Customer Reviews

Dolphin Island

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dolphin Island is one of those solid, worthy Arthur C. Clarke books that has been out of print for many years and is now quite hard to find. This is a novel that Clarke wrote in the early 60's after spending a substantial amount of time around Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Clarke, as many are not aware, was, at least at one time, just as interested in diving and the sea as he was in space. Clearly fascinated by what he saw in his time around the reef, it inspired Clarke to write this novel, one of his very few targeted at young adults. As such, it lacks the poetic prose and philosophical and theological aspects that permeate Clarke's best novels. However, it is a very tight, well-written, and highly-enjoyable adventure romp. It is a very fast read, and you will be interested all the way through. Although it was intended as a book for young adults, Clarke being Clarke, this book is nevertheless packed full of interesting ideas and concepts. Clarke's speculations on dolphin intelligence and the many applications he dreams up for them are vivid and very believable. The descriptions of the Reef are also very poetic and sometimes beautifully rendered; however, as another reviewer pointed out, these sections tend to go on for too long and sometimes slow down the pace of the novel. Don't worry, though: it's nothing close to what he made it out to be. This is a very short novel to begin with, and these sections comprise the majority of only 3 or 4 chapters. Those more interested in the Reef and underwater exploration in general may find these sections more satisfying than I did. At any rate, this is a solid, action-packed adventure story that is a worthy read for any Clarke fan and recommended reading for younger science fiction lovers.

I first read this book when I was in the 7th grade in 1967. It's one of the first books I remember holding my interest all the way through. As a young boy, I could relate to the protagonist and other characters in the book. It inspired me to continue reading. Today, I am a published author with two books and am working on a third one. I work as a newspaper editor. I have just ordered a copy so my grandson can read it. This is the book that planted the seed for me as to just how much fun reading could be. I highly recommend it.

Dolphin Island-A Story of the People of the Sea is a wonderful book! This futuristic tale seems like a reality, and the characters have vived personalities. You are drawn into the story. The ending leaves you yearning to read more! It's a Must Read!

I read this book on the beach of the Island of Great Barrier Reef in Australia by chance.
I mean I didn't know the location of the story. I was traveling at the time. So I might enjoyed this book more than it is.
But if you like dolphins, oceans, I 'm sure you enjoy this book,too!
Acutally I read this book in Japanese,not in English.
So I hope new edition issue ,again !

It was a great deal! The book was in great condition considering how old it is. Would do business with them again.

Definitely an under appreciated book, shadowed by the rest of Clarke's efforts. A good book by Clarke beats a "great" book by many others.

Like some other reviewers I read this book first as a 12-14 year old. It is one of the few books that I have kept a copy of from that time, and my collection has been ruthlessly pruned over time. The technology is still advanced, maybe more interesting today because some of it is closer,

Excellent adventure, inspires the imagination, and well based in real science.

I'm keeping my copy around for my kids and their kids!

I first read this book somewhere around 1982, when I was about 11 years old. I picked it up because I liked the cover but once I was reading it, it had my full attention.

It sucked me into this slightly futuristic world and I felt a strong affinity with the main character, a kid about my age that had no family and stowed away on a hover ship that had made an emergency stop near his house. When the ship goes down somewhere over the vast Pacific Ocean, his new life begins.

That imagery of the solitude - alone on the vast ocean at night, the blinking satellite somewhere in orbit above tracking slowly across the star filled sky...the imagery has stayed with me my whole life. I often think of such powerful descriptions from the book when I am far from the city on a serene night.

It is a powerful story, evocative and a perfect adventure for a young reader.

When I first read this book I was young, in my early early teens. I found the book took me along with it. Hiding away as a stowaway, burning in the sun and thirsting desperately after the crash.The dolphins miraculous. The wonders of the reef spellbinding and wonderous. I could go on but dont want to give away the whole story. I found the book excellent reading material, and while my taste now borders on the more intricate, this is high adventure and good reading for our young people.

this book is like having sex and never reaching orgasm the first and second act is amazing that could be turned into a movie i actually wondered why no other filmmaker adapted a film by arthur c clarke during the first 80 or so pages but then the short novel went no where i liked it but is not the best book ive read but its better then most books having to do with dolphins. just imagine a futuristic overblown peterjackson film and read away. all in all would make a better film then 2001 i always read books fom the mind of a person who could adapt something into a play or film but im not a filmmaker so far only a few has come to mind so dont waist your time reading this while you could be reading arthur c clarkes FOUNTAINS OF PARADISE.

I am a big fan of A.C. Clarke, and admittedly, I have read more books by him than any other author. I was in the euphoric wake of 3001 when I found Dolphin Island in a used book store, and since it was only 140 pages long I thought it'd be a quick and enjoyable read. Well, I ended up finishing Paul Cook's 341 page "Fortress On The Sun", before I finished Dolphin Island.

It appears to me that while Dr. Clarke was exploring the Great Barrier Reef and being mesmerized by some of the sea's most intelligent creatures, he decided to combine his observations into one descriptive essay. However, as that may have been too boring and definitely quite uncharacteristic of his personality, he decided to put a couple of characters together and make up some sort of a story. Unfortunately, he spends so much time on describing how the corral reefs look like that the pace of the story slows down to a crawl. There are as always lots of interesting ideas proposed and he has always been in the forefront of future technologies but none of the characters like Johny Clinton, Mick, or Dr. Kazan ever develop enough to become memorable. In fact, the dolphins (Suzy and Sputnick) are better developed than their human counterparts. Therefore, this book is not quite up to par with what I'd call the Clarke standard, but if you've ever wondered what the Great Barrier Reef looks like, then you should give this book a try; if you can actually find it!