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The African Queen (Paperback)

by C.S. Forester (Author) "ALTHOUGH she herself was ill enough to justify being in bed had she been a person weak-minded enough to give up, Rose Sayer could see..." (more)
Key Phrases: prosecuting officer, boat hook, African Queen, K�nigin Luise, Von Hanneken (more...)

3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Forester is now remembered for his Horatio Hornblower sea adventures; his 1935 novel has been forgotten in lieu of the popular 1951 film by John Huston. However, those who want to experience the original without Hollywood's alternationsDprotagonist Charlie Allnutt is BritishDwill have to read the novel.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
First published in 1935, The African Queen is the story of Charlie Allnut and Rose Sayer, a disheveled trader and an English spinster missionary, who are thrown together when World War I reaches the heart of the African jungle.

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Product Details

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Back Bay Books (June 30, 1984)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316289108
ISBN-13: 978-0316289108
Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #40,696 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
ALTHOUGH she herself was ill enough to justify being in bed had she been a person weak-minded enough to give up, Rose Sayer could see that her brother, the Reverend Samuel Sayer, was far more ill. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
prosecuting officer, boat hook

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
African Queen, K�nigin Luise, Von Hanneken, German Central Africa, Rift Valley, Lake Wittelsbach, Belgian Congo, Joan of Arc, South African, Ulanga River

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 21 books:

Lord Hornblower (Hornblower Saga) by C.S. Forester in Front Matter, and Back Matter
Hornblower During the Crisis (Hornblower Saga) by C.S. Forester in Front Matter, and Back Matter
Lieutenant Hornblower by C.S. Forester in Front Matter, and Back Matter
Hornblower and the "Hotspur" (Hornblower Series) by C.S. Forester in Front Matter, and Back Matter
Commodore Hornblower (Hornblower, 9) by C.S. Forester in Front Matter, and Back Matter

See all 21 books this book cites

100 books cite this book:

C.S. Forester and the Hornblower Saga by Sanford V. Sternlicht on 21 pages
African Settings in Contemporary American Novels: (Contributions in Afro-American and African Studies) by Dave Kuhne on 4 pages
Chaplin and Agee: The Untold Story of the Tramp, the Writer, and the Lost Screenplay by John Wranovics on 4 pages
John Huston's Filmmaking (Cambridge Studies in Film) by Lesley Brill on 4 pages
Honey for a Teen's Heart by Gladys Hunt on page 35, page 266, and page 280

See all 100 books citing this book

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	84% buy the item featured on this page: The African Queen 3.8 out of 5 stars (18) $10.19
	4% buy Lord Hornblower (Hornblower Saga) 4.4 out of 5 stars (27) $10.97
	4% buy Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies (Hornblower Saga) 4.0 out of 5 stars (24) $10.97
	4% buy Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (Hornblower Saga) 4.5 out of 5 stars (84) $10.97

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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews

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

Average Customer Review

3.8 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The devil is in the detail, May 16, 2001

By	Peter Bowes (Avalon, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

C S Forester knew his business. He knew a plausible method of turning an old river steamer into a torpedo, he knew the hellish consequences of losing a prop blade, of mooring in a mangrove swamp, of finding still water in a rapid.. And as he has proven so many times in the Hornblower novels, he knows the way of knaves and gentleman... This is a book for any age.

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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Romantic Adventure Filled with Irony about Civilization, August 21, 2001

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

I find it impossible to discuss this book without referring to the 1951 movie. The first 80 percent of the movie and the book are mostly similar. The endings are quite different. I slightly prefer the movie's improbable ending, although the endings of both have serious flaws.

Reading the first 80 percent of the book is a joy after having seen the movie. If you are like me, you will see and hear the movie in your mind as you read the book.

In the first 80 percent of the book, you will find more in the book than in the movie. C.S. Forester is able to tackle interesting themes in the book that were too delicate for Hollywood. Also, he employs an amazing mastery of the technical details in describing the African Queen's voyage down the Ulanga and Bora rivers into Lake Victoria. You will almost feel like you are reading science fiction from the time of H.G. Wells, as Allnut and Rose keep making something out of nothing.

To me, the best part of the book is that the contrasts between the "civilized" conventions and the "natural" instincts are drawn in extreme and fine detail. It will make you re-examine how you think about what is the right thing to do in your own life, which is what good literature should do.

To me, the weakness of the book is that the attitudes that The African Queen challenges are very far removed from our experience today. What was very scathing then now seems quaint. Somehow, the outrage behind the story is diffused into a dreamy period piece. Are there many women now of 33 who are so completely dominated by their brothers that they do not lead their own lives? Would many people today be inflamed by love of country to want to strike a personally fatal blow against the oppressor against all odds? Does the arrogance of colonialism seem believable, or just a silly notion to caricature?

Ultimately, Rose's instant rise from docile creature to Wonder Woman does seem to strain credibility. It's inspiring fun, though, like any book about brave heroines who are undaunted by the odds and convention.

After you read this book, think about where your assumptions about what you should be doing have not been re-examined by you in a while. What are you doing because someone else tells you it is a good idea? What should you be doing because you think it is a good idea?

Take the initiative to do the right thing with full speed ahead!

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good movie. A very ,very good book., December 9, 1997

By	Yankee Dame (Dayton) - See all my reviews

There is really not much to say except that the Hollywood movie is not really very much like the book. (Why does this not suprise me?) The story and the characters are much more human, possibly because they are not "Katharine H. and Boogie" and this is not Hollywood. The thundering falls, the hunger,the heat, the gloomy swamps, the smother lake of water lillies, the endless toil and hours...and then, in the end, to see their mission fail. As heart breaking and riviting as any book ever writen.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars How did this ever get published?
This book is written in the most pedestrian prose I've seen in a published novel.

Published 9 days ago by Bengoshi

4.0 out of 5 stars A good little adventure
Although personally I do not believe the writers best work (Hornblower is just incredible), it is still a fantastic read. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Ewen Penberthy-groves

3.0 out of 5 stars African Queen - too little for a book - but a fine screen play
The African Queen - C.S. Forrester. Weak. Good, but weak. The movie may have won an academy award but the book comes up short. More of a novella, or screenplay than a book. Read more

Published 15 months ago by William J. Dinehart

4.0 out of 5 stars in this case the movie was better
If I love a movie, I will often read the book with the expectation that it will be better.
In this case I think the movie is better than the book. Read more

Published on April 13, 2007 by Becs

4.0 out of 5 stars The ending redeems itself
Throughout most of the book, I found myself thinking, "This is one case where I like the movie better. Read more

Published on March 18, 2007 by Plonit Almonit

2.0 out of 5 stars Was This A College Writing Assignment?
I was shocked to learn how bad this book really is. The title is so beloved by many as the Bogart/Hepburn classic, and one would expect the book to not only match the Hollywood... Read more

Published on March 13, 2007 by T. Leach

5.0 out of 5 stars Refugees on a Mission
I will not reveal the ending; I will say only that it does not end with the German captain of the Louisa marrying the protagonists just as the ship impales itself on the... Read more

Published on August 23, 2006 by Ralph White

4.0 out of 5 stars The african Queen
A Great read. I recomend this to any fan of the movie or good adventure stories.

Published on March 9, 2006 by Richard O. Ottosson

4.0 out of 5 stars Forester is a great practical philosopher
The lady has the will, and the cockney has the ingenuity. Between the two of them they conquer incredible obstacles. Read more

Published on December 21, 2002 by Lavonne Weller

4.0 out of 5 stars Forester is a great practical philosopher
The lady has the will, and the cockney has the ingenuity. Between the two of them they conquer incredible obstacles. Read more

Published on December 21, 2002 by Lavonne Weller

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