The Hound of the Baskervilles (Books on Film Series) Book

Old School, feel good, swashbuckling derring do, performed with style and panache, and featuring a larger-than-lifer whose battle savvy and intrepidity are matched only by his integrity, his keen intellect, and his imperturbable grace.

Captain Peter Blood...is the MAN...and the myth, and the legend, and the whole kit and caboodle, and he deserves VIP seating within the inner sanctum of literature's most memorable heroic characters.

No wonder Errol Flynn became a star playing this singular figure.


He's everything the hero should be, and this novel is adventure as it was born to be done.

If you haven't read this, do so.

If you have read this, may I suggest a re-read along while listening to the superb narration of Simon Vance, who performs the audio version to perfection.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Set in the 17th century, during the reign of James II, Peter Blood, Irish physician and former solider, is wrongfully convicted of treason for providing medical attention to a rebel combatant. Kangaroo courted and sold into slavery, Blood quickly finds himself in Barbados as the property of the malicious Colonel Bishop. From there follows hardships...injustices...anger...seeds of romance...escapes...piracy...battles and strategy and tactics...blossoming romance...betrayals...booty...revenge...more battles...friendship...courage...more battles and more betrayals...a reckoning...and a final comeuppance that will have you whooping and fist pumping.

THOUGHTS:

I loved it and sprained my jaw from excess grinning at the pure joy wafting off the pages.

The writing is polished and absorbing and very clever. Foregoing any hint of pretension or the use of overly ornate language, Sabatini simply goes about telling his story, and he tells it with skill, with wit, and with an eloquence at which you can not help but be impressed.

The man's storytelling is fluid and flawless.

In addition, the story itself is so wonderfully deployed. The plotting is intricate and nuanced, yet remains inclusive and engaging throughout. True, Sabatini's characters are somewhat married to their roles of white hats and black hats, but this is hardly a cause for criticism in this kind of tale, and even in this regard, there are moments of shading where splotches of gray appear.

And, of course, there is Captain Peter Blood. An attention-captivating, envy-inducing, singular aggregation of that which is cool. Sabatini never angers or disappoints the reader with Blood's decisions or actions. Blood never plays the patsy simply because he's the "good guy," he never makes you question his honor, he never makes you feel a twinge of uncertainty at the rightness of his cause.

He is the consummate hero.

4.5 stars. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!

P.S. A big thank you to Richard for insisting that I read this, and hammering the order home by rudely sending me a copy. Well played, sir, you win this round.