Castaways of the Flying Dutchman

Rating:
Summary: Don't Be a Castaway!
Review: This book was absolutely marvelous! I loved the story and characters, especially Ned the dog! This is a really good book for people who likes animals and mystery and a bit of fantasy. Overall, I could find nothing bad to say about this book!

Rating:
Summary: awesome
Review: Brian Jacques' Redwall series was good but the castaways of the flying dutchman was by far one of the best books I have ever read!! Keep writing Mr. Jacques

Rating:
Summary: Magnificent!
Review: This is a book that I will remember always. It is on my 'favorites' list and I recommend it to any avid reader of any age. Brian Jacques has taken the tale of the Flying Dutchman as a base for this story. Neb/Ben is a young lad who rarely knew love or a kind word. He is dumb - unable to speak until he is washed ashore after being swept off the doomed Flying Dutchman. Together with his dog, Den/Ned, Ben travels through history never ageing, helping those in need.
Brian Jacques has taken two of Ben's and Ned's adventures and developed the story of the Castaways. The first is rather short, telling how Ben and Ned were washed ashore and rescued by a kind shepherd. Ben has been given the ability to speak and is told by an angel that his mission is to help those in need. He can stay in one place til he hears the sound of a bell, then he and Ned must move on.
The second part of this book is in the 'present' and tells how the travelers help an elderly widow. There is mystery, humor, and excitement as they race against time to save the villagers from the greed of developers. Ben and Ned can communicate through their thoughts and are a formadible team. Ben shows compassion and wisdom beyond his 'years' in dealing with others. My oldest son (19) just completed the book and his only complaint is that he wished that there had been more of the shorter vignettes, rather than one long second story.
I have read all of Brian Jacques books and consider this one of the best. I hope he will develop it into a series as he did the Redwall books.

Rating:
Summary: First Part Good, The Rest Really, Really, Really Bad
Review: I've liked Jacques' Redwall books (though even those are becoming more and more repititous) and when I heard about this book, a novel based on the mystery of the Flying Dutchman, I was intruiged. That said, I'll start off with the good. The first 90 or so pages, dealing with the Flying Dutchman's voyage and subsequent fate, was good. The writing seemed to present an old style tale of high adventure on the sea and I enjoyed this change from the medieval world of Redwall. However once the narrative moved to the small town in 1890, this book became absolute drivel. The plot, of trying to find a hidden deed so the town wouldn't be demolished by an industrialist, lacked any kind of excitement. The characters were poorly done, the heroes-the boy and dog- so sweet, good, nice, and morally right, made me sick. Very unrealistic, no depth to them at all. The villians likewise, were nothing more than moronic fools. Most dissapointinly, the rousing action that I have enjoyed in Jacques other books was GONE here. The scuffles with the bullies that were passed off as action scenes were laughable and the constant preaching by the boy of 'you shouldn't fight' made me feel like I was being preached to. The rest of the story moved at a dull pace, with the constant going back and forth trying to find clues: merely filler for the lack of plot and action. To any fan of Jacques' work on Redwall I DO NOT reccomend this book.

Rating:
Summary: i was wowed again
Review: when i picked up the book, i was in a hurry & i took it just because it was written by Brian Jacques! I didn't even realize it wasn't part of the redwall series, but after reading it, I loved it, and if u love the redwall series, this book is just as good!!!

Rating:
Summary: Castaways of the Flying Dutchman
Review: This book's a 5 star plus! Why? Because it provided exciting, well written literature for my 9 year old son to read. Like other good readers his age, he's looking for something to totally capture his mind and provide thought provoking scenerios to contemplate. Those that negatively compare it to other Jacque's books miss an important point. I don't believe the author EVER intended this book to be targeted to the adult reader, but rather to be one that would capture a younger audience (as well as the occasional adult reader). This was an exciting book for a younger reader and has proved to be especially appealing for other boys that it has been loaned to.

Rating:
Summary: A Decent Read, yet not of Redwall Standards
Review: In "Castaways of the Flying Dutchman," Brian Jacques seeks a different outlet than that readers have previously been privy to in the excellent Redwall saga. Mr. Jacques writes capably, proving once again his talent, yet somehow this novel does not quite follow its acclaimed literary predecessors. While the opening is full of excitement and several twists, such as the fairly good foreshadowing prologues, once readers follow the shipwrecked boy and his talking canine companion to a quaint English village, it slightly goes downhill. The characters have fairly good devices, yet as the story progresses the dialogue slightly goes stale and we find a much too easily resolved ending. The book is fine and commendable, yet after Redwall, it is hard to become accustomed to the writer's new pursuits. However, die-hard Redwall fans will have "Taggerung" to keep them pacified.

Rating:
Summary: Great book- odd theme
Review: This boook starts out as a fast-paced adventure story of a mute boy and his dog. They get caught board the doomed ship, The Flying Dutchman. The boy soon becomes the ship's Galley Boy. As the ship aproaches dangerous waters and after the captain is almost murdered, the captain gets out of control. A fantastical spirit curses the ship but the spares boy and dog, giving them an unexpected gift. the duo, now must travel from town to town where the are obligated to help the people there. This a great story, but it can occasionally go slowly.

Rating:
Summary: Best if you read it before Redwall
Review: Probably like most people that bought this book, I got it because I am a huge Redwall fan. The beginning is the best part, I think, with the most suspense and drama. Later on, as the boy and his dog rove the land helping others, it's not as captivating. The multiple plots are OK, but not tied together for a satisfying ending like the Redwall books are. It has its moments of humour, but isn't great. I missed feeling passionate about characters as you do with Redwall.
Perhaps you'd do better reading this before you read the Redwall series. Then you won't miss the swashbuckling rodents that we all love.

Rating:
Summary: A captivating philosophical fantasy
Review: While I didn't quite devour this book as fast as I may have some of Jacques' other books, I was nonetheless very impressed by it. In fact, I was much more impessed than I was with his Redwall books, not because it was more enjoyable but because it was more thought-provoking. The strange tale of the psychically-connected boy and dog moving through time allows readers to exercise their minds with philosopical and spiritual ideas. At the same time, the writing is very accessible. As these two qualities are not often found together, I highly recommend this book for readers who like a light read that still has some depth to it. The story also has an somewhat unique pace to it which I found very enjoyable. Overall, a great read!