Pirate Latitudes

Starts off intriguing, but devolves into silliness fairly quickly. It's as if Crichton had a checklist (steal treasure = check; win naval battle at last possible instant by use of unconventional tactics = check; rescue damsel = check; hurricane = check; cannibals = check ....) and he worked his way down it, with little regard for narrative fluency, plot, or (to be frank) common sense. He doesn't even bother to transition between the plot elements, just leaps from one to the next. It was a quick read, but only because the plot was so predictable it was possible to skip huge chunks of text. Not the first time I've questioned the dubious practice of publishing unpublished novels after an author's death. If the author doesn't consider a show more work worthy of being published, we probably ought to respect that. I'm sure Crichton wouldn't want to be remembered for this sloppy piece of fluff.

Having said that, willing to call this an acceptable beach read because the swashing and buckling is mildly entertaining, and because you can put it down to go chase after your children with no fear of missing anything. At all. show less

Oh, how I hate pirates! I hate them nearly as much as I hate ninjas! Why, you ask? Well, because everyone else likes them, that's why. HOWEVER, real pirates are fascinating. Not the silly kind with peg legs, dumb clothes, parrots and ridiculous intonations like "Arrrrrgh, matey." The kind that were hired as privateers, went rogue, raided trade ships and lived like kings for a short while...then died of scurvy.

In this particular fiction (Quiet, you! They're real pirates, I swear!) Captain Hunter is commissioned by the governor of Port Royal to attack a small fort that is rumored to be holding a fortune. The fort is though to be impenetrable, however, and it is guarded by a soldier known for his ruthlessness. It is up to Hunter to use his show more instincts and cunning to sack the fort, claim the treasure, and sail his way safely home with it. As you might imagine, however, things don't go as smoothly as he would like.

It's a pretty standard pirate adventure story, but done in a way that doesn't annoy me like most pirate stories. At first it seemed quite a bit different than the average Crichton novel, but I don't really think it's as far-fetched as it might seem at first. Crichton wrote a number of novels that fit into the adventure genre, such as Jurassic Park and Congo, and though this lacks the science fiction aspect that typically quantifies his novels, it's not such a stretch of the imagination that he may have written something like this.

The book does, as one might expect, feel a bit incomplete. Pirate Latitudes was published posthumously from a manuscript, and though the story is complete many parts of them feel rushed and lacking in detail. I can see why the book hadn't been published, it definitely needed a bit more fleshing out and refining. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading it, and was happily NOT annoyed by it, so hurray for that. show less

I greatly enjoyed this book; in fact, among the seven Crichton novels that I've read, I ranked it second only to The Great Train Robbery, to which I awarded a rare 5 stars. I am impressed with the research the author must have done to write such a story, in particular with regard to tactical maneuvers involving conflict between ships of various kinds, not to mention the historical backdrop of the tale. It’s a story of piracy in the Caribbean in the 1660s – as a British privateer, Cptn. Charles Hunter seeks to capture a treasure-laden Spanish ship as it awaits repairs in the harbor of a small island. The island (Matanceros) is well- fortified, and of course most of the Caribbean is under Spanish control (Jamaica excepted).

The result show more is a rollicking adventure, full of sea battles, crafty intrigue, courage, violence, kidnapped damsels, double- crossing rogues, and even a sea monster. The characters are memorable – Hunter himself; the female pirate Lazue (who dresses and acts like a man); and the duplicitous Mr. Hacklett (who assumes governorship of Jamaica and seeks to have Hunter and his crew hanged as pirates, so that he can grab the treasure) . And of course there are the fair and grateful ladies rescued by Hunter.

This work is written in the spirit and tradition of works by Rafael Sabatini and Robert Louis Stevenson, but with a contemporary perspective in which some sexual frankness is manifested. Further, unlike those works, this story is imbued with fun. The author seems to have enjoyed himself immensely in writing it, and the non-judgmental reader who allows himself is carried along for the ride. The "fun" aspect even explains the book’s one clear departure from credibility -- the "sea monster,” a giant squid that the privateers label a “kraken”. When Crichton has the squid follow and then attack the ship (and reach its tentacles through a porthole to grab the captain, marring his flesh with huge sucker marks), the author has entirely sacrificed believability for the sake of amusement. Further, as a literary device, the episode gives a respectful nod towards Jules Verne and also towards the ancient maritime legends in which in which encounters with sea monsters are frequent occurrences.

The epilogue of this book reveals that the story was taken loosely from the memoirs of the historical Charles Hunter, titled “Life Among the Privateers of the Caribbean Sea”. The epilogue also reveals that most of the major characters of the book – like Hunter himself-- were taken from real, historical figures, as were the events described. In this respect, Pirate Latitudes is similar to The Great Train Robbery, another Crichton novel that was accurately based on past history.

Pirate Latitudes was published posthumously, having been found intact in the author’s files after his death. We can only speculate as to Crichton's intentions for it. Some critics have argued that the work appears unfinished, although I observed no evidence for that perspective.

I was glad to find a map of the Caribbean in the frontispiece of the book as it allows the reader to follow action that traverses much the length and breadth of that body of water. I wish the book had also included a map of the island of Matanceros (where much of the action takes place); apparently such a map is included in some editions.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to readers who are willing to suspend judgment in accepting a bit of the fantastic along with otherwise realistic, historically - based fiction. I always read reviews here and at Amazon to gain insights into other perspectives and open my mind to aspects that I may have missed. The negative reviews at both places find the story unrealistic and cliché ridden, the characters less than fully developed, and the novel itself unfinished and not ready for publication. I disagree with these negative perspectives and think that the critics are taking the work too seriously. But more importantly, I don’t much care to what extent such claims may be defensible. I read this work for pure enjoyment, and it brought me plenty. show less

A mostly wild ride, this Crichton coda will make a fine Spielberg movie. It has all the basic pirate elements: a Spanish galleon, treasure, betrayal, sword-fighting, sea battles, scores of dead men, a hurricane, a giant squid, and even a tribe of head-hunters. A well-developed central character and the fast-paced nature of the story strings these elements together for a very enjoyable read.

On the other hand, it is not a typically-polished Michael Crichton novel. Some episodes speed through far too quickly and detail is missing from several scenes. It is likely the late author drafted the story with plans to elaborate further in a later rewrite. Such matters barely detract from the story, though, and I have no doubt Spielberg will fill show more the gaps when the swashbuckler makes it to film. I will certainly see it.

The two-page epilogue: completely unnecessary.

Find more of my reviews at Mostly NF. show less

In Pirate Latitudes, Michael Crichton filters just about every pirate adventure trope going, and it makes for a fast-moving and enjoyable – if pulpy – read. Indeed, so much is crammed in that it often moves too fast: character, dialogue and even the savour of action are surrendered for the sake of hitting plot points.

The book was published posthumously, and they said Crichton had already completed it, but I have my doubts. There is evidence that he had been working on it here and there since the 1970s, and I suspect the manuscript was finished but he knew it wasn't good enough yet, and perhaps never would be. It has little of the zest – and none of the originality – of classic pirate adventures like Treasure Island and Captain show more Blood. There is a lot of bawdiness, and the content is a bit darker than you would perhaps expect, but aside from that, it doesn't stand out. This book wouldn't have made waves if it were not for the Crichton brand.

That said, it is a solid pirate adventure, and who doesn't love a pirate adventure? Crichton can tell a story, and the book is good for a lazy afternoon or two. show less

This was an unfinished novel found in Crichton's computer files after his death. You can tell.
I don't hate it as much as a lot of the reviewers here seem to, probably because the caribbean age of piracy is a personal interest, but it's no Treasure Island or On Stranger Tides. It's rough, missing characterization, bare-bones, and the writing needs a couple punch-up passes. Plus, Surprise Pedophilia. That the preteen in question is absolutely wanton to a cartoonish degree makes it worse.

Nothing to see here. Move along. This isn't the pirate book you're looking for. You want action. You want colorful characters. You want thrills and suspense. That's all stuff that Michael Crichton can provide. We've read it and seen it before, in The Andromeda Strain, Jurassic Park, ER, and others. But this book doesn't deliver the same goods.

Instead, we have a bare-bones plot filled with stereotyped characters and pedestrian writing. The entire time I read it, I kept wondering when the wonder would kick in and it never did. I'm convinced that Mr. Crichton never intended for this version to be published and would be sadly disappointed that it was (or as murph wrote on his behalf, "If only I'd have encrypted my hard drive...."). Well show more researched, but woefully under-executed, you're better off watching Pirates of the Caribbean for the 14th time or reading the non-fiction [b:The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down|442239|The Republic of Pirates Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down|Colin Woodard|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174806634s/442239.jpg|2082467]. show less