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24th out of 252 books
—
297 voters
Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth
With his long black curls, a shadowy family tree, and an affinity for pet spiders, James Matthew bears little resemblance to his starched-collar, blue-blooded peers at Eton. Dubbed King Jas., he stops at nothing to become the most notorious underclassman in the prestigious school's history. For James, sword fighting, falling in love with an Ottoman Sultana, and challenging...more
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
April 24th 2007
by HarperCollins
(first published August 23rd 2005)
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Apr 23, 2013
Michael Fierce
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
all fans of Peter Pan and Captain Hook
~ Even the darkest of villains can have a hero's heart ~
This tale tells the story of Captain Hook before he officially takes the name Captain Hook, during his time spent at Eton College getting his education, and his transformation into the villain we know and love.
If you ever wanted to know the history of Captain Hook, it couldn't have been done better by even J.M. Barrie himself. Although there is no Peter Pan here, this is my favorite of all the sequels, prequels, side-stories, etc., that h...more
I love books that take a well-known story and shake it up! I'm sure that this isn't a perfect novel, that there are holes to poke at, but I didn't have time to entertain skepticism when reading this. The author is charged with a difficult task. How do you write an origin story about one of pop culture's most infamous villains and create an interesting and sympathetic protagonist? Hart accomplishes this with skill and not a little bit of energy.
The book is littered with nods to Barrie's original...more
The book is littered with nods to Barrie's original...more
4 likes · like · see review
I read this book because my class took a trip to a local bookstore to meet JV Hart. I was immideatly drawn to his way of speaking, his ideas, and what he was saying to us. He was an extremely interesting guy. He signed my book for me and even talked to me about pursuing a career in writing myself.
This book was beautiful when I read it the first time. I loved how you got to see a different side of James. Instead of the greedy man that you more commonly see in Peter Pan and the like, I got to know...more
This book was beautiful when I read it the first time. I loved how you got to see a different side of James. Instead of the greedy man that you more commonly see in Peter Pan and the like, I got to know...more
Check out my full review of this novel here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-vNTE...
This book is so clever and fun. It gives insight into the past of one of literature's most notorious villains and I love it! Most of all, I love how easily he becomes the hero, even when he is so despicable later in life.
My only problem with this novel is the end. It doesn't explain how Hook gets to Neverland, among many other details. It feels like there should be a sequel between this novel and Barrie's Peter...more
This book is so clever and fun. It gives insight into the past of one of literature's most notorious villains and I love it! Most of all, I love how easily he becomes the hero, even when he is so despicable later in life.
My only problem with this novel is the end. It doesn't explain how Hook gets to Neverland, among many other details. It feels like there should be a sequel between this novel and Barrie's Peter...more
2 likes · like · see review
Oct 15, 2012
Beverly
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
12-14 yr old
Recommended to Beverly by:
indie next list/indiebound.org
Shelves:
young-adult-books
What kind of a childhood results in becoming one of the literary world's greatest villains? According to J.L. Hart's vision of Captain Hook, a childhood of abandonment, isolation and too much time spent alone reading history books created a young man motivated by revenge and with an obsession to prove he is superior to everyone else. James Matthew is suspicious when the father he has never known, a powerful lord, sends him to an elite boarding school to finish his education. James knows he will...more
I've always been intrigued by the thought of Neverland, and this book takes you there without actually ever having that be the setting. James Matthew (or King Jas, as he likes to be called) is the perfect epitome of what a villian SHOULD be- always gentlemanly, reckless and brave.
I know alot of other reviews say that this isn't what the character should be like at all, but they're not thinking about the original book of "Peter Pan". In the original we find a bloodthirsty, twisted character bent...more
I know alot of other reviews say that this isn't what the character should be like at all, but they're not thinking about the original book of "Peter Pan". In the original we find a bloodthirsty, twisted character bent...more
The book was interesting enough, and I think it would hold the interest of a young age group, especially boys. The writing was so-so. Some of the situations were pretty hard for me to believe, but it is fantasy, so I tried to shrug it off. Still, certain parts of the book just got on my nerves. Such as this line, shouted by a princess at a public event, "Move your bloody arse!" Anyone else thinking of My Fair Lady? There was another line in there, "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" but I can...more
I did not think this book was horrible, but it did let me down terribly. I was expecting an epic adventure leading me into the story of how Capt. Hook came into being, and how he became the Nemesis of Neverland. Instead, I got a story of how Capt. Hook is perceived as a youngster, (at least by this author,)to be a complete sociopath who mends his evil ways in the end. But the end comes with him still as a youth with no account of his future notoriety.
As others have mentioned, the first half of t...more
As others have mentioned, the first half of t...more
Hum. Well, I'm not sure if I should mark this "Read" or "To-Read" My husband and I listened to part of it during our Thanksgiving travels and were entertained well enough, but neither of us felt really invested and I'm not sure if I will pick it up again (in either audiobook or book format). On the one hand, I really liked the glimpse into the childhood of James(I've always been a bit of a Capt. Hook fan) and some of it was very well written and even witty. On the other hand, I didn't totally lo...more
Sep 03, 2012
Farrah Caberte
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone who misinterprets Capt. Hook
Recommended to Farrah by:
I just saw it all by myself.
When I first saw this book in the library, I said to myself: "I just got to read this!"
I have heard about Captain Hook in Peter Pan Stories and learned how bad he is but after reading this book, I started liking him. I guess he is my favorite villain now! Wow~! The pictures were also nicely drawn. The story?! It's incredible!
You just have to know the story of Captain Hook!
I have heard about Captain Hook in Peter Pan Stories and learned how bad he is but after reading this book, I started liking him. I guess he is my favorite villain now! Wow~! The pictures were also nicely drawn. The story?! It's incredible!
You just have to know the story of Captain Hook!
I did not like this book at all. AT. ALL. Rubbish paper quality aside, the books manages to fail in plot, characterisation and language alike. The plot manages to be fairly boring boarding school shenanigans for about two thirds, with a haphazard love story thrown in, and then picked up for a while when finally a ship was boarded, only to fall apart again moments later because of spoilers. The characters would do quite well for a movie, I suppose, but for a novel they are flat and uninteresting....more
An intelligent book about a young Captain Hook that details all the important aspects of his youth from why he is the way he is to how he got his name. Young King Jas. enters Eton wearily and finds almost immediately the enemies (named Darling of course, like the children in the original book), friends (Jolly Roger of course!) and love that his life has been missing. His adventures continue to entertain fluidly transforming from one to another. J.V.Hart really found the comfortable medium where...more
EDIT 11/16/12: If you've read this book you will probably have some extra appreciation for today's XKCD comic: http://xkcd.com/1135/
I'm a sucker for any and all Peter Pan adaptations, so needless to say I love the story. Love the characters. Love the action. Love the font and formatting of the hardcover. There are only two or three illustrations in the whole book, other than chapter title vignettes, which I found a bit weird.
References to lines from the play are sprinkled throughout the book and...more
I'm a sucker for any and all Peter Pan adaptations, so needless to say I love the story. Love the characters. Love the action. Love the font and formatting of the hardcover. There are only two or three illustrations in the whole book, other than chapter title vignettes, which I found a bit weird.
References to lines from the play are sprinkled throughout the book and...more
I'm giving this book a big thumbs up for delivering the story that I wished someone would always write. That pansy peter pan is a pathetic pipsqueek compared to Hook! The biography of this splendid character was given a descent amount of action, heart and fantasy to make it match the Peter Pan classic. Readers should completely ignore historical corelations and just enjoy the story. There are a few elements in this book that I wished were elaborated on more. I expected these loose ends to be exp...more
2 likes · like · see review
This book was...awesome?...amazing?...glorious? Words fail me. Captain Hook has always annoyed me slightly because, deep down, I always wanted him to be a gentleman and he never was. And then I read this book. And King Jas. Matthew Bastard, O.S.B., Keeper of the Wall--Lord Protector of the Pudding (as is painted on his wall by fellow classmates) crawled into my brain and took up residence. He has the perfect mix of a kind of cold politeness and barbaric masochism to make the legendary Hook. But...more
3 likes · like · see review
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
As a childhood fan of Peter Pan, this well-written, clever rendition of the young life of the notorious Captain Hook stole my heart from the beginning.The story of the hard-won nemesis of Peter pan was completely shaken up, and the evil villain, Captain Hook, was thrown head-long into a complete character revival that won my loyalties and had me cheering for the once thwarted scoundrel from page one. Peter Pan never comes into play in this story. Instead, we are presented with an unlikely hero i...more
I really liked this book the author went into a lot of detail with the characters; he would always tell how they were feeling or what they looked like. In the beginning he was mostly just introducing the characters and trying to get you to relate to them like in most stories, but by the end he made it seem like you were actually there watching it all happen right before your eyes. He would also describe the setting and tell what everything looked like even what color it was. My favorite thing ab...more
3 likes · like · see review
I am a huge fan of all things Peter Pan (my name being Peter may have something to do with that) so I eagerly read this origin story of the evil Captain Hook. The book begins with his days in prep school before eventually becoming a sailor. Everyone must be the hero of their own story but at times its hard to think about Hook as the good guy. The writer makes him similar to Peter in several ways. The school scenes have a Harry Potter feel, if Harry had a nasty streak. The chapters at sea and the...more
It was an interesting read. Gives you a good look at how a bad guy becomes a bad guy- or is really just misunderstood?
I loved this book and since I read it way back in '06, it most certainly deserves a reread.
This book basically tells the story of notorious Captain James Hook before he took on the name we all know him so well by. If you've ever wondered what Jame Hook was like growing up as a young boy, this book by the talented Mr. Hart will tell you all about it.
It's pretty tricky to add onto such a popular story and iconic character. But this book does so extremely well. If you love gaining more information...more
This book basically tells the story of notorious Captain James Hook before he took on the name we all know him so well by. If you've ever wondered what Jame Hook was like growing up as a young boy, this book by the talented Mr. Hart will tell you all about it.
It's pretty tricky to add onto such a popular story and iconic character. But this book does so extremely well. If you love gaining more information...more
Ever wondered what Hook was like as a child? Welcome to Eton, where young James Matthew B, bastard son of an English nobleman, is determined to make an unforgettable and legendary name for himself. And what is a Hero without a Nemesis??? Enter Arthur Darling (read the original Peter Pan, anyone?)
This is Hook before he was embittered and made cynical by age. A bloody fantastic swashbuckling tale filled with sword fighting, dangerous wall/ball sports, loyal and brave friendships, trained pet spide...more
This is Hook before he was embittered and made cynical by age. A bloody fantastic swashbuckling tale filled with sword fighting, dangerous wall/ball sports, loyal and brave friendships, trained pet spide...more
My husbands favorite Disney character by far is captain hook. So this book just happens to be on our shelf. Since my husband is not a reader I asked him if he had read this book, he said no but he wanted me to tell him about it as I read it. He did not like half the stuff the writer put in there about his beloved character. I on the other hand really like the imagination of how he got his nick name Hook, before he lost his hand to the crocodile. It was interesting to read how he was as a kid fro...more
Aug 15, 2007
Kristi
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fourstars,
youngadult
A fantastic work in the Peter Pan mythology. A marvelous portrayal of the young Hook.
This book has to be the most underrated book of all time. It was my favorite book as a kid and I still reread it from time to time. The idea itself of giving Capt. Hook a back story is very clever. The book is a well written Young Adult type of book though the young Capt. Hook's "special traits" (eyes changing color from blue to red, bleeding yellow blood etc.) seem a bit too Twilight-ish for me. Despite that, the novel is charming and contains a good amount of adventure, love, humor and revenge...more
A spin-off of PETER PAN, this book tells us the background of the boy who became Capt. Hook. James Matthew, the bastard son of a nobleman, is sent to Eton for schooling. Having been ignored by his father for almost his entire life, he's resentful of the absent father. Rather than him giving him money and things, he'd rather his father spend time with him or acknowledge him in public. Shunned by many and tormented by an older boy (one Arthur Darling) at Eton, James is determined to do as he pleas...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I liked this book well enough, but not as much as I had hoped to like it (especially seeing as how the author wrote the screenplays for Hook and Muppet Treasure Island, two movies I loved as a kid and still love to this day). The story doesn't really get going until over a hundred pages in, so it took me awhile to get into it. The second half of the book is a lot better, but still leaves the reader with a lot of unanswered questions (presumably there is to be a sequel, though I haven't found out...more
140-Character Summary: The fresh story of how the well-known Captain Hook came to acquire his notoriety during his days at Eton.
First 140 Characters of the Book: "It was his eyes. The color of blue forget-me-nots, piercing, like two novas in a sky of dying stars. Profoundly melancholy, yes. Except when..." (p. 1).
140-Character Review: A great story of how a wonderful villain become villainous. Hook's oppressors were sufficiently evil and he, sufficiently good. (Surprised?)
First 140 Characters of the Book: "It was his eyes. The color of blue forget-me-nots, piercing, like two novas in a sky of dying stars. Profoundly melancholy, yes. Except when..." (p. 1).
140-Character Review: A great story of how a wonderful villain become villainous. Hook's oppressors were sufficiently evil and he, sufficiently good. (Surprised?)
The cover of this book says ages 10 and up. However, if you are the mother of a little boy I don't recommend letting him read this book until he's at least 14. Theres a lot of things in here that a boy would probably copy such as creating a guillotine, fighting, and tattoing himself. This book is much better suited for older teenagers or adults.
I liked the idea of this story...what made Captain Hook-Captain Hook. But at times the story really dragged. And I was left with a lot of unanswered ques...more
I liked the idea of this story...what made Captain Hook-Captain Hook. But at times the story really dragged. And I was left with a lot of unanswered ques...more
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J.V. Hart has written the screenplays for several feature films, including Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Hook, Tuck Everlasting, Contact and Muppet Treasure Island. He lives in New York with his wife. His son and daughter are both writers and directors in theater and film. Capt. Hook is his first novel.
In the spirit of the Peter Pan charitable legacy, a portion of the author’s royalties will go to the P...more
More about J.V. Hart...
In the spirit of the Peter Pan charitable legacy, a portion of the author’s royalties will go to the P...more
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“Even the darkest of villans-can have a hero's heart.”
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25 people liked it
“Courage is the decision to fly straight into the flame while knowing the consequences.”
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20 people liked it
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Apr 26, 2013 08:37pm
:)
Apr 27, 2013 12:29am