows the two companions throughout Europe as they follow the angel's commands. This book is recommended to all Redwall fans and kids from the age of 7 to 12.

Brian Jacques has proven in his wonderful new novel, Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, that he is a masterful storyteller whose abilities are not limited to the Redwall saga. Nebuchadnezzar (Neb), a runaway mute, is cast by fate onto the deck of the Flying Dutchman, captained by Vanderdecken, the most feared and dreaded captain ever to sail the seven seas, who was setting out on the most challenging voyage of all: to brave the waters of Tierra del Fuego.

Neb, held prisoner on the Flying Dutchman, finds a black Labrador, Denmark (Den), and befriends him. Together, they would ride the treacherous pounding waves of Tierra del Fuego, and, as fate would have it, embark on the adventure of a lifetime, which could be for the rest of eternity.

However, this is not a typical Fantasy. It is, though, as Brian Jacques would put it, "a good yarn" like his Redwall saga. Most of the story takes place in the sleepy little village of Chapelvale, one of those small towns where adventures arise when you least expect it.

So take off your battle armor, you will not need it, put on your thinking cap and call your local bobby (policeman) and take your pistol in hand, because you never know what will happen next.

Filled with riddles, quests, and fun adventures, the Castaways of the Flying Dutchman is a heart-warming story which deserves the highest praise, a piece of genuine literary gold.

While many of his fans will be disappointed that this is not another in his Redwall series, I was happy to see Brian Jacques try something new. While certainly not his best book to date, it is an enjoyable read. I would have liked to see a stronger plot connection between the books three separate sections, but this is a minor complaint. Jacques does a wonderful job of characterization, and we feel as if we know each and every character personally. The settings are also wonderfully rendered in readable prose. The story is an enoyable read and left me wanting to know more of the adventures of a very special boy and his dog.

Recently I read Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, by Brian Jacques. This book is about a mute boy and his dog that live on the boat, the Flying Dutchman. Suddenly one day, the boat is visited by an angel that gives a message to the crew, "Mortal man, your greed and your cruelty has turned the Maker against you. You will now be forced to sail the waters of this world for eternity". The entire crew perishes except for the boy, Ben, and the dog, Ned because of their "innocence of heart". Soon the pair realizes the angel had granted them immortality and given them the task of helping those in need. Not only did the angel grant them immortality, it also bestowed Ben with speech and allowed Ben and Ned to communicate with each other with their minds. Several hundred years later, the duo reach a small town called Chapleville and decide to stay there awhile. Soon they come to love this town. To their dismay, they later find out that it will be demolished shortly. Now to save their beloved town and those that live there, Ben and his faithful dog Ned must unravel a series of complicated riddles and puzzles before time runs out. Castaways of the Flying Dutchman is a fantasy book set in the year 1896 in the town of Chapeville where Ben and Ned live. The author did a good job of supplying strong details to make the story come alive and giving characters, such as the dog, a strong sense of humor. I would recommend this book to all kids who enjoy fantasy books and have enjoyed other books by Brian Jacques such as the Redwall Series. This was one of the more detailed and interesting fantasy books I have read recently and certainly better then the mystery books I tried. This book was a welcoming change from the author's Redwall books, and certainly was not a disappointment. The book brought new kinds of characters and problems that were different and exciting then those of other books I had read such as Redwall or The Eye of the World. I would say that this book was at least as good as other ones from the author, maybe even better. The author used good examples in his text to make it appear as the story were happening right in front of you rather then you reading a book. The author did such of a good job with the characters that when they succeeded I wanted to jump for joy or the opposite if they were defeated. I only put this book down for school, homework, and dinner it was so good. If you want to read an exciting and thrilling fantasy book, then Castaways of the Flying Dutchman is the book for you.