Rating: 
Summary: error in listing.
Review: I am the author of Dark Wind, Gordon Chaplin, and this is not a review. I'd like to correct your listing of my books, which begins with the out of print audiobook version of Dark Wind, instead of the in-print paperback edition. Would it be possible to list the paperback first? Thank you for your attention.
Gordon Chaplin
Rating: 
Summary: Personal and poignant
Review: I couldn't put it down. I've (almost) been there and done that. Now I'm glad an appointment intervened. I related to Susan's behavior because I've seen Gordon's. Quick, easy reading. Not great literature, but something to make you think about your own perspective of life on the water.
Rating: 
Summary: The Ultimate Horror
Review: I feel very sad for Mr. Chaplin. His is the greatest loss of all; the loss of his life's partner who literally slipped through his fingertips. Had he been alone, he would have been heralded for his bravery and strength in surviving a dreadful storm at sea. Had he and Susan survived, they would have been heroes together. Instead, the reader will always wonder if he had done enough, which is not fair to him in the least. I admire the apparent detachment with which Mr. Chaplin describes the successes as well as the failures of their adventure. I learned, once again, the value of humility from this book, and appreciate the author's willingness to write a "confessional" in the face of so much pain and anguish. Peace and Best wishes to Mr. Chaplin and the many family members who were so affected by Ms. Atkinson's death.
Rating: 
Summary: I didn't get beyond the orgasm
Review: I found this book, what I could stomach of it, to be poorly written and self-indulgent. I agree with the reviewer who suggested Mr. Chaplin has learned very little from his ordeal. I didn't bother reading beyond the completely unbelievable account of his lovers near death experience at the hands of a car-jacker/thief which ended, unprobably and offensively, with her having an orgasm???? I really doubt it very much.
Rating:
Summary: A very condensed, haunting read.
Review: I liked this book a lot. It's better than the Perfect Storm. The characters are well developed and more interesting and the narrative tighter. The story was told beautifully--so well really that I thought it could've ended 30 pages earlier, with him still in the Pacific.
Rating:
Summary: A very moving memoir
Review: I've read this book twice in the last two weeks, A very moving story of two people looking for adventure. After both previous marriges fall apart they set upon a journy that ultimately takes the life of one and leaves the other searching his soul for forgiveness. Some how it has left me feeling evey emotion that I think Mr Chaplin had wanted to achieve with the writing of this book. A great book! A real joy reading. I just wish it were possible to tell Mr. Chaplin himself.
Rating:
Summary: not too much love but a lot of loss
Review: If you want modern sailing, adventures, dilemmas, botched revenges, lies, exotic settings, anxious families back home and eventual disaster in one of the most beautiful and unspoiled places in the world, this is your book. Dark wind tells an average tale about contemporary sailors: middle-aged couple, bouncing out of failed marriages, decides to have the big trip before it's too late: Belize, Panama, back to the US by plane, when the family needs attention, and beyond. Twilights, sunsets, the weird floating society of a port full of foreigners and their boats. Lonesome beaches, mechanical mishaps, the purchase of an EPIRB system: no classic sailing story, here, in the manner of Patrick O'Brien, but autopilots, engines and tourism. People who argue, face hard times and may look selfish. No multi-talented sailor-hero around the world on sight, either. This book is a memoir, a real story about people who suffered while chasing their dreams, and it rings true, even if it's not, which is rather out of the point as far as I'm concerned. It also provides a charming route to follow in the future, autopilot and all. And it taught me something else: if the hurricane comes close, don't ever do what they did.
Rating:
Summary: A quick, captivating read
Review: Keeping in mind that the author states that writing this book was therapy for him, I have to wonder how he has recovered from such a tragedy. The chapters that detail the storm and the loss of Chaplin's lover are haunting and mesmerizing. I could not put this book down, for some reason, and read the last 150 pages in one sitting. My only remaining thoughts are how did he recover from this disaster and what would I have done is similar circumstances?There are weak spots, however. I don't understand why he felt it necessary to relive his infidelities. I don't see what this added to the story (other than to cement in our minds one of their many arguments which he usually tended to incite) and what purpose it served other than as a confession for him. I expect that he is living with quite a bit of guilt, that of his lover's death, his infidelities, his frequent denials of the worries of his lover, and the chronic "what ifs" that must now haunt him. The thoughts and questions that linger upon finishing Dark Wind are many. I recommend this not because it is sterling literature or has a deep plot (because it is not and does not), but it brings up many issues that are worth thinking about.
Rating:
Summary: A self-serving effort in an attempt to appease guilt.
Review: Mr. Chaplin clearly thinks far too much of himself. He speaks too often of sexual exploits while married or involved in a long term relationship. How does this apply to a story of a ship wreck? Throughout the book, this man acknowledged time and time again how he chose not to listen to his partners needs, concerns or fears -- instead pushing further into a situation that ultimately caused a life. Half way through the strory I found myself exhausted and looking forward to the end. A positive? Interesting travels to obscure locales.
Rating:
Summary: Chaplin should have read Chapman
Review: Mr. Chaplin has succeeded in pouring salty water into healing wounds
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