The Dark Frigate
by Charles Boardman Hawes
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Description
A young man dares not return to England after his ship is taken over by pirates and he becomes a member of their crew.Tags
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Member Reviews
This story has been described as kind of like Treasure Island, but I thought it went beyond that classic tale, with plenty of nautical jargon and historical references to flesh this out into an interesting adult read.
From my earliest days, I have had a taste for science fiction. To me, adventure equaled hopping in one's spaceship and blasting off for distant worlds. As I grew older and became aware of other genres of fiction, I gained a vague awareness that the plot of a typical space opera could easily be rewritten--to fit another genre, to be set in the Wild West or on the open seas. I never had an interest in experiencing those other genres, however. The few snatches of westerns or pirate swashbucklers I saw on television never made me hungry for a different taste. I have now learned that maybe I just needed to experience a good story in one of those other genres. The Dark Frigate is a pirate story. It's the tale of Philip Marsham, a young man show more born and bred to the sea. Left on his own when his father is lost at sea, Philip sets out to seek his fortune. After wandering a bit inland he is drawn to the sailor's life and ships out on The Rose of Devon. Unfortunately, the ship encounters a band of pirates and circumstances force Philip to sail with them. It's a great book. Mr. Hawes made the entire world come alive, so much so that I had to adapt my thinking to the archaic language used by the characters. Conversely, I had no problem picturing scene after scene in my mind as I read it. It's sold as a book for young adults, but I found the story and characters to be quite grown up. We bought the book for my daughter's schooling and, given her tastes, she may not like this one. If that's so, I'll be glad to take this tome off her hands and put it on my own shelf.
--J. show less
--J. show less
For a children's book, this started off pretty slow. I kept wondering why it was considered a children's book as the level of the language was pretty complex. But then I remembered this got the Newbery in 1924. What worked as children's books then rarely do now. The definition seems to be based on what children would enjoy as adults read the book to the children, not children reading themselves. At that time, it was rare for children to own books or have access to libraries.
The pace did pick up and the action did get going and it was an enjoyable story. In my mind's ear I could hear the gasp of children as unexpected things happen and the delighted laughs when good things happen.
The pace did pick up and the action did get going and it was an enjoyable story. In my mind's ear I could hear the gasp of children as unexpected things happen and the delighted laughs when good things happen.
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, show more 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. show less
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, show more 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. show less
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 show more can also be very good people; these factors pull The Dark Frigate up to the level of great literature. show less
It was a bit hard for me to read, language wise. I can remember trying to read this when I was a runt, and failing. If I could get a little more comfortable with the writing style, this would probably pose as a thoroughly adventurous, ‘dun dun dun’ sort of tale. I was fully invested by the end, so perhaps that’s how long it took me to adapt. I imagine with future readings my appreciation for this book will grow. (I read another book by this author that didn't have the "sea" language, and I quite enjoyed it.) So I worry that this book's trickiness to read gives it some undeserved wrath. Stick with it, and the tale actually gets fairly compelling.
From my earliest days, I have had a taste for science fiction. To me, adventure equaled hopping in one's spaceship and blasting off for distant worlds. As I grew older and became aware of other genres of fiction, I gained a vague awareness that the plot of a typical space opera could easily be rewritten--to fit another genre, to be set in the Wild West or on the open seas. I never had an interest in experiencing those other genres, however. The few snatches of westerns or pirate swashbucklers I saw on television never made me hungry for a different taste. I have now learned that maybe I just needed to experience a good story in one of those other genres. The Dark Frigate is a pirate story. It's the tale of Philip Marsham, a young man show more born and bred to the sea. Left on his own when his father is lost at sea, Philip sets out to seek his fortune. After wandering a bit inland he is drawn to the sailor's life and ships out on The Rose of Devon. Unfortunately, the ship encounters a band of pirates and circumstances force Philip to sail with them. It's a great book. Mr. Hawes made the entire world come alive, so much so that I had to adapt my thinking to the archaic language used by the characters. Conversely, I had no problem picturing scene after scene in my mind as I read it. It's sold as a book for young adults, but I found the story and characters to be quite grown up. We bought the book for my daughter's schooling and, given her tastes, she may not like this one. If that's so, I'll be glad to take this tome off her hands and put it on my own shelf.
--J. show less
--J. show less
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Published Reviews
ThingScore 88
The Dark Frigate is a great adventure and a worthy, if unexpected, Newbery winner. To my surprise, I was reluctant to return the book to the library. I would like to read it again and feel again that sense of adventure.
added by private library
No one, we think, has written so perfect a pirate tale since "Treasure Island."
added by ArrowStead
Lists
Best Newbery Medal Winners
94 works; 53 members
Newbery Medal Winners - By Year
105 works; 7 members
Sonlight Books
1,487 works; 25 members
Books Read in 2019
4,052 works; 110 members
Author Information
8+ Works 964 Members
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Work Relationships
Has the adaptation
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Dark Frigate
- Alternate titles
- The Dark Frigate: Wherein is Told the Story of Philip Marsham who Lived in the Time of King Charles and Was Bred a Sailor but Came Home to England after Many Hazards by Sea and Land and Fought for the King at Newbury and Lost a Great Inheritance and Departed for Barbados in the Same Ship, by Curious Chance, in Which He Had Long Before Adventured with the Pirates.
- Original publication date
- 1923
- People/Characters
- Philip Marsham
- Important places
- London, England, UK
- Dedication
- To
George W. Cable
with warm admiration
and
filial affection - First words
- Philip Marsham was bred to the sea as far back as the days when he was cutting his milk teeth, and he never thought he should leave it; but leave it he did, once and again, as I shall tell you.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)So he struck a bargain for passage, and paid with gold, and sailed from England for the second time in the old Rose of Devon, the dark frigate that by God's grace had come back to Bideford in the hour when he most needed her.
- Original language
- English
Classifications
- Genres
- Children's Books, Fiction and Literature
- DDC/MDS
- 813.52 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1900-1945
- LCC
- PZ7 .H312 .D — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 858
- Popularity
- 31,618
- Reviews
- 18
- Rating
- (3.33)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 39
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 25
