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The Great Quest
"A romance of 1826, wherein are recorded the experiences of Josiah Woods of Topham, and of those others with whom he sailed for Cuba and the Gulf of Guinea."
359 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1921
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215 people want to read
About the author
Charles Boardman Hawes
119 books2 followersCharles Boardman Hawes was an American author. He was posthumously awarded the 1924 Newbery Medal for The Dark Frigate (1923). Additionally, The Great Quest (1921) was a 1922 Newbery Honor book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
June 28, 2019
One of five titles chosen - along with
Cedric the Forester
,
The Windy Hill
,
The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles
, and
The Old Tobacco Shop
- as a Newbery Honor Book in 1922, the first year the award was given out, The Great Quest is the first of two award-winning seafaring yarns from Charles Boardman Hawes, the second being the 1924 Newbery Medal winner,
The Dark Frigate
.
Opening in 1826, in the small New England village of Topham, it details the adventures of Josiah Woods, a young man who lives with, and works for, his Uncle Seth Upham, the local shopkeeper. When the strangely charismatic Cornelius Gleazen - Topham's disgraced prodigal son - returns to the home of his fathers, it soon becomes apparent that he has some sort of hold over Joe's brusque uncle, whose behavior becomes decidedly erratic. But although Joe observes his uncle with some concern, nothing prepares him for the revelation that Seth Upham had invested all his funds, everything that is to be Joe's inheritance, in a sea voyage to Africa. Setting out with his uncle, two of his uncle's assistants, Arnold Lamont and Simeon Muzzy, local farmer Abe Guptil, and Cornelius Gleazen himself, Joe is soon embarked on a dangerous journey that will take him from Boston to Havana, and thence to the coast of Guinea.
I began The Great Quest this past November (2009), reading online through books.google, as I was unable to obtain a copy through my library system, but although Hawes' story is not entirely without merit - some of his descriptive passages are quite atmospheric - I found it difficult to get through the book. In fact, I had all but abandoned it, until a snow day yesterday gave me the opportunity of finally finishing it. I'm happy to be done with it, to be frank, and don't really recommend it, unless you are (like me) determined to read the entire corpus of Newbery titles, both medal-winners and honor books.
Although Hawes is clearly not painting a positive portrait of the slave trade, or those who engaged in it - Cornelius Gleazen, Molly Matterson, Bud O'Hara, and all the others involved in this most detestable business, are clearly the villains of the piece - there is still a great deal of racism in the story, making it a rather ugly document of previous generations' idea of the world. As Joe and his companions - both friendly and hostile - flee across the African landscape, the language used to discuss their pursuers made me cringe. Joe considers the natives "superstitious" and ignorant, because they fear guns, but somehow also "cowardly," for attacking a smaller group. Reading along, I found myself thinking, "So they're cowardly for attacking a group possessing weapons they fear? Hmm..."
The "bad" guys make constant use of the term "n*gger," while the "good" guys may opt for the more polite "negro," but despite their differences, as Joe observes at one point, they all "at least" had white skin! I was conscious of an acute sense of disgust, while reading the second half of The Great Quest, a sensation that reached its zenith with Joe's analysis of black warfare, and the possible correlation this might have to the enslavement of Africans:
"I wonder if the whole performance to which we owed our lives was not characteristic of the natives of the African coast? If therein did not lie just the difference between a people so easily led into slavery and a people that never, whatever their weaknesses have been, have yielded to their oppressors? It all happened long ago, and it was my only acquaintance with black warfare; but surely we could never thus have thrown American Indians off the scent."
At this point in the narrative, having put up with "innocent" Americans being "accidentally" led into slaving voyages; having encountered "savage" blacks with a strange resentment of the European pillagers of their land, the murderers and enslavers of countless scores of their people; and having read this astonishing "blame the victim" explanation of slavery - lack of centralized organization is surely a sign that a people is more fit for slavery - I would have been very happy if the entire party HAD been caught by the natives. Sadly, it was not to be...
Spare yourself the grief, and skip The Great Quest. Unless you're a children's literature scholar, investigating the history of this particular kind of adventure-story for boys, or someone who is bound and determined to read all the Newbery books, you can definitely do without it!
Opening in 1826, in the small New England village of Topham, it details the adventures of Josiah Woods, a young man who lives with, and works for, his Uncle Seth Upham, the local shopkeeper. When the strangely charismatic Cornelius Gleazen - Topham's disgraced prodigal son - returns to the home of his fathers, it soon becomes apparent that he has some sort of hold over Joe's brusque uncle, whose behavior becomes decidedly erratic. But although Joe observes his uncle with some concern, nothing prepares him for the revelation that Seth Upham had invested all his funds, everything that is to be Joe's inheritance, in a sea voyage to Africa. Setting out with his uncle, two of his uncle's assistants, Arnold Lamont and Simeon Muzzy, local farmer Abe Guptil, and Cornelius Gleazen himself, Joe is soon embarked on a dangerous journey that will take him from Boston to Havana, and thence to the coast of Guinea.
I began The Great Quest this past November (2009), reading online through books.google, as I was unable to obtain a copy through my library system, but although Hawes' story is not entirely without merit - some of his descriptive passages are quite atmospheric - I found it difficult to get through the book. In fact, I had all but abandoned it, until a snow day yesterday gave me the opportunity of finally finishing it. I'm happy to be done with it, to be frank, and don't really recommend it, unless you are (like me) determined to read the entire corpus of Newbery titles, both medal-winners and honor books.
Although Hawes is clearly not painting a positive portrait of the slave trade, or those who engaged in it - Cornelius Gleazen, Molly Matterson, Bud O'Hara, and all the others involved in this most detestable business, are clearly the villains of the piece - there is still a great deal of racism in the story, making it a rather ugly document of previous generations' idea of the world. As Joe and his companions - both friendly and hostile - flee across the African landscape, the language used to discuss their pursuers made me cringe. Joe considers the natives "superstitious" and ignorant, because they fear guns, but somehow also "cowardly," for attacking a smaller group. Reading along, I found myself thinking, "So they're cowardly for attacking a group possessing weapons they fear? Hmm..."
The "bad" guys make constant use of the term "n*gger," while the "good" guys may opt for the more polite "negro," but despite their differences, as Joe observes at one point, they all "at least" had white skin! I was conscious of an acute sense of disgust, while reading the second half of The Great Quest, a sensation that reached its zenith with Joe's analysis of black warfare, and the possible correlation this might have to the enslavement of Africans:
"I wonder if the whole performance to which we owed our lives was not characteristic of the natives of the African coast? If therein did not lie just the difference between a people so easily led into slavery and a people that never, whatever their weaknesses have been, have yielded to their oppressors? It all happened long ago, and it was my only acquaintance with black warfare; but surely we could never thus have thrown American Indians off the scent."
At this point in the narrative, having put up with "innocent" Americans being "accidentally" led into slaving voyages; having encountered "savage" blacks with a strange resentment of the European pillagers of their land, the murderers and enslavers of countless scores of their people; and having read this astonishing "blame the victim" explanation of slavery - lack of centralized organization is surely a sign that a people is more fit for slavery - I would have been very happy if the entire party HAD been caught by the natives. Sadly, it was not to be...
Spare yourself the grief, and skip The Great Quest. Unless you're a children's literature scholar, investigating the history of this particular kind of adventure-story for boys, or someone who is bound and determined to read all the Newbery books, you can definitely do without it!
July 15, 2021
I love the romance of high adventure on the open seas in literature. The possibilities for intrigue, suspense and shocking revelation aboard a confined sea vessel are virtually endless, and when a skillful author puts his or her hand to writing a story of life on the seas in the era of piracy and personal conquest, there is no limit to how good it can be. I was particularly excited about reading my first Charles Boardman Hawes book, as he has been favorably compared to the legendary Robert Louis Stevenson, and compliments do not come much higher than that in regard to seafaring yarns.
The Great Quest was one of several retroactively named Newbery Honor books for 1922, the first year that the Newbery Medal was awarded. As such, I knew that this book must have impressed the Newbery committee in that first year of its existence, so I had high hopes that it might be the type of rousing sea adventure that I love; and, for the most part, The Great Quest delivers on that expectation. The characters are drawn distinctively yet have the ability to surprise us, showing bits of inner courage where none seemed to exist, or demonstrating deeper knowledge about the world and its various customs than they had seemed to possess. It all comes into play on this fateful seafaring voyage that will ultimately bring both utter ruin and fantastic wealth to its participants, and not always as their merits would seem to indicate.
Josiah Woods works for his Uncle, Seth Upham, in the small New England town of Topham in the year 1826. After his mother died, Seth took in Josiah as if he were his own son, teaching him the ways of his shopkeeping business and preparing him to one day take over as owner of the store. It's a simple, unexciting life, but Josiah knows that he will always have a steady income.
The stable life that Josiah had known begins to come to pieces when a stranger by the name of Cornelius Gleazen, formerly a resident of Topham with a shady past that somehow links to that of the ostensibly upstanding Seth Upham, returns for a visit. Josiah observes that his uncle, usually so authoritative and sure of himself, has become very nervous with Cornelius around, yet he has little idea of why their connection might be so worrisome to Seth. The secret leverage that Cornelius has on the man, leverage that he uses to exact maximum pressure in forcing Seth to do what he wants him to do, eventually leads Seth to propose a grand and mysterious quest on which Josiah, too, has been invited to come along. Seth Upham, it seems, is willing to liquidate all of his considerable assets for the chance to go on a voyage in search of a treasure that would make him as rich as a monarch at the height of his powers. Josiah knows that Cornelius Gleazen has some kind of sinister hold over his uncle that is making him forsake his steady work at the store in favor of this flighty treasure hunt, but he can't be sure what the hold is, and so he agrees to embark with them on their journey.
The "great quest" that Cornelius Gleazen has in mind turns out to be a dangerous romp through the waters of slave traders and hostile natives, and the "treasure" that he seeks is a very different commodity from what Josiah had envisioned. Josiah and his crewmates will have to fight for their lives every inch of the way, and even then the odds will prove to be severely tilted against them. Even if he escapes alive, will there be a future for Josiah to go back to in Topham?
Perhaps more than anything else, what Charles Boardman Hawes does well is draw the story to a close, and his aptitude in bringing The Great Quest to a reverberating conclusion made me consider, for a time, rating the book at two and a half stars. It is quite a long book, but shows definite flashes of potential for brilliance in the twists and turns of its plot, and I consider it to have been well worth the read.
The Great Quest was one of several retroactively named Newbery Honor books for 1922, the first year that the Newbery Medal was awarded. As such, I knew that this book must have impressed the Newbery committee in that first year of its existence, so I had high hopes that it might be the type of rousing sea adventure that I love; and, for the most part, The Great Quest delivers on that expectation. The characters are drawn distinctively yet have the ability to surprise us, showing bits of inner courage where none seemed to exist, or demonstrating deeper knowledge about the world and its various customs than they had seemed to possess. It all comes into play on this fateful seafaring voyage that will ultimately bring both utter ruin and fantastic wealth to its participants, and not always as their merits would seem to indicate.
Josiah Woods works for his Uncle, Seth Upham, in the small New England town of Topham in the year 1826. After his mother died, Seth took in Josiah as if he were his own son, teaching him the ways of his shopkeeping business and preparing him to one day take over as owner of the store. It's a simple, unexciting life, but Josiah knows that he will always have a steady income.
The stable life that Josiah had known begins to come to pieces when a stranger by the name of Cornelius Gleazen, formerly a resident of Topham with a shady past that somehow links to that of the ostensibly upstanding Seth Upham, returns for a visit. Josiah observes that his uncle, usually so authoritative and sure of himself, has become very nervous with Cornelius around, yet he has little idea of why their connection might be so worrisome to Seth. The secret leverage that Cornelius has on the man, leverage that he uses to exact maximum pressure in forcing Seth to do what he wants him to do, eventually leads Seth to propose a grand and mysterious quest on which Josiah, too, has been invited to come along. Seth Upham, it seems, is willing to liquidate all of his considerable assets for the chance to go on a voyage in search of a treasure that would make him as rich as a monarch at the height of his powers. Josiah knows that Cornelius Gleazen has some kind of sinister hold over his uncle that is making him forsake his steady work at the store in favor of this flighty treasure hunt, but he can't be sure what the hold is, and so he agrees to embark with them on their journey.
The "great quest" that Cornelius Gleazen has in mind turns out to be a dangerous romp through the waters of slave traders and hostile natives, and the "treasure" that he seeks is a very different commodity from what Josiah had envisioned. Josiah and his crewmates will have to fight for their lives every inch of the way, and even then the odds will prove to be severely tilted against them. Even if he escapes alive, will there be a future for Josiah to go back to in Topham?
Perhaps more than anything else, what Charles Boardman Hawes does well is draw the story to a close, and his aptitude in bringing The Great Quest to a reverberating conclusion made me consider, for a time, rating the book at two and a half stars. It is quite a long book, but shows definite flashes of potential for brilliance in the twists and turns of its plot, and I consider it to have been well worth the read.
January 5, 2013
A con man returns to the small New England town where he grew up and entangles his boyhood friend, along with the friend's nephew, two shop-clerks, and a dispossessed mortgagé, in a supposed search for gold that turns out to be a cover for outfitting a slave-trading vessel. The expedition eventually meets with complicated disaster. The book is narrated by the nephew, who survives the adventure and gains a white wife and a black servant, in addition to the undying allegiance of the mortgagé and one of the shop-clerks.
The writing is... I can find no other word for it than "hilarible". The book reads like it was written by a young Anne of Green Gables, with "instinctively felt" and overuse of italics all complete. None of the characters' actions make any sense beyond the thinnest of tissue-paper Plotty Reasons; I can't even introduce the thought of their having coherent personalities long enough to dismiss it with dignity, it merely pokes its head into the room and retreats holding its nose. :D
In addition, it becomes more drastically racist and offensive as we approach Africa, with lines like "three of us [were] arrant scoundrels, but all of us at least white of skin, surrounded by a black horde". And as if that weren't enough - I hesitate to use the p-word, but there are at least a great many very strong homages to Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped, starting indeed with the frontispiece and including some nearly word-for-word snippets of dialogue.
The author does do quite a good pastiche of Mr Stevenson's writing voice (English-style, not Scottish-style; I would have forgiven a good deal for Scots dialect), but that's one of the book's only good points. Not recommended.
The writing is... I can find no other word for it than "hilarible". The book reads like it was written by a young Anne of Green Gables, with "instinctively felt" and overuse of italics all complete. None of the characters' actions make any sense beyond the thinnest of tissue-paper Plotty Reasons; I can't even introduce the thought of their having coherent personalities long enough to dismiss it with dignity, it merely pokes its head into the room and retreats holding its nose. :D
In addition, it becomes more drastically racist and offensive as we approach Africa, with lines like "three of us [were] arrant scoundrels, but all of us at least white of skin, surrounded by a black horde". And as if that weren't enough - I hesitate to use the p-word, but there are at least a great many very strong homages to Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped, starting indeed with the frontispiece and including some nearly word-for-word snippets of dialogue.
The author does do quite a good pastiche of Mr Stevenson's writing voice (English-style, not Scottish-style; I would have forgiven a good deal for Scots dialect), but that's one of the book's only good points. Not recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2015
Read more on my blog: http://newberyandbeyond.com/mini-newb...
On one hand, the story is great. It’s entertaining, dramatic, almost Treasure Island-esque. Joe, the main character, is a young man who finds himself swept up in an adventure with some unsavory characters and a couple of good friends on his side. They go through battles, shipwrecks, illness, and many other trials, all in search of treasure that may or may not materialize.
On the other hand… This book is pretty old, and, I have to say—it’s pretty racist. Although the main character and his friends abhor slavery and are horrified that the aforementioned unsavory characters are slavers, there are plenty of patronizing views of black people, especially the Africans they fight against when they land on the coast of Africa. At first I thought I could ignore the racism, as I have to do in many older books that I read, but since a large portion of the book takes place in Africa, it’s pretty unavoidable.
On one hand, the story is great. It’s entertaining, dramatic, almost Treasure Island-esque. Joe, the main character, is a young man who finds himself swept up in an adventure with some unsavory characters and a couple of good friends on his side. They go through battles, shipwrecks, illness, and many other trials, all in search of treasure that may or may not materialize.
On the other hand… This book is pretty old, and, I have to say—it’s pretty racist. Although the main character and his friends abhor slavery and are horrified that the aforementioned unsavory characters are slavers, there are plenty of patronizing views of black people, especially the Africans they fight against when they land on the coast of Africa. At first I thought I could ignore the racism, as I have to do in many older books that I read, but since a large portion of the book takes place in Africa, it’s pretty unavoidable.
August 16, 2025
It was as struggle to start and finish, and while there's hatred for slavery, there's still plenty of patronizing and racism towards blacks in the second half the story that added to the struggles of completing.
Besides that, I'm not sure the adventure and chases were all that exciting, but rather a drag. Following along for some of the characters wasn't so bad though, the conclusion for everything was a nice finishing bow on everything, with a nice message that you don't really need to go across the world for treasure.
Besides that, I'm not sure the adventure and chases were all that exciting, but rather a drag. Following along for some of the characters wasn't so bad though, the conclusion for everything was a nice finishing bow on everything, with a nice message that you don't really need to go across the world for treasure.
July 12, 2016
Young men may long for adventure. And they may experience more than they bargain for. This book classically describes such a case. There are many books for young adults that do this well. Unfortunately, I think this book is not one for current reading. It is dated and contains attitudes about racism that we no longer tolerate. It's one thing to show those attitudes in their historical perspective and quite another to mindlessly include them as a matter of course. Aside - there are basically no females in the story.
I read because it was a Newbery honor book. However, I wouldn't recommend taking the effort to track this one down.
I read because it was a Newbery honor book. However, I wouldn't recommend taking the effort to track this one down.
December 7, 2016
Another book from the inaugural year of the Newbery awards that tells me that racism in that time was extremely complicated, though many were convinced they weren't racist. The complicated legality of slavery at the time of the setting made this book more tense than I would have liked, but it did have some adventure in the last half. It is a pleasure to see how far literature for children has come in the last 90 years, though not so pleasurable to work my way through these books. The Dark Frigate by the same author is a much better book, or at least has kept its relatability much better than this one.
February 6, 2013
Not as good as The Dark Frigate by the same author. I kept feeling like there was supposed to be suspense and excitement - like it was meant to be there but never came. Yes, there were battles and guns and stuff, but it wasn't really exciting. My favorite character was actually the African witch doctor who kept calling out at them. The 'Love Story' was also quite lame and not developed enough for the kind of ending the book had. Still, it was an interesting read, so a good 3 stars it is.
January 28, 2013
Very good adventure story. I enjoyed it a lot more than Treasure Island, Kidnapped, or any of the other classic adventure stories even though the language is a of the old style of literature and somewhat cumbersome. It seemed that the action, conflicts, dangers, and hardships were non stop. I highly recommend.
May 19, 2016
This 1922 Newberry Honor book is great adventure from beginning to end. Unfortunately adventure from beginning to end is not my favorite type of book to read, but I liked the characters and the story. It's a great book to read (at least I think so) to get a feel for what it might have been like to travel to Africa and encounter Africans during the time of the slave trade.
July 17, 2014
This was a Newbery Honor Book the very first year, in 1922. It was slow to start and the narrator was painfully slow to figure things out, but I'm glad I finished.
I preferred the author's other Newbery winner, The Dark Frigate, which won a few years later.
I preferred the author's other Newbery winner, The Dark Frigate, which won a few years later.
March 29, 2015
I picked up the Great Quest because it was a Newbery Honor book from 1922. It took a long time to get into it, and the plot was a little thin, but once the adventure got started it did keep me reading to the end.
Definitely not P.C. for the 21st century though!
Definitely not P.C. for the 21st century though!
February 27, 2014
Difficult style for a modern reader to parse, and hours after I'd finished it, I barely recalled the details. Not very memorable.
May 25, 2021
This tries to be Treasure Island, but isn’t.
September 25, 2021
Oh boy. Where to begin?
I read Hawes other Newbery winner, The Dark Frigate, and was not terribly impressed. The writing was fun at first, but was difficult and the novelty wore out fast. That said, the story (besides the end) wasn't awful. It had some fun elements. After reading this book I wish he'd told The Dark Frigate with the same tone he wrote this book in. Then he might've had one good book.
The Great Quest also had some fun elements. The writing style was slick and easy to read and the plot had a good setup. Josiah lives with his Uncle Seth in Topham. One of Uncle Seth's old cronies, Cornelius Gleazen rolls into town and starts stirring up trouble with Uncle Seth. Before Josiah knows it, Uncle Seth has sold his lucrative business and is dragging Josiah and his other employees onto a ship to journey across the sea.
Josiah isn't sure what's going on but he knows Gleazen is behind it and things only get worse once they leave Topham behind. Gleazen starts bringing other seedy folk aboard and basically acts like he's in charge, even though all the money belongs to Seth.
Gleazen has secret plans and doesn't want anyone to know. Luckily Josiah has Arthur, an employee of Seth's who is loyal and good. Together with the Captain, they're going to try and lookout for Seth.
The plot doesn't sound terrible, right? The fact is, no matter how good any pieces of the book were all of that was completely overridden by the horrible, horrible racism.
Many of the older Newbery books have racist currents running through them. They are all products of their time. This book was by far the worst one that I've come across so far. I was constantly cringing and thinking it couldn't possibly get any worst. To be fair, he does make a point of saying that slavery is bad, and all the people who like slavery are depicted as dreadful people without any redeeming qualities.
That wasn't enough to override all the uses of the "n" word (TONS) and the way the Africans were depicted - basically as bloodthirsty, shrieking demons. It was really disgusting. Hawes could've easily left this book as a Josiah and Crew vs. Gleazen and Crew and the story would've been a lot better. He could've even turned the parts in Africa into a Josiah vs. Nature bit. So many options and he had to go with this one.
Another part I didn't like was the random little "romance." It was pretty stupid. Also, it really annoyed me that they seemed to be trapped in that cabin for days without water and survived just fine. You can only live about three days without water.
I can't recommend this book to anyone. I only read it because it's part of my Newbery Quest. (I have 144 books left, wahoo!) It started off good and I wish that it hadn't devolved into a racist mess.
I read Hawes other Newbery winner, The Dark Frigate, and was not terribly impressed. The writing was fun at first, but was difficult and the novelty wore out fast. That said, the story (besides the end) wasn't awful. It had some fun elements. After reading this book I wish he'd told The Dark Frigate with the same tone he wrote this book in. Then he might've had one good book.
The Great Quest also had some fun elements. The writing style was slick and easy to read and the plot had a good setup. Josiah lives with his Uncle Seth in Topham. One of Uncle Seth's old cronies, Cornelius Gleazen rolls into town and starts stirring up trouble with Uncle Seth. Before Josiah knows it, Uncle Seth has sold his lucrative business and is dragging Josiah and his other employees onto a ship to journey across the sea.
Josiah isn't sure what's going on but he knows Gleazen is behind it and things only get worse once they leave Topham behind. Gleazen starts bringing other seedy folk aboard and basically acts like he's in charge, even though all the money belongs to Seth.
Gleazen has secret plans and doesn't want anyone to know. Luckily Josiah has Arthur, an employee of Seth's who is loyal and good. Together with the Captain, they're going to try and lookout for Seth.
The plot doesn't sound terrible, right? The fact is, no matter how good any pieces of the book were all of that was completely overridden by the horrible, horrible racism.
Many of the older Newbery books have racist currents running through them. They are all products of their time. This book was by far the worst one that I've come across so far. I was constantly cringing and thinking it couldn't possibly get any worst. To be fair, he does make a point of saying that slavery is bad, and all the people who like slavery are depicted as dreadful people without any redeeming qualities.
That wasn't enough to override all the uses of the "n" word (TONS) and the way the Africans were depicted - basically as bloodthirsty, shrieking demons. It was really disgusting. Hawes could've easily left this book as a Josiah and Crew vs. Gleazen and Crew and the story would've been a lot better. He could've even turned the parts in Africa into a Josiah vs. Nature bit. So many options and he had to go with this one.
Another part I didn't like was the random little "romance." It was pretty stupid. Also, it really annoyed me that they seemed to be trapped in that cabin for days without water and survived just fine. You can only live about three days without water.
I can't recommend this book to anyone. I only read it because it's part of my Newbery Quest. (I have 144 books left, wahoo!) It started off good and I wish that it hadn't devolved into a racist mess.
February 28, 2017
What did I think? This one was both fascinating and peculiar. It's definitely a product of its times (early 1920s) in that the language and style is more elevated than what would be used today. It's also very clearly of that era in how it depicts non-white and non-English/American characters; it's undeniably racist and bigoted, but given that is the norm for the era which it depicts (the 1830s) it's not quite as offensive as it could be. This is the story of a young, orphaned, New Englander (age is uncertain - I had thought teens, but at one point Jo(siah) states he's in his 20s) who works in his uncle's store. A man (Cornelius Gleazen) from his uncle's past (he hung with a bad crowd as a youth) comes to town and convinces/blackmails him into committing to a trading quest to Africa. Uncle invests his savings and he, Josiah, and two employees accompany scoundrel on the journey. All sorts of misfortune occurs, including the revelation that yes, slaves, might be involved. This is one of the "forgotten" Newberys, but for reasons I don't understand it's more available than another of the same year (Cedric the Forester). I read this for my Newbery challenge and it also fulfills my 2017 Reading Challenge "read an adventure book" (Read the World in 52 weeks).
June 24, 2022
Although it moves fairly slowly, this book is well written. It reminds me a little of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island in that a not so savory character uses honest characters to go after a treasure. That being said, this is not a book about pirates. This book deals with financial ruin, blackmail, the African slave trade, death, and sickness. There is a tiny bit of romance thrown in, but it is not really the main point of the story. I don't know that I would recommend this book for younger children. If you do be prepared to talk with them about Slavery and Racism. In addition, some of the character's use racist language in reference to black individuals that is consistent with the time period in which the story takes place, so be aware of that if you intend to read the book.
September 9, 2022
The Great Quest was written in the early 20th century, and recounts events from the early 19th century. Though some of the words and opinions expressed are therefore not in tune with what we would consider respectable today, they accurately portray the times and language of the events presented. This book is about the slave trade. It depicts the clash between Europe, America, and Africa. It would be foolish to expect 21st century sensitivities from a book written a hundred years ago, and it would be still more foolish to expect those same sensitivities to appear in the mouths of characters from a hundred years before that.
Having said that, be aware before diving into this book, that you will encounter plenty of ugliness. Know also that this book comes out squarely against slavery, the slave trade, and all those who profited from it. Know also that though this is shelved in the Juvenile Fiction section of your library or bookstore, it is an adventure tale that can be appreciated by adults. We do not change the past by ignoring it.
Having said that, be aware before diving into this book, that you will encounter plenty of ugliness. Know also that this book comes out squarely against slavery, the slave trade, and all those who profited from it. Know also that though this is shelved in the Juvenile Fiction section of your library or bookstore, it is an adventure tale that can be appreciated by adults. We do not change the past by ignoring it.
March 22, 2024
I am finding myself a little lost on what star rating to give this, so I give it 3.
This is an engaging adventure story that is far more interesting than The Dark Frigate, the other Hawes book I read which won the Newbery Award. That one was a slog to get through, while this one kept me going the whole way.
However, there is so much problematic about this book. And so much contradictory. It's a product of its time. On the one hand, the main characters and all of the good characters repeatedly reject and denounce slavery and the horrors of the slave trade. But at the same time, those characters sometimes refer to the people of Africa (who are lumped together by continent) as savage, superstitious, unintelligent, etc. There are also COPIOUS uses of the N word in dialogue, mainly from the villains, but it's pervasive.
So the adventure is interesting and there are clear lines between right and wrong / good and evil, but there are also really racist comments made by all characters.
This is an engaging adventure story that is far more interesting than The Dark Frigate, the other Hawes book I read which won the Newbery Award. That one was a slog to get through, while this one kept me going the whole way.
However, there is so much problematic about this book. And so much contradictory. It's a product of its time. On the one hand, the main characters and all of the good characters repeatedly reject and denounce slavery and the horrors of the slave trade. But at the same time, those characters sometimes refer to the people of Africa (who are lumped together by continent) as savage, superstitious, unintelligent, etc. There are also COPIOUS uses of the N word in dialogue, mainly from the villains, but it's pervasive.
So the adventure is interesting and there are clear lines between right and wrong / good and evil, but there are also really racist comments made by all characters.
February 1, 2023
I can completely understand why this is an honorary Newberry.
The suspense and mystery at the beginning, the seafaring adventure, the warfare in the jungle, the swashbuckling and duels in the middle, the romance at the end all make for a very exciting story.
I really enjoyed the two opposing stances regarding the slave trade, and the Christian men’s disgust and refusal to take part in it.
There are a few things I can critique:
1. I think the scenes where the company are stuck in the hut became repetitive and could have used a little more editing.
2. It was unrealistic that all the various tribal villages fought the company together - in reality these tribes fought amongst each other as well, and sold their POWs as slaves.
3. Joe’s opinion that Seth’s death was a mercy sounded similar to the arguments used in favor of euthanasia, which strips the dignity of the human person.
Overall this was a great read, and the ending leaves you satisfied.
The suspense and mystery at the beginning, the seafaring adventure, the warfare in the jungle, the swashbuckling and duels in the middle, the romance at the end all make for a very exciting story.
I really enjoyed the two opposing stances regarding the slave trade, and the Christian men’s disgust and refusal to take part in it.
There are a few things I can critique:
1. I think the scenes where the company are stuck in the hut became repetitive and could have used a little more editing.
2. It was unrealistic that all the various tribal villages fought the company together - in reality these tribes fought amongst each other as well, and sold their POWs as slaves.
3. Joe’s opinion that Seth’s death was a mercy sounded similar to the arguments used in favor of euthanasia, which strips the dignity of the human person.
Overall this was a great read, and the ending leaves you satisfied.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2022
I had not looked forward to reading this book, but I ended up really enjoying it! This is the story of a young man and his adventures, usually against his will, on a trip from New England to Cuba to Africa to South America and back to New England in the early 1800s. There were obvious "good guys" and "bad guys" in this story. The bad guys attempted to turn the ship into a slave-ship and they used racial slurs that were historically correct in the setting of the story. Other than that, there was no cursing or vulgar language in the story. Although it gets classified as "children's literature", it's truly a piece of historical fiction that is a good enough story to hold an adult's interest.
February 14, 2023
One of the original Newbery award books, published in 1921, this is an example of writing that hasn't stood up well to the changing times.
The story is adventurous, fast-paced, and despite the plethora of insane run-on sentences, would be very fun for kids - but . . .
Even while this book is a morality tale against the slave trade (complete with symbolic names of upstanding characters and just punishment of the depraved), it contains a strong presence of belittlement of the African race. It could work as an engagingly-readable unit study about hidden racism and why it's important that our celebrated literature (and other cultural icons) does not denigrate portions of our society. Not a great classroom selection for casual reading without appropriate discussion.
The story is adventurous, fast-paced, and despite the plethora of insane run-on sentences, would be very fun for kids - but . . .
Even while this book is a morality tale against the slave trade (complete with symbolic names of upstanding characters and just punishment of the depraved), it contains a strong presence of belittlement of the African race. It could work as an engagingly-readable unit study about hidden racism and why it's important that our celebrated literature (and other cultural icons) does not denigrate portions of our society. Not a great classroom selection for casual reading without appropriate discussion.
November 7, 2024
As with almost anyone else reading this book 100 years later, I’m doing so in an effort to read all of the Newbery Honor books. Most of the old honor books have at least something positive I can point to, but I honestly can’t find anything to recommend this one and so many reasons to skip it. It is racist, offensive, frequently boring, occasionally confusing, and with a pacing that is frustrating to the modern reader. There are too many characters and most of them are only caricatures. The plot manages to be both predictable and confusing (quite a feat!). And the moralizing feels tiresome, especially by the end of the 390 pages (yikes, it is so long). Skip it if you can.
October 25, 2021
The story itself is pretty good, not very complex. The storytelling was also good. Some of the scenes are told in a very immersive way. The plot twists were pretty obvious but still they were done well.
The one problem I have with the book is, like everyone else, the very outdated and awkward way to describe Africans. Though the main character is against slavery, their way of describing the situations with africans involved can seem very racist. It is a very old book so it makes it slightly more acceptable but its still an uncomfortable read at times.
The one problem I have with the book is, like everyone else, the very outdated and awkward way to describe Africans. Though the main character is against slavery, their way of describing the situations with africans involved can seem very racist. It is a very old book so it makes it slightly more acceptable but its still an uncomfortable read at times.
never-finished
May 16, 2022Treasure island type story, longer, not as good. The “good” character’s portray attitude of the historical period, that Africans should not be slaves but they consider the Lin “less than” white men. Many uses of the “n” word. Avoid.
February 20, 2018
Back later for review
November 21, 2018
Absolutely inappropriate for children.
February 29, 2020
Adventurous!
Read
November 16, 2022No. Just no.
Want to read
May 22, 20251922 Newbery Honor Book
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