Customer Reviews

The Voyage

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Voyage is a wonderful story of discovery and adventure, with passages so well crafted that you just shake your head in admiration... and read them over again! Within that craftwork is a tremendously entertaining sailing adventure, with rich detail, memorable characters and thematic overtones that give you a plenty to think about.

This one is well-worth checking out. I'm a big fan of current 90's style best sellers like 'The Triumph and the Glory' and 'Going After Cacciato', I appreciate their candour and gritty reality. 'The Voyage' is every bit as effective in this regard. The storytelling is first-rate, the characters memorable, and the writing is first-rate.

This is a spectacular book -- both engaging and educational. Beautifully written, the book's characters truly come to life.

P.S. Though Caputo's "muscular prose" has often appealed to men, I'm a woman and loved "The Voyage."

A book that doesn't take the first 100 pages to become interesting. You will find this book hard to put down. I enjoyed the storytelling that wasn't predictable. The characters, however, are hard to follow sometimes, especially when you throw in several generations, even so, I've recommended this to everyone. Poor poor Clare. I wonder what ever happened to her.

The Voyage is an incredible story of three teenage sons sent off by their father on a journey aboard their boat Double Eagle. The Voyage is an astounding tale about life in the early twentieth century, and also an amazing twist awaits the reader in the end. I was enraptured with the author's skill to weave an incredible story. The secrets they discover are told through Sybil the great grand daughter of their father as she discovers what really happened along their journey. All in all The Voyage is easily one of the best books I have read, and should delight you as well.

This is a masterpiece, one of the best action- adventure literary works I've read; so well put together with so many lessons to be considered. Based upon a similar story told to the author, Caputo shows his immense talent by crafting an adventure story that describes the sea and the danger of sailing within a mystery of family relationships.

The majority of the story depicts the adventures of the voyage from Maine to the Straits of Florida. The lessons learned by the young sailors are many: involving friendship, sacrifice, love, the adult world traits of treachery and deceit symbolically occuring on the ever-present, ever- changing, unforgiving sea.

The epilogue answers the question of why a father would send his young sons away under such challenging and seemingly unfair circumstances. Read this thoughtful, intelligent work. You won"t be disappointed.

I had never heard of Philip Carputo nor read any reviews of this book, so maybe my lack of expectations justifies what would have been a 4.5 star rating if I could give it. I read copiously and most of what I read comes in and goes out astonishingly quickly. Not so with this novel. As a matter of fact I'm reviewing it after reading other books and I still find it compelling. On the positive side I found character development quite good. It wasn't "in your face" -- it was more hinted at, and after all, that's the way it is in real life. Remember back to your own adolescence and early adulthood and how much your outlook on life and about yourself changed, like it did for Nathaniel and Drew and Will. The plot was marvellous. And I personally found the end wonderful. I'd figured out most of the mysteries by then, but found some of the last-minute answers both believable (how many of us have skeletons in our closets) and satisfying. So many novels just peter out. Not so this one. On the negative side, unlike other reviewers I found the first part dull dull dull. I only persevered because I knew the story would get interesting (the bookjacket gave away too much info in my opinion). I found the structure a bit awkward as well;another reviewer called it artificial, which is an apt description. And all the sailing terms for a non-sailor -- well, just skip over these and you won't lose much (I could've done with some layman's terms for all those boat parts). I can understand why some male reviewers felt some of the story "the stuff of romance novels" but I didn't find that detrimental. I am a woman who loves adventure novels and this one fit the rare double bill of being a ripping good adventure coupled with interesting characters and even a little romance and strong women. I have recommended this book to men and women alike (I only do that with one other novelist) and recommend it to you.

An admitted Philip Caputo fan ( I could not get his Rumor of War or Means of Escape out of my head) I looked forward to The Voyage anticipating that "the cover picture" was drawing the reader in to an epic sea adventure. I had read my fellow Amazon customer reviews and considered the fact that more than a few had expressed disappointment. I am saddened to say I join the ranks of those who found the book falling short of the mark. It is as if Mr. Caputo and some other person wrote this novel. Introductory chapters and smatterings of the middle chapters and parts of the conclusion will rivet the reader. Along the way, however you will find yourself questioning where the story is going and why don't I care about these characters? It would be unfair if the mysteries and secrects of this novel are revealed here as some may enjoy reading the book. It would be fair to say that The Voyage might be the literary product as if Joseph Conrad or Herman Melville had teamed up with Danielle Steele! When asked why so many fourth rate novels seem so popular Mark Twain commented"... the world is mostly populated by fourth rate readers." Save your money on this one until the paperback version comes out. Better yet, if you really need to punish yourself right away, borrow it from a friend or at the library.

I have to agree with the reviewers that are annoyed by the complicated present day naration at the beginning and end. I most enjoyed the adventure on the seas part, but didn't think the naration integrated well into the story. I was disappointed that it turns into just another disfunctional family saga. As a novice sailor I didn't notice the sailing term errors noted by others.

This is a wonderful book about sailing,adventure,growing up and reality.I enjoyed the situation;three brothers and a friend on an unthinkable voyage.I enjoyed the journey;the detail of daily life at sea on a fine sailboat.I enjoyed the shocking events;bar thugs,hurricanes,shark attack,the death of a crewmember.I enjoyed the constant unanswered question of why a father would send his sons on such a voyage.And I enjoyed the shocking answer to that question. The author tells a great story and paints a fine picture for the reader.This is special.