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Sep 23, 2007

Elijah rated it:

I would say "like Monty Python in book form" except that that would shortchange Defoe's own creativity.

19 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 08, 2008

David rated it:

I scan the column of 5-star reviews proclaiming the hilarity of this book and am forced to set myself all kinds of awkward questions. When did I stifle my inner child? Just when did the creeping tentacles of old fogeydom reach out to atrophy my critical faculties? How can I not love the pirates? What's wrong with me anyway? What kind of monster am I? Everyone loves pirates!

In my defense, I didn't hate the pirates. But it turns out apparently that a little whimsy goes a long way. This More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 02, 2008

Samantha rated it:

I do not remember reading a book in the past few years that has made me giggle as much as Gideon Defoe's Pirates! books.

Defoe chronicles the life of the Pirate Captain, a deliciously entertaining character who has a strong affinity for Ham. Along with an assortment of aptly named cohorts, including the Pirate in Green, and the Pirate with a Scarf, the Pirate Captain travels the high seas (and Nantucket, and Las Vegas among others) for adventure.

He comes across great foes More...

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Feb 15, 2010

Coralie added it

Amusing, clever, but pointless. This was a DNF. A group of pirates, under a vain but ineffective leader takes off on a voyage to Las Vegas to earn the money to pay for their ship. A voyage to Las Vegas? Yes, that was only one of the ridiculous aspects of this book. There was no character development, no setting development and no plot. The book consisted of the series of comic disasters that befell the pirates as they searched for ways to pay off their new pirate ship. There were footnote More...

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Jun 13, 2008

Sara rated it:

If you're looking for a book like Pirates of the Carribean, don't read this. If you want cowardice, ignorance, and foolishness on a grand scale, and a laugh so hard your family can't sleep, buy this book. I bought it by accident, mostly to see if my students would like it, and laughed for days.
The premise is that there are pirates who can visit Las Vegas, Victorian London, Charles Darwin, and Ahab. It's all so well done that you wouldn't question anyway, but in case you lose your mind and More...

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Oct 05, 2007

Ben rated it:

Pure cheese, and I like cheese. Laugh out loud funny. Nothing particularly fantastic about the subject or the writing, but it will put a grin on your face. Booktalk from library school below.

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe.

The Pirate Captain is a lot like today’s youth. Well, maybe not that much. Or at all. You be the judge. Like many, The Pirate Captain has a motto. ‘I like ham.’ he sails a ship around, plundering the Spanish Main. Although h More...

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Aug 02, 2007

Christine rated it:

So despite having been a follower of the author's blog for some time, I finally got around to reading the copy I bought of his most famous book (my opinion, not his or the publisher's). The first book pokes fun at scientists but Gideon really gets into his true form with the second book with Ahab and the white whale. The fact that it is inspiring me to read the actual THE whale book of all Whale Books is not saying much (since I'm sure it's far more dour to read Melville than Defoe, hah), but I More...

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Nov 28, 2008

Justine rated it:

So I picked up this book after seeing it pop up just about everywhere, and I should have re-calibrated my expectations after Megan said it was "okay." That being said, it was a quick read that was fun, but not fun enough to really engage me into finishing.

Here are some of the pros:
1) it's a book about pirates. how freaking awesome is that?
2) it's actually two books in one. holy crap. you turn it over and there's another book.
3) it's about darwin and ahab-- More...

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Sep 30, 2011

Tiffany rated it:

This was a two-book version where you read one book then flip it over to read the other. It was funny a la Monty Python hijinks and just as pointless. I only read the Adventure with Scientists and then gave it up to read something with a more developed plot and more defined characters. I think young teens might like these books and the footnotes are intriguing.

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Aug 03, 2011

Rachel rated it:

These books are two of the funniest, most original books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The fact that Defoe doesn't actually name any of the pirates is clever and different. The dialogue and situations that the pirates get into is/are hysterical.

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Dec 16, 2009

Tori rated it:

How people get away with publishing some of the rubbish in this world is beyond me. I certainly can't answer that question in regards to this book, though in its favor it was amusing. Utterly silly, it has no reason to be except to entertain. Surprisingly, that's quite all right with me.

My favorite bit: the pirate who, immediately upon coming to the rescue of his comrade and the requisite distressed damsel (literally and physically distressed: the evil-but-not-master mind was suckin More...

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Dec 21, 2008

Annabel added it

One of the wierdest and funniest books i ever read. Follows a group of anacronistic pirates that love ham and have luxuriant beards as they travel around the world and do strange stuff.

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Dec 25, 2009

Matthew rated it:

One of the handful of books I've read where I repeatedly laughed out loud. Very short, easy read. I wish these came out every month - I'm always sad when a "Pirates!" book is over.

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Jul 20, 2009

CuriousLibrarian rated it:

I had already read "Scientists," so this time was for "Ahab." But I really like the two books in one format.

A laugh-out-loud diversion when I really needed it. Love these books!

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Mar 09, 2009

Jon rated it:

Mark reccomened this to me a while back, and I read it on vacation. If I had to sum it up in three words they would be "pants-pissing hilarious."

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May 23, 2009

Professorspottke rated it:

A book that alludes to The Breakfast Club...with pirates? What more can one ask for. A quick read and great way to pass the time laughing.

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Jan 14, 2012

Austin rated it:

I would say this is the most stupid I have ever read and the greatest waste of my time.

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Mar 03, 2011

Sandst rated it:

Literally laugh out loud hilarious. Feels sort of nostalgic in a way, like a reenactment of the Monkey Island computer game series.

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Aug 08, 2011

T. Carter added it

At times humorous, but overall a one-note joke that goes on too long.

0 comments like

Jun 30, 2009

Brandy rated it:

I've had to read this a few times for it to grow on me. I love it though.

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Aug 28, 2010

Tanya is currently reading it

So far, this is hillarious, I have no idea where it's going.

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Nov 23, 2009

Trevor rated it:

An Adventure with Scientists is better than An Adventure with Ahab.

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Jan 07, 2009

Lachlan rated it:

Funny, silly, laugh out loud humour. Nice and short too.

0 comments like

Sep 26, 2011

Stacia rated it:

Not nearly as funny as I had hoped it would be....

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Jan 28, 2012

Angela rated it:

If it was possible to marry a book, I would marry this one.

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Jul 07, 2011

Stephen rated it:

A bit of a one-joke idea but nevertheless a quite funny bit of light reading: great for the airport.

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Aug 26, 2009

Jennie rated it:

Really, really, really, really funny!

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Jun 07, 2011

Jane rated it:

Wonderfully ridiculous. I do love an absurd sense of humor and these two novellas delivered in full force. Never once did they venture near serious, just completely irreverent, ripe with outrageous beginnings, unbelievable and fun middles, and suprising, satisfying endings.

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Feb 09, 2010

Aneel rated it:

Amusing.

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Aug 06, 2007

Sabrina rated it:

"I recently devoured in two days Gideon Defoe's first two Pirates! novels. They were sold together, like back in the day when you were a kid, and one story was printed one way, and then you filled the book over, and there was a second story, and they met in the middle of the book, one of them appearing to be upside down. Awesome! ..."

Read the rest of my review at SabrinaSpiher.com:

[http://www.sabrinaspiher.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=203]

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