A High Wind in Jamaica

De: Richard Hughes

Narrado por: Michael Maloney

Set in the 19th century against a backdrop of island life and the vast surrounding seas, A High Wind in Jamaica is the gripping story of the Bas-Thornton children, whose parents send them back to England following a hurricane in the postcolonial Caribbean they call home. Having set sail, the children quickly fall into the hands of pirates. As their voyage continues, things take an awful turn. Narrated largely from the perspective of the children, the supposed innocents are not the only victims of amoral behaviour, but sometimes the perpetrators. As their voyage continues, things take an awful turn. Narrated largely from the perspective of the children, the supposed innocents are not the only victims of amoral behaviour, but sometimes the perpetrators. Praised for its atypical and unsettling take on the truth of human nature, Richard Hughes’ classic, first published in 1929, has been called one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, and credited with paving the way for other masterworks such as William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Praised for its atypical and unsettling take on the truth of human nature, Richard Hughes’ classic, first published in 1929, has been called one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, and credited with paving the way for other masterworks such as William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.

©2011 CSA Word (P)2011 CSA Word

The first 5 hours are exciting

I loved the beginning and the middle of this book. I didn’t like the ending and didn’t find it consistent with the rest of the book. I also don’t see the resemblance to Lord of the Flies mentioned in the publisher’s description. If you like a rollicking adventure with intrepid children, get this book.

Of Hurricanes and Horrible Children

#ahighwindinjamaica is one of those books that, though having never read, I thought I generally understood was was about. I was very wrong.

Based in the 1870's, the story involves the collision between a group of English children being shipped back the United Kingdom after a storm ravages #jamaica and their encounter with a band of Cuban #pirates who encounter their English bound ship. One would be inclined to believe that the children would suffer at the hands of the high seas brigands but proved to be more of a horror to the pirates. #richardhughes certainly took a very different tact in his depiction of the generally hapless nature of pirates, the reality of high seas law where the mere act of piracy was no longer an automatic capital offense, and the tendency of writers to treat children as fragile creatures rather than the resilient and rather thoughtless creatures they can often be. Instead, Hughes treats adults as being much more ignorant and incapable they may wish themselves to be.

My #audible version, excellently read by #michaelmaloney came to my attention due to its position on the #modernlibrarytop100novels but I will be hunting down a hard copy to add to my collection. #readtheworld #readtheworldchallenge #globalreadingchallenge #piratenovel

Beautifully written, artfully narrated

Great listen, highly recommend. If you’re a Patrick O’Brian, Ambrose Bierce or Faulkner fan like me, you’ll enjoy and appreciate this book.

Before there was Lord of the Flies....

there was A High Wind in Jamaica. Rather than taking over an island, these kids take over a pirate ship...and the pirates are bamboozled. It's not a comic story, but a fascinating character sketch of a 10 year old girl becoming aware of her self and her place in the world and a down-and-out pirate in an age where technology is leaving him behind. Although the story is mostly about 10 year old Emily, there are no heroes and Emily is at once a remarkable and very ordinary child.

This is a very complex story about coming of age in a very complicated world. It is not sugar-coated.

I remember the movie in the 60s with Anthony Quinn and James Coburn. I liked the movie, but honestly the personas of both of those actors were too big to capture the very ordinary human condition of the pirates in the book. It's well worth the read.

Epic adventure story with a dark undercurrent

Colonial Jamaican high sea adventures in late 19th century seen through the eyes of displaced children whose not yet matured mind and rich imagination altered their and others' lives. This well penned classic is hard to categorized and grasp; it has the very construct of an epic adventure, yet deeper, the theme of perverted innocence percolates.