The Coral Island

It's necessary to remember this book was published in 1858: _24 years before_ "Treasure Island." Public executions were still carried out in England and slavery was still legal in the US. Calling out issues of racism and imperialism here are a factor of presentism in the mind of the reader, even if the cannibalism and missionary zeal are exaggerated for dramatic effect. So, then.

So much of Ballantyne's narrative concerns the three central characters' observations, rationalizations, and accommodations of their new surroundings and circumstances that I could not help but make an intuitive leap; this book is not only the first major "boy's adventure" for Victorian literature, but is THE archetype of YA SFF published today. The bulk of this show more book reads like a standard YA portal fantasy or SF crashlanded-on-a-strange-planet novel the likes of which Andre Norton or (gasp) Robert Heinlein might have written, only in decidedly florid nineteenth-century prose. It's worth reading if only to see that, but then the 3 teens are likeable, the story breezy and exciting, and it's really neat to see how Pacific Islands were such an alien world to English readers at the time that such details were dazzling.

On the downside, there is a projected optimism that strains belief: things work out too well too often. I can see how & why Golding spun this same story into "The Lord of the Flies" a century later (whoopee, Cold War cynicism). Also, the Christian proselytizing is too thick in the last act to be carried by the narrative, and the narrative itself fizzles at the end rather than arrives anywhere. I wonder if he anticipated writing a sequel? show less

This is very much of its time! It was first published in 1858 and it's hard for me to realise how difficult it was for people at that time to know much about the rest of the world, or even the rest of their country, when I'm used to instant news and information via TV and internet. The first half of the story seemed to be for information - to teach boys and girls about foreign parts and, although unrealistic, made it sound a delightful adventure to be shipwrecked on a south sea island! The second half, when the pirates were encountered, while probably an exciting read for children of that time, displayed the Imperialism and inherent racism of much of the Victorian era.

Written 100 years before The Lord of the Flies, The Coral Island couldn't be more different than its literary descendant. I don't really know how to rate this 'classic' children's book (given its built-in racism, pro-colonialism, and missionizing agenda) but it certainly deepens my appreciation of Golding's masterpiece.

A member of the Boys Stranded on a Deserted Island genre, this one rolls along pretty well, although it gets surprisingly dark toward the end. Still, a fun-enough read.

A very successful adventure classic of the Victorian era. It's what today we would call YA fiction, a story about three teenage boys who are shipwrecked on a South Pacific desert island.

I remember reading this as a boy and loving it. Rereading it as an adult, I was surprised by how much religious content it has, much more than I remembered.

Anyway, the language is a bit old-fashioned, but it was a very readable bestseller in its time and it's still quite readable now. The story has two parts: in the first part the boys are alone in their island, and in the second part they have contact with the natives. It's the first part that I love, with its idyllic tale of adventure, exploration and survival in a beautiful environment. This is no show more Lord of the Flies. The boys are civilized and good friends, and they do well in the bountiful desert island.

The second half of the book feels more aged, with religious references and the natives being portrayed as cannibalistic savages without any regard for our modern political correctness. Not that the depiction is completely inaccurate, since the natives of those islands were by all accounts rather savage, but it is exaggerated here in a sensationalist and condescending Victorian manner, at least in the way natives became perfectly pleasant and civilized whenever they were converted to Christianity.

In any case, the action is fast and there's no room for boredom. It's a ripping yarn. It's easy to see how it captured the imaginations of generations of young readers. I enjoyed the adventures, but what makes it worth reading nowadays is the blissful first half when the boys are stranded in their private paradise. show less

The earlier parts of this book are fun. Like his successor Robert Louis Stephenson, Ballantyne was very good at vivid descriptions of ocean, waves, islands, storms, vegetation, etc. The second half of the book is very different from the first; in the first, the boys are all alone on the island and cooperate with the utmost cheer in making a safe and comfortable life for themselves in spite of danger from animals and weather, in the second, they must cope with the outside world in the form of natives, pirates, and missionaries. Then they go home.

The whole book has an extremely simple and untheological Christian message: Christianity is good, belief is good and will help you. There are no fine questions of theology on which our hero, show more Ralph, must exercise his mind. This makes the book very different from the Narnia books, which are drenched in theological metaphor.

Some of the cover images are misleading; Jack, the eldest of the boys, is already 18 when they are shipwrecked, well-grown and strong. Only Peterkin, at 12 or 13, could be expected to look boyish. Nonetheless, much of the cover art makes all three look roughly 10 years old.

I listened on audio, the narration, by Jim Hodges, from a publishing house for Christian audiobooks, was unpracticed. show less

Shipwrecks and Pirates and Cannibals, Oh My!

Young Adult adventure novel from 1857 set in the South Seas is a tad overwritten for today's reader but still a good yarn nonetheless. Natural history descriptions are surprisingly accurate given when it was written. Recommended for preteen boys whose mothers don't mind gruesome descriptions of cannibalistic practices.