Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean [Hardcover]

R. M. Ballantyne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

Throughout his long career as a writer of adventure stories, Robert Michael Ballantyne remained a boy at heart; he was one of the first Victorian writers to identify himself with the young reader's point of view. Girls as well as boys looked forward to his annual Christmas volume, and when he died the boys of Harrow School subscribed to erect a memorial to him. The Coral Island is his best memorial today. Revisiting the potent myth of the castaway, it tells of three young sailors, sole survivors of a wreck, and their discovery of the enchanting beauties of the South Pacific. They learn how to live off their tropical paradise and its coral groves, but then they are swept into adventures with bloodthirsty pirates, before eventually sailing home to England. Ballantyne sold his story outright for less than #100 in 1858; it has never been out of print since. learn to hunt and fish, and to build a shelter. They gather This book is intended for student-teachers, readers of adventure stories, general readers.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Bt Bound (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613062892
• ISBN-13: 978-0613062893
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,215,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful, exciting adventure!, February 27, 2007

By 

B. Crossley "book addict" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

I loved this book, it had everything, suspense, intrigue and a desert island. It is really a classic, everyone should read it, I read it in high school and I recently purchased another copy to have for my kids. Anyone can love this book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, but it is definitely a bit dated, September 12, 2010

By 

Charles Evans "Call me Kevin" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean (R. M. Ballantyne Collection) (Hardcover)

I was excited to read "The Corral Island" since I am huge fan of Robinson Crusoe (Enriched Classics (Pocket)), The Mysterious Island (Modern Library Classics), Adrift in the Pacific: Two Years Holiday and I hoped that RM Ballantyne's was up to that level. It may have been to that level 150 years ago, but in 2010 it seems very dated.

Why?

- The dialogue is very dated. While this is primarily a book for children, but today's kids will not understand any of the book's dialogue. The characters speak in a colloquial mid 1800's English. Many of the phrases and terms are recognizable to people who have read a fair amount of British literature, but most kids will be lost.

- While the three are trapped on the island the story becomes TOO idyllic. The characters are all thrilled to be stranded on the island and are without a care in the world

- "The Corral Island' lacks the detail of the living conditions that make "The Mysterious Island" and "Robinson Crusoe" so enjoyable. While some of the plants are described (and some invented) there is a lack of ingenuity that is found in the other works.

- Apparently RM Ballantyne was a strong proponent of Christian Missionaries. While I am all for missionary work, Ballantyne takes more than a few liberties with how effective the missions worked. In "The Corral Island" the natives go from cannibals to civilized "brits" living in cottages and drinking tea in less than 1 year! Not only does the spread of Christianity make them want to dress like a european it also makes them learn English ...again in less than 1 year!

Final Verdict - there are moments that enjoyable, but for the most part "The Corral Island" is a mid-1800's adventure that really does not translate well to a 21st century reader. While I will not recommend the story - it may be an option for those of us who enjoy these types of adventure stories.

3 Stars

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Coral Island (Hardcover) by R. M. Ballantyne, May 4, 2009

By 

Thomas Carr "Allan Carr" (Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean (R. M. Ballantyne Collection) (Hardcover)

The Coral Island (Hardcover) by R. M. Ballantyne
This is a wonderful book filled full of adventure with 3 boys marooned on a South Pacific Island in the 1800's. I read this as a young teenager and now in my 50's it is still wonderful to read. A must to have for those who like adventure.