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The Earthly Paradise
The protagonist in this title, Don Narciso rich, accompanies Columbus on his third voyage to the New World in 1497.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1940
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 28, 2014
I am always fond of Forester's writing, particularly his sea novels. This one is set significantly earlier than his Hornblower books, in an era when they had to bail out the ship by hand, used tillers to steer, and had no hammocks.
To the Indies is set during the third of Columbus' voyages to the new world, when he encountered the mainland of South America. Told from the perspective of a lawyer sent by King Ferdinand to check out the functioning of Columbus' colonies and business, it is a solid tale with a weak ending.
Forester's gift for characterization and storytelling holds true, and the historical aspects are fascinating. I particularly appreciated his glimpse into the personality and actions of Christopher Columbus. His great gift at navigation, his rigid control of his Viceroyship over the new world, and his often astounding flights of fancy are all well told.
The book covers a lot of ground, including betrayal, discovery, and a particularly interesting scene where the Spaniards try to kill an iguana to eat (having tasted some with local tribes) and finding out it is instead a Caiman, which is much harder to kill than they anticipated.
At this point, the assumption is still that they had found a far eastern portion of Asia, rather than an entirely new continent, but the conclusion is beginning to run into problems, particularly when they encounter the mainland of South America and believe at first it is an island.
The story is very true to the time period, with unashamed and presumed allegiance to the Roman Catholic church, God, and miracles. The poor natural philosophy of the time as well as its strengths are all highlighted, and the superstition mixed with piety as well. It is a pet peeve to read historical novels which either mock or defy the people and beliefs of the time - often injecting a modern character in defiance of all logic and history. Forester avoids that and tells the story without commentary or condemnation, only the bald truth.
Ultimately the story falls flat, in my opinion, by the end. The problem is that Forester is hamstrung by historical events and has to follow what actually took place, which isn't as heroic, dynamic, or exciting as, for example, the Hornblower books where he used history as a reference and borrowed from many men to make one great hero. The end of the book is somewhat anticlimactic and no story was really told, only a sequence of events.
Still a satisfying read and well worth the time to read. Despite its somewhat intimidating length, this is a fast, easy read and is very entertaining while being informative.
To the Indies is set during the third of Columbus' voyages to the new world, when he encountered the mainland of South America. Told from the perspective of a lawyer sent by King Ferdinand to check out the functioning of Columbus' colonies and business, it is a solid tale with a weak ending.
Forester's gift for characterization and storytelling holds true, and the historical aspects are fascinating. I particularly appreciated his glimpse into the personality and actions of Christopher Columbus. His great gift at navigation, his rigid control of his Viceroyship over the new world, and his often astounding flights of fancy are all well told.
The book covers a lot of ground, including betrayal, discovery, and a particularly interesting scene where the Spaniards try to kill an iguana to eat (having tasted some with local tribes) and finding out it is instead a Caiman, which is much harder to kill than they anticipated.
At this point, the assumption is still that they had found a far eastern portion of Asia, rather than an entirely new continent, but the conclusion is beginning to run into problems, particularly when they encounter the mainland of South America and believe at first it is an island.
The story is very true to the time period, with unashamed and presumed allegiance to the Roman Catholic church, God, and miracles. The poor natural philosophy of the time as well as its strengths are all highlighted, and the superstition mixed with piety as well. It is a pet peeve to read historical novels which either mock or defy the people and beliefs of the time - often injecting a modern character in defiance of all logic and history. Forester avoids that and tells the story without commentary or condemnation, only the bald truth.
Ultimately the story falls flat, in my opinion, by the end. The problem is that Forester is hamstrung by historical events and has to follow what actually took place, which isn't as heroic, dynamic, or exciting as, for example, the Hornblower books where he used history as a reference and borrowed from many men to make one great hero. The end of the book is somewhat anticlimactic and no story was really told, only a sequence of events.
Still a satisfying read and well worth the time to read. Despite its somewhat intimidating length, this is a fast, easy read and is very entertaining while being informative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2020
Forester creates a fictional lawyer to ride along with Christopher Columbus on his third voyage to the New World. Narciso Rich provides a close-up view of Columbus and the world he lives in. Rich is an interesting character himself. As the son of a merchant he is looked down upon by the Hidalgos, the sons of nobility, but he has a commission directly from the King and Queen so they must tolerate him. He is fascinated by the New World and has many ideas how to exploit it, but he is constantly at odds with his own prejudices and the orders of Their Majesties. For instance, "It is terrible how the Indians are treated, but unless they embrace Catholicism they deserve whatever they get." "I would think this was an entirely new and undiscovered continent if that wasn't a completely heretical thought that could bet me burned at the stake so I shall strike it from my mind." "These Indians and noble Spanish are terrible farmers. You know what this country needs? African slaves!"
Rich is a free thinker in the time of the Inquisition so he keeps his mouth shut. Columbus is a genius navigator and a religious fanatic but a terrible governor who is supremely jealous of his new found power. The Spanish are rich drunken soldiers who came to the New World to kill Indians and find gold. The Indians are simple happy people who live a life of untroubled bliss and know no violence, excepting the ones that kill and eat people.
Forester foreshadows the exploitation of the Americas with somewhat cardboard characters outside of Rich, but he does add nuance as even though Rich would like to see things done differently he is too much a man of his time to act on these thoughts. "If both the Church and Aristotle say that oysters grow into seabirds then it would be height of sinfulness to believe otherwise." Rich is on the edge of questioning the teachings of the Church but both the fear of the Inquisition and his own personal beliefs hold him back. It's 150 years before the birth of Spinoza and this world is not yet ready for all that heresy.
Rich is a free thinker in the time of the Inquisition so he keeps his mouth shut. Columbus is a genius navigator and a religious fanatic but a terrible governor who is supremely jealous of his new found power. The Spanish are rich drunken soldiers who came to the New World to kill Indians and find gold. The Indians are simple happy people who live a life of untroubled bliss and know no violence, excepting the ones that kill and eat people.
Forester foreshadows the exploitation of the Americas with somewhat cardboard characters outside of Rich, but he does add nuance as even though Rich would like to see things done differently he is too much a man of his time to act on these thoughts. "If both the Church and Aristotle say that oysters grow into seabirds then it would be height of sinfulness to believe otherwise." Rich is on the edge of questioning the teachings of the Church but both the fear of the Inquisition and his own personal beliefs hold him back. It's 150 years before the birth of Spinoza and this world is not yet ready for all that heresy.
May 25, 2009
I actually liked this somewhat better than the Hornblower book I read.
October 8, 2022
I got 60 pages in and gave up. I did so reluctantly because I have loved so many of Forester's books. This is a fictionalized account of one of Christopher Columbus's later journeys. I just found I wasn't interested in the characters or what they were doing. The dialogue was not up to the standard that Forester has set in the other book of his that I have read. I've got to much going on to force myself to read something for fun that is not interesting.
October 21, 2025
i enjoyed this book. I think this must have been two novellas or short stories or something that the author was made to combine for publication. The first part of the story through the end of trinidad is exciting. the second part on Hispaniola is sometimes entertaining and sometimes overly historical. i think the author is much better describing action scenes on land that action scenes in the water (such as in the Hornblower stories).
August 6, 2020
rlly interesting to read smth from this era but obv. problematic xoxo
May 28, 2023
Slow start, good middle, abrupt ending
October 25, 2013
Warning: Potential Minor Spoilers
To the Indies, a novel by C.S. Forester, takes place in the late fifteenth century in the newly discovered West Indies region. The protagonist is a prominent Spanish lawyer by the name of Narciso Rich who is on a voyage… to the Indies. The ship he is on, the Holy Name, is captained by the Admiral. The Admiral is an aging sailor, stricken by rheumatism, who discovered the West Indies a few years earlier. He is later revealed to be none other than Christopher Columbus.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. One of the major points the novel presented was how such a civilized man such as a Spanish lawyer could be lowered to tricking Indians into doing something against their will. In one scene, he even relishes in killing Indians during a revolt. However, the book also does an excellent job in showing how the same character could show compassion for the Indians. In fact, I almost thought that Narciso Rich could have actually been Bartolomé de las Casas from the way he is portrayed. He pities the Indians, but is an advocate for the African slave trade. He is a very religious man and he is horrified by how the Indians are treated. However, the theory cannot stand because de las Casas would have been about sixteen during the course of this book and Rich is often described as being significantly older than the ship’s crew. I also like this book because it really shows from a “firsthand” account of how the Natives were treated and really hammers the point home that the Europeans treated them terribly.
The writing of the book itself is also very well done. The book begins slowly, but quickly gathers speed and by the end, you can hardly believe that the events of the book take place in just 200-300 pages. I would rate this book as an eight out of ten from a literary standing and a nine out of ten from a historical standing. The only problems I found were the slow start and somewhat lengthy and extraneous descriptions. Other than that, the book was a great read and provides a decent perspective of the past.
To the Indies, a novel by C.S. Forester, takes place in the late fifteenth century in the newly discovered West Indies region. The protagonist is a prominent Spanish lawyer by the name of Narciso Rich who is on a voyage… to the Indies. The ship he is on, the Holy Name, is captained by the Admiral. The Admiral is an aging sailor, stricken by rheumatism, who discovered the West Indies a few years earlier. He is later revealed to be none other than Christopher Columbus.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. One of the major points the novel presented was how such a civilized man such as a Spanish lawyer could be lowered to tricking Indians into doing something against their will. In one scene, he even relishes in killing Indians during a revolt. However, the book also does an excellent job in showing how the same character could show compassion for the Indians. In fact, I almost thought that Narciso Rich could have actually been Bartolomé de las Casas from the way he is portrayed. He pities the Indians, but is an advocate for the African slave trade. He is a very religious man and he is horrified by how the Indians are treated. However, the theory cannot stand because de las Casas would have been about sixteen during the course of this book and Rich is often described as being significantly older than the ship’s crew. I also like this book because it really shows from a “firsthand” account of how the Natives were treated and really hammers the point home that the Europeans treated them terribly.
The writing of the book itself is also very well done. The book begins slowly, but quickly gathers speed and by the end, you can hardly believe that the events of the book take place in just 200-300 pages. I would rate this book as an eight out of ten from a literary standing and a nine out of ten from a historical standing. The only problems I found were the slow start and somewhat lengthy and extraneous descriptions. Other than that, the book was a great read and provides a decent perspective of the past.
August 12, 2024
I loved C.S. Forester’s Hornblower series so when I saw this in a thrift shop, I snapped it up. It’s the story of Christopher Columbus’ third trip to the West Indies but it’s told by a Spanish lawyer sent with him by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He entered a whole new world when he went on board the ship, Holy Family, and it just got stranger and stranger as the voyage went on. Columbus was convinced that the West Indies were islands lying off the east coast of China. He knew he would find mountains of gold, the Fountain of Youth, and the Tree of Life. Narciso Rich was not sure but he had to keep his doubts to himself.
Forester wrote well about shipboard life. And he described the greed and lack of discipline both on the ship and on land. Fascinating book and it seems to follow the actual events well.
Forester wrote well about shipboard life. And he described the greed and lack of discipline both on the ship and on land. Fascinating book and it seems to follow the actual events well.
August 10, 2023
As ever a good read where Forester's use of irony richly exposes the pride and greed of those who sought glory, honour and wealth. When Garcia speaks of the glories of Christendom he speaks of burning, hanging and rape, tragedy indeed.
March 24, 2024
excellent
Fast paced perspective on the discovery of America. Easy to read. enjoyed the African Queen too. Now to find out how close to real history it was.
Fast paced perspective on the discovery of America. Easy to read. enjoyed the African Queen too. Now to find out how close to real history it was.
December 11, 2024
easy read, enjoyed the prose. plot was slightly basic
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews