The Dark Frigate (1923)

Philip Marsham signed on to work on a ship. Before he had traveled far, however, pirates on the ship kill the ship’s captain and part of the crew and take the ship over. Philip has no choice but to stay on the ship and help the pirates, as much as he is able, to carry on with their plan to take over other ships. Finally Philip has an opportunity to escape from the ship onto an island, but he cannot survive long there. He finds another ship and has hope to convince the captain of this ship that he was not a willing member of the pirate crew and that he will be allowed to travel on the ship to home. ( )

The Dark Frigate is a pirate adventure set in seagoing England. Its Shakespearean language might challenge young readers, and even mature readers should keep Merriam-Webster within reach of this book. The book's author, Charles Boadman Hawes, received his Newbery Medal posthumously, as he died in 1923; he also won the Newbery honor award for The Great Quest (1922), grew up as a seaman, and added detailed research and firsthand accounts to preserve the authenticity of his book's portrayal of 13th-century seafaring life. Its attention to detail and its rhythmic, expressive language create an adventurous tale of substance. However, the rich and complex moral layering provides no easy answers—good guys often do bad things, and bad guys can also be very good people; these factors pull The Dark Frigate up to the level of great literature. ( )

Hawes tells the story of Philip Marsham, an orphan who runs away to sea to get away from the unloving woman who takes care of him. His ship is seized by pirates and Philip is forced to join them or be killed. Eventually, the pirates are taken and Philip is brought to trial for piracy and finally exonerated. He tries to return to the various places and people in his life that he thought he wanted, but all prove disappointing and the book ends with his return to the sea.

Hawes has populated the book with many well-drawn and vivid characters, but I could never summon the necessary liking for Philip to make it all work. Some books are set up so the reader is supposed to find the protagonist unpleasant, but this wasn't one of them. However, instead of rooting for him, I found him arrogant, self-absorbed, ungrateful and generally boring.

I also had trouble with the language. Period dialect is fine in its place, but trying to parse "A wee healsome drappy an' then the guid vittle. Dinna be laithfu'." seriously detracted from what is, at heart, just an adventure story. Even the prose not spoken by characters had a stilted quality to it.

Newbery Medal or no, I cannot recommend this one. ( )

This is an adventure story, perfect for boys. However, modern boys might be at pains to get through it, which is a shame. The hero of this book is brave, true, and confident in his ability and worth. Well written, good plot line, and leaves the reader wanting to know more about Philip. ( )

England is on the brink of civil war when Philip Marscham is washed up in London after his father’s death at sea. The adventurous young seafarer strikes out on his own, but soon finds himself unwittingly fallen in with a crew of vicious pirates. It's fight, die or escape, and there's little hope of escape from a ship at sea. Hawes’s colorful language and sharply drawn characters evoke the time of Charles I in this bold adventure tale. ( )