William Henry Giles Kingston (1814–1880)
Autor de Companion Library: Robinson Crusoe / The Swiss Family Robinson
Sobre El Autor
Obras de William Henry Giles Kingston
Manco: the Peruvian chief; or, An Englishman's adventures in the country of the Incas (1910) 10 copias
Blow the Bugle, Draw the Sword: The Wars, Campaigns, Regiments and Soldiers of the British & Indian Armies During the… (2007) 3 copias
Owen Hartley; or, Ups and Downs 2 copias
The Young Whaler 2 copias
True Blue 2 copias
Adventures among the Indians 2 copias
The Secret of the Island 2 copias
Ernest Bracebridge School Days 2 copias
Boy With the U. S. Survey 2 copias
America First 2 copias
Archie's Mistake 2 copias
Anxious Audrey 2 copias
Adventures in India 1 copia
The rival Crusoes 1 copia
Abandoned (A Sci Fi Novel) 1 copia
Salvos do Mar e do Deserto 1 copia
Ernest Bracebridge 1 copia
Schoolboy Days 1 copia
Victoria's Blue Jackets & Marines: The Royal Navy During Queen Victoria's Reign 1839-1901 (2010) 1 copia
STORIES OF ANIMAL SAGACITY 1 copia
Waihoura or The New Zealand Girl 1 copia
VIRGINIA: A CENTENNIAL STORY 1 copia
Man Overboard. (short story) 1 copia
Wonders of the Ocean 1 copia
The Rival Crusoes 1 copia
The Trapper's Son 1 copia
Waihoura, the Maori Girl 1 copia
Count Ulrich of Lindburg 1 copia
True Blue 1 copia
In the Forest 1 copia
Salvado del mar 1 copia
Obras relacionadas
Delphi Complete Works of Jules Verne (Illustrated) (2011) — Traductor, algunas ediciones — 37 copias
Cetus Insolitus: Sea Serpents, Giant Cephalopods, and Other Marine Monsters in Classic Science Fiction and Fantasy (2008) — Contribuidor — 2 copias
Etiquetado
Conocimiento común
- Nombre legal
- Kingston, William Henry Giles
- Fecha de nacimiento
- 1814-02-28
- Fecha de fallecimiento
- 1880-08-05
- Género
- male
- Nacionalidad
- England
UK - Lugar de nacimiento
- Harley Street, City of Westminster, Middlesex, England, UK
- Lugar de fallecimiento
- Willesden, Middlesex, England, UK
- Lugares de residencia
- Oporto, Portugal
- Educación
- University of Cambridge (Trinity College)
- Ocupaciones
- adventure writer
editor - Relaciones
- Kingston, Agnes Kinloch (wife)
- Premios y honores
- Donna Maria da Gloria (1842)
Miembros
Reseñas
Listas
También Puede Gustarte
Autores relacionados
Estadísticas
- Obras
- 211
- También por
- 9
- Miembros
- 951
- Popularidad
- #27,067
- Valoración
- 3.7
- Reseñas
- 23
- ISBNs
- 125
- Idiomas
- 2
The other books in the series are The Three Lieutenants, The Three Commanders and The Three Admirals. Although they follow the same characters as they are promoted, they can be read independently, because they are more or less episodic. In this first book, the characters are midshipmen, the most junior officers, being barely out of childhood, and the book ends with their promotion to lieutenants.
This is the second book by W. H. G. Kingston that I read, the previous one being Adrift on a Boat. this novel is much longer than Adrift on a Boat, but my impression is somewhat similar. Kingston's strengths are a fast pace, always full of action and heroism, and a readable style.
On the other hand, his stories seem to be superficial. He doesn't give his characters much individuality, which makes it difficult to care for what happens to them. Murray is a bit more thoughtful and religious, but mostly the three heroes are interchangeable. The characters are all brave and go into battle cheerfully. Apart from a few moments of comic relief, the fast pace doesn't allow for much quiet time to appreciate what it is like, living in a navy ship.
Since the characters are not in command of their ships, the occasion for them to distinguish themselves is when on independent missions, either on a boat that they may command or on land. Because of this, most of the novel is one of these independent mission after the other. They are always on a boat, boarding some enemy, or pirate or slaver ship, or on land assaulting some fortification or rescuing prisoners. The action really is continuous.
Kingston's writing is also quite jingoistic. In his stories, the British Navy is idealized, and its seamen are noble and brave, and foreigners are usually uncivilized and/or ridiculous.
All in all, a story that did well enough to entertain its young audience in the second part of the 19th century, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to modern readers, unless they are very keen on Victorian naval adventure novels. I think there are other adventure novels of the same time that have stood the test of time better.
In his Foreword to Treasure Island (a better novel than this one), Robert Louis Stevenson cited Kingston among his predecessors, along with R. M. Ballantyne and James Fenimore Cooper:
I'm not sure whether the wise youngsters of the 21st century still read Stevenson, or if they read at all, but I'm sure Kingston is mostly forgotten, as the vast majority of our current young adult literature will be forgotten in turn. This book is fine for what it is, but it's not high in the list of old novels that merit rediscovery by new generations.… (más)