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Martin Rattler
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138 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 17, 2012
11 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
R.M. Ballantyne
648 books116 followersR. M. Ballantyne was a Scottish writer of juvenile fiction.
Born Robert Michael Ballantyne in Edinburgh, he was part of a famous family of printers and publishers. At the age of 16 he went to Canada and where he served for six years with the Hudson's Bay Company. He returned to Scotland in 1847, and published his first book the following year, Hudson's Bay: or Life in the Wilds of North America. For some time he was employed by Messrs Constable, the publishers, but in 1856 he gave up business for literature, and began the series of adventure stories for the young with which his name is popularly associated.
Born Robert Michael Ballantyne in Edinburgh, he was part of a famous family of printers and publishers. At the age of 16 he went to Canada and where he served for six years with the Hudson's Bay Company. He returned to Scotland in 1847, and published his first book the following year, Hudson's Bay: or Life in the Wilds of North America. For some time he was employed by Messrs Constable, the publishers, but in 1856 he gave up business for literature, and began the series of adventure stories for the young with which his name is popularly associated.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 14, 2015
More than any other - the book I read under my bedsheets, as a boy... Showing me as it did, the power of words to transport...
May 2, 2024
Like "Around the World in Eighty Days", this is basically a travelogue of everything the author had researched about his setting[s], but is distinctly lacking in plot. The beginning, while being a classic 19th-century 'childhood of Our Hero' who is naughty but nice, is promising, but once young Martin gets carried off to sea and shipwrecked in South America along with the very Irish Barney, a large portion of the book consists of simply describing the wildlife, inhabitants and landscape of the various parts of the country through which it is contrived for them to pass. They voyage up the Amazon, get enslaved by Indians, and cross the continent to visit a diamond mine, while musing that what the country really needs is some good Protestant Bibles - fairly generic period stuff, but without really engaging us with the characters. Definitely well sub-"Robinson Crusoe", for example.
December 27, 2023
R M Ballantyne was said to have made it his rule to write as far as possible from personal knowledge of the scenes he described in his books but I can find no evidence of his having visited Brazil, in whose forests and besides whose rivers 'Martin Rattler' is set.
But that does not mean that Ballantyne has not captured the flavour of the country for in parts this novel reads rather like a volume of Francis Buckland's 'Curiosities of Natural History'. This is because Ballantyne's descriptions of the flora and fauna of the country are exceptionally well described and his detailed description of the countryside certainly transports the reader to the hinterland of Brazil.
In addition, interwoven with the story, Ballantyne gives a lesson on the history of that country ... all very fascinating but I do wonder what the modern young reader would make of it all. I could be wrong, however, for, perhaps surprisingly I have noted that 'Martin Rattler' has been republished a number of times in the 21st century so publishers must think there is a modern day readership.
As for me, I enjoyed every minute of it even though it is not the type of boys' story that has red hot action on every page. Martin Rattler grew up quietly in a village called Ashford where he lived with an aunt, Dorothy Grumbit, who was occupied with her business of knitting stockings, for which orders regularly poured in.
When his schooldays were over, Martin wanted to go to sea, and go to sea he did but not quite in the way he anticipated. Anyway he ended up on board the 'Firefly' as it sailed for foreign climes. On the ship he befriended the Irish cook Barney O'Flannagan and when pirates attacked their ship and it was wrecked, the pair of them managed to get away after swimming away from one of the lifeboats that was about to be re-taken by the pirates.
Martin and Barney ended up on a Brazilian beach and from there they made their way through dense jungle until eventually finding a hermit's cottage. There they made acquaintance with monkeys, iguanas, jaguars, armadillos and all the other curious birds, beasts and reptiles, plants, trees and flowers [thank you, Mr Buckland] that live and flourish in the Brazilian jungle.
In addition they sailed up the mighty Amazon, shooting alligators on its banks, spearing fish in its waters, paddling through its curious Gapo (a forest near a river) and swinging in their hammocks under its luxuriant forests. They encountered wild Indians from whom they eventually escaped, with Martin's escape being particularly dramatic, but in the process they found themselves separated so Martin continued his travels alone.
After many months he came across the diamond mines in Minas Gerais where, most fortuitously, he met up again with Barney, then in disguise as one of the managers of a mine. The pair did some mining for themselves and when they decided to make their way back to England they had amassed a small fortune by selling their diamonds in the markets in Rio de Janeiro. And once they had done that they arranged passage back to England.
Back home, Martin attempted to find his aunt but had no success until, hearing that she might have made her way to Liverpool, he visited that city where a policeman learnt of his quest and directed him to an ancient lady who he thought might be the person Martin was searching for. It was and Martin nursed her back to health, took her back to her old cottage in Ashford and the pathos of this whole episode is most touching and worth the price of the book alone.
Thereafter they lived happily together as Aunt Dorothy returned to her knitting, Barney became a confidential servant to family friend Mr Arthur Jollyboy [lovely surname] and Martin, among other things, visited the poor and read the Bible to them. Meanwhile business prospered and Martin became very well to do.
Whilst, as I have said, it is not an absolutely action-packed adventure, there is plenty of interest in it and when finished it leaves the reader with that feel good factor ... perhaps, after all, it is a book for the youngsters of the 21st century.
But that does not mean that Ballantyne has not captured the flavour of the country for in parts this novel reads rather like a volume of Francis Buckland's 'Curiosities of Natural History'. This is because Ballantyne's descriptions of the flora and fauna of the country are exceptionally well described and his detailed description of the countryside certainly transports the reader to the hinterland of Brazil.
In addition, interwoven with the story, Ballantyne gives a lesson on the history of that country ... all very fascinating but I do wonder what the modern young reader would make of it all. I could be wrong, however, for, perhaps surprisingly I have noted that 'Martin Rattler' has been republished a number of times in the 21st century so publishers must think there is a modern day readership.
As for me, I enjoyed every minute of it even though it is not the type of boys' story that has red hot action on every page. Martin Rattler grew up quietly in a village called Ashford where he lived with an aunt, Dorothy Grumbit, who was occupied with her business of knitting stockings, for which orders regularly poured in.
When his schooldays were over, Martin wanted to go to sea, and go to sea he did but not quite in the way he anticipated. Anyway he ended up on board the 'Firefly' as it sailed for foreign climes. On the ship he befriended the Irish cook Barney O'Flannagan and when pirates attacked their ship and it was wrecked, the pair of them managed to get away after swimming away from one of the lifeboats that was about to be re-taken by the pirates.
Martin and Barney ended up on a Brazilian beach and from there they made their way through dense jungle until eventually finding a hermit's cottage. There they made acquaintance with monkeys, iguanas, jaguars, armadillos and all the other curious birds, beasts and reptiles, plants, trees and flowers [thank you, Mr Buckland] that live and flourish in the Brazilian jungle.
In addition they sailed up the mighty Amazon, shooting alligators on its banks, spearing fish in its waters, paddling through its curious Gapo (a forest near a river) and swinging in their hammocks under its luxuriant forests. They encountered wild Indians from whom they eventually escaped, with Martin's escape being particularly dramatic, but in the process they found themselves separated so Martin continued his travels alone.
After many months he came across the diamond mines in Minas Gerais where, most fortuitously, he met up again with Barney, then in disguise as one of the managers of a mine. The pair did some mining for themselves and when they decided to make their way back to England they had amassed a small fortune by selling their diamonds in the markets in Rio de Janeiro. And once they had done that they arranged passage back to England.
Back home, Martin attempted to find his aunt but had no success until, hearing that she might have made her way to Liverpool, he visited that city where a policeman learnt of his quest and directed him to an ancient lady who he thought might be the person Martin was searching for. It was and Martin nursed her back to health, took her back to her old cottage in Ashford and the pathos of this whole episode is most touching and worth the price of the book alone.
Thereafter they lived happily together as Aunt Dorothy returned to her knitting, Barney became a confidential servant to family friend Mr Arthur Jollyboy [lovely surname] and Martin, among other things, visited the poor and read the Bible to them. Meanwhile business prospered and Martin became very well to do.
Whilst, as I have said, it is not an absolutely action-packed adventure, there is plenty of interest in it and when finished it leaves the reader with that feel good factor ... perhaps, after all, it is a book for the youngsters of the 21st century.
November 6, 2018
Not to be harsh but this was unbelievably racist (and honestly just boring) colonialist propaganda that really didn’t better my life in any way, and that’s the tea ☕️
February 21, 2018
I enjoyed the first few chapters of the book while the story was still set in England. Those were the chapters where Martin Rattler's aunt was on the scene and emotions could be stirred up as you rooted for the hero of the story. But once the narrative arrived in South America, especially once it departed from the house of the hermit, it felt like it dried up a bit and just became a rather monotonous string of adventures, and personally I didn't find it all that engaging. I was impatient for the characters to get back to England again, where the narrative did indeed prove to become moving and engaging once again.
It was interesting to hear the hermit's assessment of the state of Christianity in South America. But it seemed like the Christian aspect of the book was predominantly confined to those parts which I enjoyed, while it vanished almost entirely from the long string of adventures in South America. Perhaps that is why the main body of the book felt so dull to me. You lost all sense of character development. You got to know the characters up to a certain point, then they just seemed to level off and become rather flat, and you got to know nothing new about them, and they didn't seem to be growing in wisdom and knowledge and maturity. There were no Christian contemplations along the way, no bursts of understanding on the part of the hero as he learnt from his experiences and his surroundings and observations. Martin became rather dull as a character.
It was interesting to hear the hermit's assessment of the state of Christianity in South America. But it seemed like the Christian aspect of the book was predominantly confined to those parts which I enjoyed, while it vanished almost entirely from the long string of adventures in South America. Perhaps that is why the main body of the book felt so dull to me. You lost all sense of character development. You got to know the characters up to a certain point, then they just seemed to level off and become rather flat, and you got to know nothing new about them, and they didn't seem to be growing in wisdom and knowledge and maturity. There were no Christian contemplations along the way, no bursts of understanding on the part of the hero as he learnt from his experiences and his surroundings and observations. Martin became rather dull as a character.
June 27, 2012
nostalgia! First read when I was aged 7. Only Xmas present in 1941.
April 17, 2016
Awesome adventure. Loved it.
October 28, 2022
Entertaining travel listening 🎶🔰
Another will written British 🏰 family and friends relationship travel adventure thriller short story by R. M. Ballantyne. About Martin Rattler a school boy 👦 in England. A school mate puts him in a boat ⛵ going to sea where he is rescued by a ship going to South America. There it is attacked by pirates and Martin and his friend escape to land where the adventure begins. Martin and his friend return to England two plus years later. I would recommend this novella to anyone looking for a quick adventure novella. Enjoy the adventure of reading or listening to Alexa read books. 2022 👑👒😕
Another will written British 🏰 family and friends relationship travel adventure thriller short story by R. M. Ballantyne. About Martin Rattler a school boy 👦 in England. A school mate puts him in a boat ⛵ going to sea where he is rescued by a ship going to South America. There it is attacked by pirates and Martin and his friend escape to land where the adventure begins. Martin and his friend return to England two plus years later. I would recommend this novella to anyone looking for a quick adventure novella. Enjoy the adventure of reading or listening to Alexa read books. 2022 👑👒😕
January 1, 2024
Written in 1858 this book is of its time. A time when racism wasn’t recognised and a person who left town not to return, could not be found. I note some critics have judged it by todays more enlightened standards, which is not a fair thing. I enjoyed this book.
December 5, 2018
One of my favourite childhood stories.
October 10, 2019
I would give it a 7 out of 10 🌟.
April 22, 2020
Yet another Island classic! First ever English Novel that I read! <3
May 8, 2016
But of course Martin Rattler is a very clever story: "Their haste was by no means unnecessary. Great black clouds rushed up towards the zenith from all points of the compass, and, just as they reached the woods, darkness so thick that it might almost be felt overspread the scene. Then there was a flash of lightning so vivid that it seemed as if a bright day had been created and extinguished in a moment, leaving the darkness ten times more oppressive. It was followed by a crash and a prolonged rattle, that sounded as if a universe of solid worlds were crushing into contact overhead and bursting into atoms. The flash was so far useful to the fugitives that it enabled them to observe a many-stemmed tree with dense and heavy foliage, under which they darted. They were just in time, and had scarcely seated themselves among its branches when the rain came down in a way not only that Martin had never seen, but that he had never conceived before. It fell, as it were, in broad heavy sheets, and its sound was a loud, continuous roar". Sufficiently so indeed to make the eyes of us mere mortals pop.
And: "The object which called forth the cry from our Irish friend...was neither more nor less than a serpent of dimensions more enormous than Barney had ever before conceived of." seems a bit racy for Victorian literature intended fo'th'youth.
Further, what are we to make of: "Och, ye murderin, blackguards!" cried Barney, hitting out right and left and knocking down a savage at each blow, 'now or niver! come on, ye kangaroos!'"
Reprise: "When the mind has been overwhelmed by some sudden and terrible calamity, it is long ere it again recovers its wonted elasticity. An aching void seems to exist in the heart and a dead weight appears to press upon the brain, so that ordinary objects make but little impression, and the soul seems to turn inwards and brood drearily upon itself. The spirit of fun and frolic that had filled Martin Rattler's heart ever since he landed in Brazil was now so thoroughly and rudely crushed that he felt as if it were utterly impossible that he should ever smile again."
And then: "One of the younger women struck Martin as being ultra-fashionable in her paint."
Before: "In another minute the door burst open, and a man entered hurriedly, followed by the interpreter.
'Your overseer is impertinent!' exclaimed the man, who was a tall, swarthy Brazilian."
And this appears to be complicated: "'I wish to buy a horse or a good mule, and he won't let me have one. I am not a beggar; I offer to pay.'
The man spoke in Portuguese, and Barney replied in the same language,-
'You can have a horse if you pay for it.'
The Brazilian replied by throwing a heavy bag of dollars on the table." should be followed up at an appropriate time and setting.
"A new and agreeable sensation is a pleasant thing." Good.
So, Martin Rattler was written in the mid-nineteenth century and carries with it some of the social values of the period. The prose has a velvety texture that is mostly easy on the ear often bringing an unguent quality to the head.
And: "The object which called forth the cry from our Irish friend...was neither more nor less than a serpent of dimensions more enormous than Barney had ever before conceived of." seems a bit racy for Victorian literature intended fo'th'youth.
Further, what are we to make of: "Och, ye murderin, blackguards!" cried Barney, hitting out right and left and knocking down a savage at each blow, 'now or niver! come on, ye kangaroos!'"
Reprise: "When the mind has been overwhelmed by some sudden and terrible calamity, it is long ere it again recovers its wonted elasticity. An aching void seems to exist in the heart and a dead weight appears to press upon the brain, so that ordinary objects make but little impression, and the soul seems to turn inwards and brood drearily upon itself. The spirit of fun and frolic that had filled Martin Rattler's heart ever since he landed in Brazil was now so thoroughly and rudely crushed that he felt as if it were utterly impossible that he should ever smile again."
And then: "One of the younger women struck Martin as being ultra-fashionable in her paint."
Before: "In another minute the door burst open, and a man entered hurriedly, followed by the interpreter.
'Your overseer is impertinent!' exclaimed the man, who was a tall, swarthy Brazilian."
And this appears to be complicated: "'I wish to buy a horse or a good mule, and he won't let me have one. I am not a beggar; I offer to pay.'
The man spoke in Portuguese, and Barney replied in the same language,-
'You can have a horse if you pay for it.'
The Brazilian replied by throwing a heavy bag of dollars on the table." should be followed up at an appropriate time and setting.
"A new and agreeable sensation is a pleasant thing." Good.
So, Martin Rattler was written in the mid-nineteenth century and carries with it some of the social values of the period. The prose has a velvety texture that is mostly easy on the ear often bringing an unguent quality to the head.
February 18, 2023
Mine isn't a kindle but they don't have a photograph of my hardback on here. It's blue and old and missing the dustjacket. I was given this book by a neighbour when I was about ten, Mrs Pugh of Lacy Street, Stretford. Thanks to that lady for a magnificent read. I have treasured this book and read it a few times back in the day. Will try and read it again at some point... so many books so little time.
March 25, 2011
Ballantyne is my favorite author.
Read
December 18, 2014Typical Ballantyne: very good :)
July 27, 2016
it was OK
Read
February 7, 2019The first story book I read, age 9, early 60's, an Urdu translation published in India before '47, often fighting with the older brother to take the possession upon coming home after school. Unforgettable account of the port (Liverpool) and the first morning on washing up on the Brazilian coast - "Barney, are we in the paradise?"
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews