Customer Reviews

Castaways of the 'flying Dutchman'

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This is a great book! It has similar and different characteristics to the Redwall series. For instance, the animals can't talk, but are able to telepathically communicate. This book is mostly mystery. It is also sci-fi, and adventure.
The book begins in the year 1620. A young, mute boy, about the age of 13, is running away from his stepbrothers. They corner him on the wharf. After being bitten by the mute, the bully punches him. The scrawny boy falls into the sea. After a while, he surfaces and finds a rope. Slowly he climbs it, and sees the words Flying Dutchman.
After the ship sets sail, one of the crew looks over into the sea. He sees a small boy, stiff from frost and salt. The captain, Vanderdecken, says to leave him there, or toss him overboard. The ships cook takes the boy in. He mercilessly beats him, and makes him work. The ship docks at a country to get supplies. The boy, Neb, spots a black labrador, and calls to him. The dog comes and they become friends.
The men sent out to get supplies return late. This angers Vanderdecken. He beats them, badly. The ship's crew attempts mutiny, but fails thanks to Neb and his dog, Den. Vanderdecken keeps trying to sail through a dangerous part of the Atlantic Ocean. However, he keeps failing, and the fierce waves push the vessel backwards. They run out of food. The captain goes mad! He starts cursing at everything. An angel descends, and condemns the whole crew to sailing the seas for eternity. However, the angel spares Neb and Den. They fall off the ship, and wash ashore. They are now immortal.
This is just the beginning, the first adventure. I think that everyone would like this book. With adventure, mystery, and fantasy, it is a great story. The genre is fantasy-fiction. Are they really immortal? If so, why? Read "Castaways of the Flying Dutchman" to find out.

I read this book, unable to put it down for a split-second. I was one of the best books I have ever read and is one of my top favorites, along with Madeline L'Engle's "A Wrinkle In Time."

I was thoroughly impressed and hope to read the sequel that came out not too long ago. Cheers to Brian Jacques!

It was merely impossible for me to put the book down. This is a book that you're going to want to reread several times because it's so good. Enter Neb and Den's world of eternal journies.
I have read all of the Redwall series written by Brian Jacques and all of them put together couldn't beat this book if the Redwall series popularity depended on it!!!!

It was merely imposible for me to put the book down. This is a book that you're going to want to reread several times because it's so good. Enter Neb and Den's world of eternal journies.
I have read all of the Redwall series written by Brian Jacques and all of them put together couldn't beat this book if the Redwall series popularity depended on it!!!

I really enjoyed reading "Castaways of the Flying Dutchman". I have read all but a few of the "Redwall" series, also by Brian Jacques, but I never quite got around to reading "Castaways of the Flying Dutchman". I don't know why, but perhaps I thought it would be a little boring. However, as son as I picked the book up and started reading, I couldn't put it down. The story is almost like 3 stories in 1: The part where he is on the Flying Dutchman, the part where he lives with the shepherd, and the part in Chapelvale. The part on the Dutchman is spooky and violent, the part with the shepherd is moving, and the part in Chapelvale is like an urgent treasure hunt. If you have read most or all of the Redwall books, you will see that Brian Jacques likes to put treasure hunts with hidden clues in his books.
My favorite part is when Wilf, the leader of the Grange Gang, tries to punch Ben and breaks his hand instead. The characters in this story are very believable, and you can even find a moral in this story if you look closely: Progress is not always a good thing. It makes no sense to destroy a village for some stone you can build houses out of. It's like breaking a glass and then taking the pieces and making another glass out of them.
- YMP