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23rd out of 252 books
—
297 voters
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists (The Pirates! #1)
by
Gideon Defoe
His crew grow lazy winking at native ladies and sticking jellyfish together into a bouncy castle, so the Pirate Captain spearheads an adventure. After mistakenly attacking Charles Darwin's Beagle, they sail from the exotic Galapagos Islands to fog-filled streets Victorian London, find grisly murder, vanishing ladies, radioactive elephants, the Holy Ghost, and more.
Hardcover, 144 pages
Published
October 19th 2004
by Pantheon
(first published January 1st 2004)
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Two weeks ago, I went to my nearest cinema to watch The Pirates! In An Adventure with Scientists. It was a fun little film, and it's classic Aardman entertainment, but it's nothing great. In fact, as far as Aardman films go, it's maybe a little notch above Flushed Away. But it isn't bad, it just isn't Chicken Run or classic Wallace & Gromit.
Miniature movie review aside, what did I think of the original book? It was absolutely hilarious, and contains so much over the top silliness that it sho...more
Miniature movie review aside, what did I think of the original book? It was absolutely hilarious, and contains so much over the top silliness that it sho...more
'and is that.... a treasure map tattooed on your belly?'
'no. it's the periodic table.'
for two days i've been trying to read a book. i've started two and not even got past 30 pages. i picked up a few other books and put them back down. hugely frustrating.
so i went for a pirate book. because of course that makes sense.
apparently it is supposed to be a very funny read. and maybe i just have a lame sense of humour, because i did not laugh once. but it's what i need right now. it is silly - on the ve...more
'no. it's the periodic table.'
for two days i've been trying to read a book. i've started two and not even got past 30 pages. i picked up a few other books and put them back down. hugely frustrating.
so i went for a pirate book. because of course that makes sense.
apparently it is supposed to be a very funny read. and maybe i just have a lame sense of humour, because i did not laugh once. but it's what i need right now. it is silly - on the ve...more
An enjoyable and silly story about a shipload of pirates who mistakenly attack Darwin's 'Beagle' after being tricked by another pirate, hoping to find a fortune in gold. Instead they rescue Darwin from his sinking ship and travel back to Victorian London to help him look for his brother. As a result, they become entangled with solving the mystery of the disappearances of young women in the city.
The cover of the book claims the book as "a Blackadder for the high seas". I'm afraid that promise was...more
The cover of the book claims the book as "a Blackadder for the high seas". I'm afraid that promise was...more
Words To Consider Before Embarking on A Piratical Adventure With Scientists:
Lubber
Pirate
Ham
Starboard
Sloop
Galley
If you feel you are not yet ready to become entangled with these and other similar words you may want to spend a week in your local library's section on Pirates! for Dummies before picking this book up.
Aaarghh! That scurby knave, Gideon Defoe, is some sort of comedy genius, his debut novel reads like a Frankenstein's monster-type creation that is part Lemony Snicket, part Douglas Adams,...more
Lubber
Pirate
Ham
Starboard
Sloop
Galley
If you feel you are not yet ready to become entangled with these and other similar words you may want to spend a week in your local library's section on Pirates! for Dummies before picking this book up.
Aaarghh! That scurby knave, Gideon Defoe, is some sort of comedy genius, his debut novel reads like a Frankenstein's monster-type creation that is part Lemony Snicket, part Douglas Adams,...more
I heard about this book on TV... I was walking through the living room and I heard the author read out a short passage from the beginning. Merely reading out the description of the paintings hanging in the Pirate Captain's cabin made me laugh, so I knew I had to get it. I still haven't seen the film, but it's now on my list.
It does what it says on the tin. There are pirates, there are scientists and there are ladies. Sometimes there are pirates diguised as scientists disguised as ladies. Be it...more
It does what it says on the tin. There are pirates, there are scientists and there are ladies. Sometimes there are pirates diguised as scientists disguised as ladies. Be it...more
An extremely quick and ridiculous read in the best of ways! Although it is the inspiration for The Pirates: Band of Misfits which premiered in April, there are very few ties between the two (namely, referring to pirates simply by their most distinguishable characteristics, pirates disguising themsleves as scientists, and a waistcoat-wearing, decorum-driven man-panzee who communicates through holding up word flashcards in rapid succession). Defoe's light-hearted narrative is intersperced with sub...more
"The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists" is a book full of adventure and witty humor. It makes fun of all the pirate cliches. A crew of pirates go exploring the seas looking for treasure. They bump into Charles Darwin who is on a quest to show how chimps can be like humans. This ends up turing into one big hilarious adventure.
A text to world connection I have is between the pirates in the book and the pirates that exist in the real world. These pirates are alike because the pirates from...more
A text to world connection I have is between the pirates in the book and the pirates that exist in the real world. These pirates are alike because the pirates from...more
Ah, pirate comedy. In Gideon Defoe’s novel, his pirate crew debates the best part of pirating (grog or cutlasses), delights in anachronisms like Post-It notes and dental floss, and accidentally attacks Charles Darwin’s ship, the Beagle. The Pirate Captain (yes, that’s his name) decides to spare Darwin’s life in exchange for a boat ride back to London. Darwin put the pirates up at the swank Royal Society and passes them off as scientists. Soon the pirates are the toast of the town and are up to t...more
Just finished The Pirates! In an adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe, which is basically a very light-hearted read about a group of not-too-bright pirates and their run in with Charles Darwin. In this book, however, Darwin is not the genius scientist we all learn about in class, but a clumsy, shy kid who's trying to spread the word about his newest scientific discovery: The Manpanzee.
This book probably wouldn't be for people who don't like really cheesy, goofy humor. I wouldn't go so far a...more
This book probably wouldn't be for people who don't like really cheesy, goofy humor. I wouldn't go so far a...more
This book is about a pirate crew seeking adventure when they come across Charles Darwin near the Galapagos Islands. The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists is an hilarious novel that deals with the weighty issue of science versus religion whilst also featuring lots of roaring, running people through with cutlasses and other piratey things! I picked this one up in the library on a whim because I felt like I recognised the title and after looking it up online found that I'd seen the trailer f...more
I'm not ashamed to say I only read this book because I so enjoyed the movie. They are, however, two largely different stories. The movie follows Pirate Captain and his crew of nameless pirate mates on an adventure wherein Darwin is largely a bad guy and the principal villain is Queen Victoria, with a story revolving around a dodo named Polly; the book has Pirate Captain and an only occasionally similar crew of nameless pirate mates on an adventure helping Darwin find his missing brother, and the...more
The Pirates! is a book for adults (mostly) written in the style of a middle-grade book with footnotes detailing recipes for a good mai-tai and descriptions of pirate shanties about mermaids that put out.
There is a little bit of a plot.
The remarkable (a talking monkey) is mundane.
The mundane (ham) is remarkable.
People die. Especially the pirates with names, like Marcus and Stan. It is gory.
Defoe's relentless silliness can be overbearing if taken in one sitting. This is an excellent chapter-o...more
There is a little bit of a plot.
The remarkable (a talking monkey) is mundane.
The mundane (ham) is remarkable.
People die. Especially the pirates with names, like Marcus and Stan. It is gory.
Defoe's relentless silliness can be overbearing if taken in one sitting. This is an excellent chapter-o...more
First published on Booking in Heels.
So, the basic premise has the Pirate Captain and his crew going on adventures, shockingly. In this one, they are led to believe by their arch nemesis, Black Bellamy, that there's a ship from the Bank of England carrying tons of gold across the Ocean and they set off in search for it. Except perhaps Black Bellamy is not quite as reformed as they have been told, because the ship in question turns out to be the HMS on their second voyage to the Galapagos Islands!...more
So, the basic premise has the Pirate Captain and his crew going on adventures, shockingly. In this one, they are led to believe by their arch nemesis, Black Bellamy, that there's a ship from the Bank of England carrying tons of gold across the Ocean and they set off in search for it. Except perhaps Black Bellamy is not quite as reformed as they have been told, because the ship in question turns out to be the HMS on their second voyage to the Galapagos Islands!...more
Jan 03, 2013
Megan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Shelves:
read-on-kindle,
read-in-2012
This book is just a lot of fun. It's so silly. I suppose it is supposed to take place in Victorian England but really to me it's anachronism.
I sampled this on my kindle first before purchasing it. And this line, causing me to laugh out loud and read it to my husband, made me buy it: "They also respected him because it was said he was wedded to the sea. A lot of pirates claimed that they were wedded to the sea, but usually, this was an excuse because they couldn't get a girlfriend or they were g...more
I sampled this on my kindle first before purchasing it. And this line, causing me to laugh out loud and read it to my husband, made me buy it: "They also respected him because it was said he was wedded to the sea. A lot of pirates claimed that they were wedded to the sea, but usually, this was an excuse because they couldn't get a girlfriend or they were g...more
This is a cute, quick story about a ship full of pirates with a taste for both ham and adventure. The luxuriantly-bearded Pirate Captain and his crew (including the scarf-wearing pirate and the pirate in red) meet Darwin, then help the scientist face down a plot that threatens to hide his greatest discovery from the world.
It's fluffy but fun, can be read in one or two sittings, and is best suited for people with a very silly sense of humor.
It's fluffy but fun, can be read in one or two sittings, and is best suited for people with a very silly sense of humor.
This is a fun, silly read. I stumbled across this book by chance and was attracted to it by the title (being in grad school in science and all). After reading the back cover of the book I bought it.
It's complete nonsense and super fun (don't worry, there is a story...it's about pirates! in an adventure with scientists!). It is exactly my type of humor. It's pretty short so it's a nice weekend read (or even just a one-day read).
It's complete nonsense and super fun (don't worry, there is a story...it's about pirates! in an adventure with scientists!). It is exactly my type of humor. It's pretty short so it's a nice weekend read (or even just a one-day read).
This is a book about...PIRATES! Defoe is both creative and funny. Blame it on Disney but I pictured Johnny Depp as the captain. Simply a fun read.
What would happen if a gang of the dumbest pirates ever met up with Darwin? I'm not sure that anyone has ever wondered that, but if you have, this is the book for you. After the idiot Pirate Captain (who, by the way, is idolized by his crew) is tricked by his nemesis, the pirate boat ends up in the Galapagos Islands. There, they mistake Charles Darwin's boat for one carrying all the Queen's gold, but end up making friends and give him a lift back to England. There the adventure really begins wit...more
After watching the charming adaptation of this film, I decided to read this book. My choice was helped by the fact that after reading Last Argument of Kings my mental palate needed a little lightheartedness to wash out the stark finish Abercrombie left me with. Unfortunately, the book isn't as lighthearted as the movie and some of the bits felt more like a monty python skit in the sense that it is funny with an heavy dose of absurd and an undercurrent of mean.
I'm not sure what the audience for t...more
I'm not sure what the audience for t...more
Nov 13, 2010
Monika
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anybody with any sort of sense of humor
The best part about this lovely little book about Pirates, and scientists, and nonsense, is that it does what so little humor books, or tv shows, or anything in pop culture dares to do; it is completely designed to make fun of itself.
The whole book reads like a beautiful, witty little joke, and yet; the characters are fun, the plot is followable, and the writing is wonderful. Defoe's book was "written for a girl" who was not successfully wooed by the pirate adventure. That bit of information, wh...more
The whole book reads like a beautiful, witty little joke, and yet; the characters are fun, the plot is followable, and the writing is wonderful. Defoe's book was "written for a girl" who was not successfully wooed by the pirate adventure. That bit of information, wh...more
Jun 10, 2012
rabbitprincess
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those who are interested who have not seen the movie yet
Recommended to rabbitprincess by:
the movie
Shelves:
bibliotheque,
2012
WARNING! If you have seen the Aardman Animations film featuring the Pirate Crew in this story and want to read the book, the book is very, very different. I was not aware of this and I wish I had been. Although I did like the book, I would have liked it a great deal more if I had not been constantly waiting for plot points from the movie to show up.
In the book, we are introduced to the Pirate Captain and his crew, most of whom do not have real names, but are referred to instead by descriptions (...more
In the book, we are introduced to the Pirate Captain and his crew, most of whom do not have real names, but are referred to instead by descriptions (...more
A book for children of most ages. Fantastical tale of Pirates, Darwin and Queen Victoria. I believe that it's been made into an Ardman animated film.
Brilliant sense of humour. Only a couple of hundred pages, so takes an evening or two. I did find it hard to put down though!
Like Sellars & Yeatman's 1066 and all that it includes it's own comprehension exercise at the end :-
#4. Apart from brian Blessed, who do you think should play the Pirate Captain if they were ever to make a movie of this b...more
Brilliant sense of humour. Only a couple of hundred pages, so takes an evening or two. I did find it hard to put down though!
Like Sellars & Yeatman's 1066 and all that it includes it's own comprehension exercise at the end :-
#4. Apart from brian Blessed, who do you think should play the Pirate Captain if they were ever to make a movie of this b...more
This was a silly, hilarious romp of a story. I love that none of the pirates actually have names, they're just "the pirate with a scarf," "the pirate with an accordion," etc. It was a quick, light-hearted read and made me laugh. A lot. I love Defoe's style of writing--even his author bio in the back of the book was funny. I enjoyed how things are described and just the levels of utter ridiculousness the story gets to: "Stop throwing trilobites at me!" being one of my favorite lines in the book....more
I heard this book read out loud at the Storytellers Club at St. John's my freshmen year, and four years later I still smirk whenever I think about it. A pocket-sized dose of wanton piracy, confused evolutionary theory, and cigar chomping chimpanzees, totally worth the hour and a half it will take you to read it.
Let me just say that the recommendations I sent out for this book are no longer as valid as before. This was silly and fun and simple. I expected more. But I did laugh aloud at times and I love the entire concept of the book. If you are in the mood for a quick ridiculous read, then this will fit the bill.
Pirates dressing up as scientists dressing up as women, hanging out with Charles Darwin on the Beagle, having adventures and discovering evolution. Monty Python meet Gideon Defoe! Don’t look for a plot because there is none. Don’t look for anything redeeming, social or other, because there is nothing. It’s a light hearted slapstick romp through Pirate lore. And Pirate-speak. “Har!” It wasn’t satirical enough for me but the silly parts made me laugh. You can read it quicker than watching a movie....more
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists is the first in a series of four books by Gideon Defoe, which I read having seen the Aardman adaptation released earlier this year. I was very glad that I did go on to read the book which inspired the film, because otherwise I would have had no idea about how different the storyline of the film was, compare to the original text. I did enjoy the film but had a few problems with the plot - evil Queen Victoria? - whereas in Defoe’s book, the arch enemy o...more
Took me less than 2 hours to finish this book. It was written like a middle grade, but had too many hints at dirty jokes for me to be able to read to my class or anything.
It was weird, hilarious, and crazy. I laughed pretty hard throughout. I wish I hadn't paid almost $20 for it, but if you can pick it up for 10 bucks or less, I'd recommend it simply for the insanity. I love that this is clearly a book that doesn't follow the norm, because the author must have written it for the passion of writi...more
It was weird, hilarious, and crazy. I laughed pretty hard throughout. I wish I hadn't paid almost $20 for it, but if you can pick it up for 10 bucks or less, I'd recommend it simply for the insanity. I love that this is clearly a book that doesn't follow the norm, because the author must have written it for the passion of writi...more
Mar 10, 2012
TheBookAddictedGirl
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
All Pirates of the Caribbean Lovers! And All Silly Adults!
4¼ Out of 5
The pirates are getting bored of lounging about on beaches, choosing between yummy fruits and seeing the native women wandering about topless. Therefore, the Pirate Captain decides it’s time to set sail… for an adventure!
But after accidently attacking Charles Darwin’s ship, the pirates agree to help the desperate young scientist, and go to London. They have to rescue Charles’ brother from a diabolical Bishop and get Mister Bobo, the Man-panzee, accepted in high society. And once on...more
The pirates are getting bored of lounging about on beaches, choosing between yummy fruits and seeing the native women wandering about topless. Therefore, the Pirate Captain decides it’s time to set sail… for an adventure!
But after accidently attacking Charles Darwin’s ship, the pirates agree to help the desperate young scientist, and go to London. They have to rescue Charles’ brother from a diabolical Bishop and get Mister Bobo, the Man-panzee, accepted in high society. And once on...more
A hilarious story, with witty writing, clever characters and the most ludicrous plot I could imagine.
After winning a card game against his enemy, Black Bellamy, the Pirate Captain decides to trade his winnings for Black Bellamy's plan to rob a gold rich trade ship.
However, the ship turns out to be filled with monkeys rather than gold. Thus the Pirate Captain takes aboard Darwin, and offers him help get Darwin to Victorian London (a very different place from the London we know) so that he can pre...more
After winning a card game against his enemy, Black Bellamy, the Pirate Captain decides to trade his winnings for Black Bellamy's plan to rob a gold rich trade ship.
However, the ship turns out to be filled with monkeys rather than gold. Thus the Pirate Captain takes aboard Darwin, and offers him help get Darwin to Victorian London (a very different place from the London we know) so that he can pre...more
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Gideon Defoe never meant to become an author. When Defoe bumped into a woman he had pursued during his time studying archaeology and anthropology at Oxford, they began chatting about what they were up to. Realising that his job temping for Westminster council was not going to win him any romantic points, he told her that he was writing a novel. She asked to see it, at which point he found that he...more
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“That explains a lot,' he said. 'I suppose it's also why we've never glimpsed that giant compass in the corner of the Atlantic. I have to say, I'm a little disappointed.”
—
11 people liked it
“I should say we’d reach England by Tuesday or thereabouts, with a decent wind behind us. It would be a lot quicker than that if we could just sail straight there, but I was looking at the nautical charts, and there’s a dirty great sea serpent right in the middle of the ocean! It has a horrible gaping maw and one of those scaly tails that looks like it could snap a boat clean in two. So I thought it best to sail around that.’
FitzRoy frowned. ‘I think they just draw those on maps to add a bit of decoration. It doesn’t actually mean there’s a sea serpent there.’
The galley went rather quiet. A few of the pirate crew stared intently out of the portholes, embarrassed at their Captain’s mistake. But to everyone’s relief, instead of running somebody through, the Pirate Captain just narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
That explains a lot,’ he said. ‘I suppose it’s also why we’ve never glimpsed that giant compass in the corner of the Atlantic. I have to say, I’m a little disappointed.”
—
8 people liked it
More quotes…
FitzRoy frowned. ‘I think they just draw those on maps to add a bit of decoration. It doesn’t actually mean there’s a sea serpent there.’
The galley went rather quiet. A few of the pirate crew stared intently out of the portholes, embarrassed at their Captain’s mistake. But to everyone’s relief, instead of running somebody through, the Pirate Captain just narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
That explains a lot,’ he said. ‘I suppose it’s also why we’ve never glimpsed that giant compass in the corner of the Atlantic. I have to say, I’m a little disappointed.”
Mar 25, 2009 07:46pm