Billy Budd

Rating:
Summary: A so-so tale of the sea
Review: Billy Budd is a handsome, if slightly dense, young sailor aboard the sailing ship "Bellipotenet." The other sailors look up to and respect him because of his beauty and naivete. All, that is, except for the master-at-arms John Claggart. He has some kind of grudge against Billy and does his best to make life at sea rough for him. When talk of mutinies is heard through the fleet, Claggart gets his cronies together to frame poor Billy Budd.

It's not a bad novella, but Melville's language is almost too wordy to keep the reader focused on the story at hand and bogs down the pacing. Maybe that has to do with the time period in which it was written, but I found myself re-reading passages just to make sure I knew what was going on. Also, you're never really sure why Claggart is envious of Billy: his good looks? the fact that the crew prefers him to Claggart? he has a crush on him? Ideas are hinted at, but nothing is ever made concrete. I felt dissatisfied with the conculsion, too, but don't want to give any spoliers. Overall, a so-so book.

Rating:
Summary: A novella that is pure rubbish.
Review: "Billy Budd and Other Tales" - this review is for "Billy Budd." Herman Melville's novella is a rambling piece of junk. Perhaps ten pages actually pertained to the plot of "Billy Budd," while the rest of seventy pages were about useless thoughts, perceptions, and historical tie-ins that did not benefit from the story at all. The story was barely about the character of Billy Budd, and was more like a soapbox for the author. This is not worth the time. I do not recommend.

Rating:
Summary: A novella that is pure rubbish.
Review: "Billy Budd and Other Tales" - this review is for "Billy Budd." Herman Melville's novella is a rambling piece of junk. Perhaps ten pages actually pertained to the plot of "Billy Budd," while the rest of seventy pages were about useless thoughts, perceptions, and historical tie-ins that did not benefit from the story at all. The story was barely about the character of Billy Budd, and was more like a soapbox for the author. This is not worth the time. I do not recommend.

Rating:
Summary: A novella that is pure rubbish.
Review: "Billy Budd and Other Tales" - this review is for "Billy Budd." Herman Melville's novella is a rambling piece of junk. Perhaps ten pages actually pertained to the plot of "Billy Budd," while the rest of seventy pages were about useless thoughts, perceptions, and historical tie-ins that did not benefit from the story at all. The story was barely about the character of Billy Budd, and was more like a soapbox for the author. This is not worth the time. I do not recommend.

Rating:
Summary: As Relevant Today As It Was in 1891 - Wonderful !
Review: .
Many lessons in the story of Billy Budd. And one is the personality of the master-in-arms, John Claggart. How does one explain in our current life persons who lash out at us for false reasons due to alterative motives? We can dispute the charges but when asked what reason we believe the reputable and well-respected person is accusing us for, what is our answer? This is where reading books, anything from philosophy, psychology, novels, biographies, etc., are so crucial in life. Crucial in all our endeavors, from cliché speech walking in our neighborhood to who we vote for politically. And so, here we are accused for motives beyond surface despite the respectability and dignity that the accuser so verily has. If we and our judges are familiar with the stories of the biblical Joseph and his brothers, and I find much more so, the story of John Claggart and Billy Budd, then our referral to such stories reaps far more insight than a lengthy explanation would do.

Another point that hit hard is at the end of the novel, where Melville quotes the fictitious Newspaper's account of the Billy Budd story potraying him as the culprit and I can't help but compare it to the stories of the media and journalism that conveys the right story but subtly changes. omits and slyly maneuvers the intents and motives and in many cases, outright falsifies the information as in "Billy Budd conspires mutiny and thus punished appropriately." But what makes matters so much worse is the believing public, "Billy Budd really is evil," naive, built on journalism where the reading of books is long forgotten.

Were Captain Vere and the three lieutenants correct in their decision to execute Billy Budd? Should the letter of the law been obeyed? Or did this incur extenuating circumstances to pardon either the official crime or the punishment? This was a time of recent mutinies and revolts on other ships, although nothing of the sort here happened, it pervaded the spirit of strict disciplinarian measures. In addition, the outcome of the obedience and servitude of the sailors and officers would have to be weighed ahead of the life of Billy Budd, despite is false accuser and impulsive blow to counter act his failure to use speech to defend himself. Does this support a zero tolerance law code? Or should flexibility and discernment above strict adherence to each and every case be determined by the spirit and purpose of the law broke rather than then the letter of the so-called infringement?

Subjectively, Billy Budd was a good man and innocent of the death by accident he incurred to Claggart and therefore should be either found guilty of a lesser charge or given lesser punishment. Billy Budd's last words, "God Bless Captain Vere." Objectively, Billy Budd broke a major law, killing a superior officer, which in turn, has a major influence on the entire fleet of sailors and officers and is therefore guilty and subject to hanging.

Rating:
Summary: Superbly read by Simon Jones, beautifully abridged
Review: A wonderful tale, on tape, worth listening to again and again. Melville at his finest. But why did it take so long to be published after his death.

Rating:
Summary: Billy "Dud"
Review: After taking three weeks to read this hundred or so page book, I was perplexed. The whole book does not have a plot. Melville's development of character is horrendous. He made it as if readers are supposed to already know who Billy Budd or John Claggart is. If it were not for the Cliff Notes, perhaps, no not perhaps, no one would understand what in the world is going on. The book is not in depth enough. THANK HEAVENS there is not a Billy Budd 2.

Rating:
Summary: Better hire a translater for this one...
Review: Because it was written as if it were from another planet. It must have had a decent moral in it, but you'd need someone who reads these for a living to tell you. You can tell a book is hard to read when even the cliffs notes make no sense! I'm sure that it had a good story, but I couldn't find it. Unless you can understand this stuff, I wouldn't suggest it. If you want to read it, I can only say, good luck.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Student Edition of Melville' Tragedy
Review: Before asking students to tackle "Moby Dick," I have them read "Billy Budd" as part of the freshman high school curriculum. This novella is true to Melville's style: not always easy reading, but enormously rewarding. The drama unfolds with the digressions and character analysis which those who love Melville relish and those who do not find annoying. I am in the former group.This edition has much to recommend it. There is en extended reader's supplement which contains biographical information, explanations of the nautical and naval terms and clarification of the biblical, mythological and historical allusions which fill its few pages.A good follow-up to the novella is viewing the film with Peter Ustinov as Captain Vere and Terrence Stamp as the title character. The opera by Benjamin Britten also follows the book very closely and is available on cd and in video.This book makes a good first introduction to Melville, and this edition is excellent. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.Mass Market Paperback edition.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Student Edition of Melville' Tragedy
Review: Before asking students to tackle "Moby Dick," I have them read "Billy Budd" as part of the freshman high school curriculum. This novella is true to Melville's style: not always easy reading, but enormously rewarding. The drama unfolds with the digressions and character analysis which those who love Melville relish and those who do not find annoying. I am in the former group.

This edition has much to recommend it. There is en extended reader's supplement which contains biographical information, explanations of the nutical and naval terms and clarification of the biblical, mythological and historical illusions which fill its few pages.

A good follow-up to the novella is viewing the film with Peter Ustinov as Captain Vere and Terence Stamp as the title character. The opera by Benjamin Britten also follows the book very closely and is available on cd and in video.

This book makes a good first introduction to Melville, and this edition is excellent.

<< 1 2 3 4 5 >>