Moonfleet (Wordsworth Children's Library) [Paperback]

J. Meade Falkner (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wordsworth Children's Library | Publication Date: December 1999

Both a mystery and an adventure story, the classic Moonfleet (1898) is a tale of smuggling set among the cliffs, caves, and downs of Dorset. It is at once a well-paced account of dramatic action and a celebration of the unregainable freedoms of childhood. Falkner's feeling for history and for the topography of his Dorset setting combine with his gift for storytelling to turn Moonfleet into an historical romance of moving intensity.

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

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Wordsworth Edition (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853261068
• ISBN-13: 978-1853261060
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,700,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great treasure-adventure yarn. Read it and love it., June 30, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moonfleet (Paperback)

I happened onto this book by chance 30 years ago. It quickly became one of my prized possessions. After reading it several times, I passed it on to my oldest son and it became his favorite too. Now worn and dog-eared, I recently picked it up again and was once more mesmerized by the adventure tale and the character development. "Classic Adventure" are the only terms I can think of to describe Moonfleet. You will fall in love with this book! It is a shame that it is currently out of print.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Order a copy and get this classic back in print, September 25, 2001

By 

W. Weinstein "William Weinstein" (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moonfleet (Paperback)

A truly wonderful tale of smugglers and wrong-doing, friendship and sacrifice. This book, which seems to have fallen out of fashion in the last twenty years is as much a classic as Treasure Island or Kidnapped.
It rips along at a fantastic pace with fortunes reversing almost page by page. The ending is such a beautiful joining of the circle that it leaves you breathless with admiration for the writer's genius while it moves you to the point of tears with the strength of the writer's story.
Though written for children, this book can be enjoyed by anyone over the age of eight and perhaps read to children even younger.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exciting and Somewhat Original, May 26, 2004

By 

John (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moonfleet (Wordsworth Children's Library) (Paperback)

When I began reading this book, a friend of mine took one look at the cover and started naming off what he thought the aspects of the plot were. He named all of the traditional pirate story cliches (sometimes platitudes): orphaned boy, evil pirate, hidden treasure, etc. By looking at the cover, I thought that was what it would be too, and I looked forward to the classic adventure story (I've always loved swashbucklers). As it was, Moonfleet is a very original novel that doesn't follow of the conventions. Surely, some of those elements are there--the orphaned boy and treasure--but they are twisted in different ways. Moonfleet is somewhat darker than other swashbucklers such as Treasure Island, and there are actually no pirates at all. There is also a little bit more depth of characterization as John Trenchard and Elziver Block have a long and meaningful friendship. Moonfleet is certainly a superior adventure novel, complete with exciting escapes (a lot of them), lost treasure, and some actual characterization. It's well worth reading.