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Moonfleet
"Ay, 'twas a cruel, cruel thing to fire on so young a lad," Ratsey said, as he stepped back a pace to study the effect of a Bag that he was chiselling on the Revenue schooner, "and trouble is likely to come to the other poor fellows taken, for Lawyer Empson says three of them will surely hang at next Assize. I recollect," he went on, "thirty years ago, when there was a bit...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
August 25th 1994
by Puffin Classics
(first published 1898)
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Feb 23, 2013
Wanda
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Wanda by:
Bettie
This is a novel about a young man's coming of age, a pirate named Blackbeard
and a treasure buried here
Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight.
I much prefer my Blackbearded pirate to look like this:
(And I know you agree; right?)
John Meade Falkner is one of my favorite authors. I have read all three of his novels and only wish he had written more.
and a treasure buried here
Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight.
I much prefer my Blackbearded pirate to look like this:
(And I know you agree; right?)
John Meade Falkner is one of my favorite authors. I have read all three of his novels and only wish he had written more.
Sep 02, 2012
Bettie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Laura, Carey and all Radio listeners
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
4 likes · like · see review
قرأتها أكثر من مرة. تنتمي لأدب المغامرات. ربما جمالها ينبع من عودة البطل لبلدته القديمة و تحقيق حلمه رغم الظروف الغير مواتية. الجو العام للقصة جميل ثم نهاية سعيدة.
As one of my All Time Favourites, Moonfleet is one I am sure I could read again and again without ever becoming tired of it.
2 likes · like · see review
Falkner, J. Meade. MOONFLEET. (1898). ****. This is a young man’s action/adventure novel that rivals Treasure Island in narrative and writing quality. It is mostly read by young Englishmen, but now spills over into the U.S. in this handsome new edition by the Folio society. The author was a strange agglomeration of characteristics: he was classically educated, married but childless, and though the author os several novels, only this one for young adults. The novel begins “in the fall of the year...more
عواملٌ شتّى توضع عليها المقاديرُ حين يدوى صفيرُ التقدير
حياة جون ترنشارد أختزلها هو نفسه فى صفحاتٍ دون أخرى
لكنّها كانت الأكثر تورّداً .. و الأكثر حساسيّةً .. و الأكثر تعتّماً أيضاً
سياق الرواية عتيقٌ يرجع إلى الكلاسيكيّات المتأخّرة فى الأدب الإنجليزى المعاصر .. و ربّما جالت نفسى فى سينما النصف الأول من القرن العشرين حيث ترامت روايات المغامرات الدرامية التى ترمى لحلم البطل بالثراء و حبيبته البعيدة المنال .. و من ثمَّ يحدث ما يجعله يضرب فى الأرض كلّها بحثاً عن سبل تحقيق حلّمه فيكلل به حلمه الأكبر بن...more
حياة جون ترنشارد أختزلها هو نفسه فى صفحاتٍ دون أخرى
لكنّها كانت الأكثر تورّداً .. و الأكثر حساسيّةً .. و الأكثر تعتّماً أيضاً
سياق الرواية عتيقٌ يرجع إلى الكلاسيكيّات المتأخّرة فى الأدب الإنجليزى المعاصر .. و ربّما جالت نفسى فى سينما النصف الأول من القرن العشرين حيث ترامت روايات المغامرات الدرامية التى ترمى لحلم البطل بالثراء و حبيبته البعيدة المنال .. و من ثمَّ يحدث ما يجعله يضرب فى الأرض كلّها بحثاً عن سبل تحقيق حلّمه فيكلل به حلمه الأكبر بن...more
Originally written in the 1800s, this story appealed to YA and adult readers alike. The tale is told by an orphan boy named John,who becomes entranced by the a story that has long been told in his community - Moonfleet. It is said that a huge diamond was hidden by a deceased roguen callrd Blackbeard who made life miserable for everyone else when he was alive. He lives with a kind innkeeper, Elzevir, whose son was murdered. Unfortunately, Elzevir and several others are involved in smuggling contr...more
A Blast from the Past
Number me among the many who read this book in grade school back in the late 60's or 70's and the name stuck with me through the years.
Later as an adult, I returned to this book to read it anew and experience the magic again.
Yes, this is book designed for the younger reader. But as is the case with most well written books, all ages will find something to take away. Treasure Island, Kidnapped etc. are all of the same genre, but what makes Moonfleet unique is the tight identif...more
Number me among the many who read this book in grade school back in the late 60's or 70's and the name stuck with me through the years.
Later as an adult, I returned to this book to read it anew and experience the magic again.
Yes, this is book designed for the younger reader. But as is the case with most well written books, all ages will find something to take away. Treasure Island, Kidnapped etc. are all of the same genre, but what makes Moonfleet unique is the tight identif...more
I'm not adventure loving reader and first 50 pages seemed not to attract my attention. No tragic love, no aliens or fantasy worlds created by crazy author's imagionation - but describing young boy's pissing off. Maybe I just like to read about somebody's fail.
Anyway i have to finish it because of aqualung.
Anyway i have to finish it because of aqualung.
This is a children's adventure story that reminded me somewhat of Treasure Island. It's the story of John Trenchard, an orphan who takes up with a gang of smugglers (or 'gentlemen of the Contraband', as the book puts it) in his home village of Moonfleet and his search for the legendary lost treasure of 'Blackbeard' Mohune. I first read this story in English class at school and when I saw it going cheap, I picked it up, having forgotten everything whatsoever about it.
It's a fairly simple story al...more
It's a fairly simple story al...more
As in life, so in a game of hazard, skill will make something of the worst of throws.
Ich stehe auf Abenteuerromane und auf Texte, in denen das Meer immer wieder präsent ist. Kein Wunder also, dass mich der Umschlagtext von Falkners Moonfleet sofort angesprochen hat.
Die Hauptrolle spielt der verwaiste John Trenchard, der bei seiner Tante im verschlafenen Moonfleet in Dorset groß wird. Die Einwohner dieses Fischerdorfes ziehen sich mit Einbruch der Dunkelheit aus Angst vor dem Geist des grausamen...more
2 likes · like · see review
Adventure story set in 18th century Dorset, told from the point of view of 15-year-old John Trenchard, who unwittingly learns of a local (booze) smuggling operation, which in turn leads him to an ancient legend about a huge diamond once in the possession of 'Blackbeard', one of the local Mohunes who gave the village of Moonfleet its original name - Mohunefleet. The search for the 'cursed' diamond turns John's life upside down, leading him to Holland with a price on his head, and he ends up as a...more
I last read Moonfleet when I was 11 in the first year of senior school. Having been 'forced' to read it I probably didn't appreciate its qualities though I was surprised 40 years on how much of it had stuck with me.
Despite the fact that it was written in the 1890s this tale of a small coastal community at the centre of a smuggling operation is a very modern novel. Okay, so some of the language is a bit arcane but it's tightly plotted and Falkner can build tension with the best.
The only thing tha...more
Despite the fact that it was written in the 1890s this tale of a small coastal community at the centre of a smuggling operation is a very modern novel. Okay, so some of the language is a bit arcane but it's tightly plotted and Falkner can build tension with the best.
The only thing tha...more
We were staying within walking distance of Moonfleet Manor, had dinner there and tea on one occasion, visited the church and I said i wanted to read this book haveing read the history wihtin the area, so my hubby kindly bought me this copy in a secondhand book shop.
I thoroughly enjoyed Moonfleet, made even more delightful because I knew and have walked this coastline.. when boats were wrecked I could envisage men desperately trying to scrabble back up the sheer shingle drop and totally failing...more
I thoroughly enjoyed Moonfleet, made even more delightful because I knew and have walked this coastline.. when boats were wrecked I could envisage men desperately trying to scrabble back up the sheer shingle drop and totally failing...more
How I loved this book. I had never heard of it growing up but recently found a most intriguing blog post, which speaks to the power of a good book review. When a grown woman recommends a boy's adventure story, it bears looking into.
I haven't read Robert Louis Stevenson so can't say whether it is Treasure Island-lite (as another reviewer noted, I also expected pirates and found none, though there are smugglers, shipwrecks, and hidden treasure), but the imagery is beautiful, the language is evocat...more
I haven't read Robert Louis Stevenson so can't say whether it is Treasure Island-lite (as another reviewer noted, I also expected pirates and found none, though there are smugglers, shipwrecks, and hidden treasure), but the imagery is beautiful, the language is evocat...more
This story is an epic journey for young John Trechard. His quest to find Blackbeards treasure has twists and turns that lead to John growing up and finding what true love and friendship is all about. I found it a riveting tale. For those who enjoy this story you will find the singer/songwriter, Chris DeBurgh has composed a disc called Moonfleet. It contains 18 tracks that tell the story in an amazing way, through music. Read the book and then listen to the disc and you will not regret doing eith...more
Moonfleet by J Meade Falkner, a forgotten classic.
I have to admit I had never heard of Moonfleet before seeing its name in a list and thinking that a book with such a title had to be genius. While it was not the particular adventure that I was expecting (pirates!), it was a wonderful discovery.
I have since researched the book a little and have found that until the 1970s, it was a very well known book in the UK but for some reason has disappeared from the collective mind. This is a tragedy, good...more
I have to admit I had never heard of Moonfleet before seeing its name in a list and thinking that a book with such a title had to be genius. While it was not the particular adventure that I was expecting (pirates!), it was a wonderful discovery.
I have since researched the book a little and have found that until the 1970s, it was a very well known book in the UK but for some reason has disappeared from the collective mind. This is a tragedy, good...more
3.5 stars. A pretty good late-19th century adventure story with smuggling and hidden treasure. There are some unpleasant details--branding and death and so on--but no more so than other late 19th/early 20th century adventure stories. I see a lot of local libraries have it in children's, but I'm glad mine doesn't--it's not likely to appeal much to the modern child, and it does have some pretty tough moments. Not that kids shouldn't read it, but it's one of those books that's better discovered in...more
Smugglers. Wahoo!
The Story.
John Trenchard has never known life outside of Moonfleet. He was born there and raised there – raised by his aunt after both of his parents died. Now, at the age of fifteen, he enjoys walking around in the village and looking towards the sea to catch a glimpse of the ships that sometimes sail there. There are even a few ships that smuggle cargo out of his very village! Although, of course, that must be done in the black of night…
But not all is right in the village of M...more
The Story.
John Trenchard has never known life outside of Moonfleet. He was born there and raised there – raised by his aunt after both of his parents died. Now, at the age of fifteen, he enjoys walking around in the village and looking towards the sea to catch a glimpse of the ships that sometimes sail there. There are even a few ships that smuggle cargo out of his very village! Although, of course, that must be done in the black of night…
But not all is right in the village of M...more
Jan 12, 2013
Emily
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2011,
general-fiction
What a quintessential late 19th century boys’ adventure story – written then, but set in the mid 18th century. A cursed diamond, smugglers, guns, a beautiful & loyal girl, fleeing across moors, shipwrecks …
Occasionally I wondered how true was the late Victorian evocation of a village in George II’s & George III’s reigns. Romanticised or not? I don’t have the expertise to tell. But I did find it very easy to visualise the setting and absorb myself in it: whether in the village, or a cave,...more
Occasionally I wondered how true was the late Victorian evocation of a village in George II’s & George III’s reigns. Romanticised or not? I don’t have the expertise to tell. But I did find it very easy to visualise the setting and absorb myself in it: whether in the village, or a cave,...more
In "Moonfleet" (1898) Fallkner completely jettisons the whole upper class setting and outside-information tradition of his "The Lost Stradivarius" to tell a riveting tale of small-town rum-runners on the English coast. It's closer to a pirate story than anything else, with hidden treasure, cave hideaways, a young hero and a selfless elder protector.
The town of Moonfleet is a wonderful little community, and one which, under another name, he resurrects in "The Nebuly Coat" (1903). Seated on a tre...more
The town of Moonfleet is a wonderful little community, and one which, under another name, he resurrects in "The Nebuly Coat" (1903). Seated on a tre...more
Jul 12, 2008
Johnny Waco
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adventure,
childrens-literature
Falkner's late-nineteenth century tale of smugglers on the remote coast of southern England is a little bit Twain and a whole lot Stevenson, but despite the strong influences, it is enjoyable and often thrilling. Orphan John Trenchard falls in with the only men in his small village of Moonfleet who care about him, but it turns out they are smugglers, landing spirits to circumvent the steep tarriffs imposed by the revenuers who seem to have their spies all around. An ambush, a ghost story, a trea...more
This is one of the best books I have ever read and the best book I have read in a very long time. It is an absolute treasure. Because it does not float to the top of the list for classics, it is easily missed, but I would put it up there with Treasure Island. It had me in its grip from start to finish (and I rarely experience that anymore). Wonderful setting, themes, characters. An adventure with a heart-wrenching message about life, love, and the pursuit of fortune. A must read!
This is an excellent adventure story that takes the reader straight onto the chalky south coast of England, with it's smugglers, landers, ships with liquid cargo from mainland Europe, and plenty of stormy seas, set in the 1760s, as it is so well-written. A tale for lads but older lads will enjoy it too.
I am still searching for another sea adventure story that I read in grade school, and methinks it must have been one of Leon Garfield's books. I'll have to get ahold of that one as well.
I am still searching for another sea adventure story that I read in grade school, and methinks it must have been one of Leon Garfield's books. I'll have to get ahold of that one as well.
Once you get into the olde english speak this is a great book. It was picked for my book club because we live in Weymouth where Moonfleet is. I think the fact that places mentioned are known to me made it more enjoyable, I will defo be paying a visit to the church. The story itself was an advenure story with the thread of a wonderful friendship between 2 people. Maybe over imaginitive in places but factual in others.
This is a children’s classic first published in 1898. It recounts the adventures of 15 year-old John Trenchard, an orphan who lives with his aunt in the fishing village of Moonfleet on the Dorset coast of England. The action begins in 1757 when John unwittingly becomes involved with a band of smugglers. This was a thoroughly entertaining adventure with smugglers, treasure, coffins, crypts, and caves. I recommend it!
أحب الروايات التي كتبت في أواخر القرن التاسع عشر و أوائل القرن العشرين.
لا يوجد بها حبكة متقنة لكن السرد والوصف و الأحداث هي ما تجعلك تعيش روعة الرواية.. القليل من التشويق الذي ضمنه الكاتب روايته ممتع أيضا.. ذكرتني كثيرا برواية "العجوز والبحر" لهمنغواي.
نادمة جدا لأنني قرأتها مختصرة ..متأكدة أن الرواية كاملة لا تخلو من الروعة التي بترتها الترجمة المختصرة.
آخر مرة أقرأ كتاب مختصر لكنني لا أستطيع أن أرى كتابا أمامي (أيما كان) ولا أقرأه!!!
the main character is john trenchard. john wanted to be a smuggler.An he had his chance once he became a smuggler they had ben spotted by the coast gaurds. the John found a letter there was a hint where the treasure can be. an then he found the treasure and it was a diamond. but it was cursed doe so they took it to a rich guy that buys diamond from people.
Great story but, because of the language, I'd say it was no longer an easy read for children/young adults. I read this at school when I was 11 and struggled with it. Like most school books, they're better (and easier to appreciate) when you're a bit older and wiser.
Very evocative of the period however and a rattling good yarn in the tradition of R L Stevenson.
Very evocative of the period however and a rattling good yarn in the tradition of R L Stevenson.
Awesome! Faulkner's tale of a young boy caught up in 18th century smuggling is a tribute to growing up the hard way, and of learning what it means to stand behind friends and have them stand behind you. A precursor to Star Wars, for the nerds out there, it's a lot like it in some ways. Incredible book. OH, and I got it as a free e-book off Project Gutenburg.
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John Meade Falkner, the son of a country cleryman, was born in 1858. After taking his degree at Oxford, he went to Newcastle-upon-Tyne as a private tutor to the sons of Andrew Noble. When they had grown up he stayed on with the family, and entered the firm where Sir Andrew worked. He travelled a great deal for the firm, particularly to the Balkans, helping to export warships and armaments, for whi...more
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“We thought there was no more behind But such a day tomorrow as today And to be a boy eternal.”
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