"Pirate Latitudes" - Michael Crichton

"Pirate Latitudes" - Michael Crichton

 

To give an introduction into my personal interests, I LOVE pirates. I love reading about them, watching movies about them, costumes, pictures, everything! I've even got a tattoo design for a half sleeve involving a ghost pirate ship in a crazy ocean. So, when I saw this book, I had to read it. If it says "pirate" in the title, it's a guarantee I'll pick it up and give it a try.

 

I am currently on chapter 6, and, unfortunately, I am not impressed with this book. I have no idea what is going on. There is a ton of monologue, none of which has remotely touched on anything pirate based. The first 6 chapters has pretty much been Governor Almont complaining about his new secretary not being at port yet. He discusses how he does not like to go to hangings, despite it being in his job description. There is also mention of the plaque in London, and how he needs female servants to serve in his house. That's it.... that is the first 6 chapters.

 

This book is extremely slow going. There has been no action yet, no conflict, no romance, and no pirates. I'm pretty disappointed, especially because a lot of my male friends talk highly about Michael Crichton books. I was expecting action, adventure, and pirates. Instead I've got a whiny Governor, and a secretary with a anxious wife.

 

So far, I'm not sure I would recommend this book to a lot of people I know. If you like monologue books, or if you're looking for something that will take forever to read, and you can stomach slow going dialogue, then sure, pick up this book. Otherwise, I would say try a different Michael Crichton book and hope it's better. 

"The Bell Jar" - Sylvia Plath

"The Bell Jar" - Sylvia Plath

 

"The Bell Jar" is about Esther, a simple girl in the 1970's who won a fashion magazine contest and was sent to a whole other world, New York. She stays in a women's only hotel with 12 other girls that won contests, including her roommate Doreen. The prize of the contest is that they all get jobs in New York for a month, expenses paid and free stuff galore. This was a chance of a lifetime, a chance to meet people in the field that they wanted to write about. Esther would soon find out that life in New York is nothing like she'd ever experienced before.

 

I am currently on chapter 4, out of 20, and I am pleasantly surprised by the tone of this book. When I first picked it up, I thought that the writing style would be a little less captive, a little slower paced. Instead, "The Bell Jar" is written from a first-person point of view. You are not given the name of the main character until the 3rd chapter. It is written to resemble a young woman, of around age 20, and does a fantastic job. Myself, being 25, can see myself saying and thinking some of the very same things that the girls in this book are saying and thinking.

 

So far the book is highly based around fashion, formality, and finishing school types of events. Those things are not particularly entertaining things for me to read about, but I am still enjoying the book for what it's worth. There are some unexpected moments, usually revolving around Esther's interactions with Doreen, that keep the book entertaining. It's an interesting diary-like book, and a fairly easy read. The chapters are short, and the language is plain. I'm reading it as a wind-down book before bed. 

"Shadow Divers" - Part 2

I am finishing up reading "Shadow Divers" by Robert Kurson and I am still as enticed and amazed by it in the same way I was when I started. The duo is deep in their investigation to find more information about the shipwreck they found. The search even takes one person to Washington D.C. and then to Germany to talk to an old Nazi soldier for his personal account.
With as much excitement I can express towards a book, I highly recommend this book to anyone. It's got a combination of emotions tied to it, as well as some unexpected friendships, to keep the reader captivated.