World Famous Comics: Pirate Freedom (Sci Fi Essential Books)
Pirate Freedom (Sci Fi Essential Books)
By: Gene Wolfe Publisher: Tor Books Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: Tor Books Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 320 Publication Date: November 13, 2007 Release Date: November 13, 2007
As a young parish priest, Father Christopher has heard many confessions, but his own tale is more astounding than any revelation he has ever encountered in the confessional . . . for Chris was once a pirate captain, hundreds of years before his birth.
Fresh from the monastery, the former novice finds himself inexplicably transported back to the Golden Age of Piracy, where an unexpected new life awaits him. At first, he resists joining the notorious Brethren of the Coast, but he soon embraces the life of a buccaneer, even as he succumbs to the seductive charms of a beautiful and enigmatic senorita. As the captain of his own swift ship, which may or may not be cursed, he plunders the West Indies in search of Spanish gold. From Tortuga to Port Royal, from the stormy waters of the Caribbean to steamy tropical jungles, Captain Chris finds danger, passion, adventure, and treachery as he hoists the black flag and sets sail for the Spanish mainland.
Where he will finally come to port only God knows . . . .
Pirate Freedom is a captivating new masterpiece by the award-winning author of The Wizard Knight and Soldier of Sidon.
Peripety Pirate Freedom is simple enough on the surface, but it stays with you after you read it and makes you want to pick it up again. Why? - Is it because you couldn't quite puzzle out side details of the plot, or because you have a sense of missing a deeper meaning. A seminarian of the future chooses to leave his order before vows. Unexplained Providence sends him into a life of "Pirate Freedom". This tale is told in flashback by the Priest - so compare his life in the present as Priest to his life in the past as Pirate for their relative "Freedoms". Ultimately, in either life, he is bound, not by treasure or vows, but by love. You will want to keep this book so don't wait for the paperback.
Wolfe is Wolfe Once I read all the Jack Vance I could get my hands on, I thought that life was just a shade duller. No more Grateful Dead concerts and no more Jack Vance (though at least Jack is still alive, but...)
Then I found Gene Wolfe. Oh happy day! A writer who feels and thinks and tells a ripping yarn. What else do you need to know? He is wonderful and his writing is fantastic.
So what about Pirate Freedom? Well, it is not the New Sun. Nothing is. Still it is a good story, well told, and with a nice twist at the end. I think you will like it - I did.
Appallingly Bad I have been dazzled by almost everything Wolfe has ever written, even his relatively recent Knight and Wizard books, which were aimed at younger --quite young -- readers, yet still had a certain something to command one's admiration. This pirate book, while perhaps of some minor interest to a sailor (which I confess I am not), is dull and simple in plot and character development beyond my ability to describe. Worse, the writing is awful -- drab, nearly demeaning in style. It is hard to believe that Wolfe wrote it. I tossed it three-fourths the way through. I will not miss it.
Confessions I forgive him, I think. We are so great at justifying our actions, and that is the hardest thing to forgive. Can you forgive someone truly, and what gives you the right to forgive or judge. I don't know.
Amazing book on many levels. A lot more simple than it looks.
I like how much more emotional recent wolfe is. The trickiness, secrets and depth he would often add to the plot are being packed into the emotional layers and moral layers of the actions of characters more and more and it's beautiful.
Pirate Adventure! And Time-Travel! And more! Father Christopher has had a curious youth. Educated at a monastery in post-communist Cuba (where his wise-guy father has moved to run a casino), he chooses not to take orders and leaves, only to find himself back in time (unspecified, but it's certainly the 1600s of the golden age of piracy). He finds street-life difficult and signs up as a sailor. With the mathematics and languages he'd learned at the monastery, he gains skills that lead him to become a seaman, then a navigator, a fighter and eventually a captain... and a buccaneer and pirate.
While I did find the narration by the main character often lacking in depth and detail, and true, the time-travel aspects weren't explained whatsoever, and some of the modern day thoughts and revelations often seemed to be strange digressions, the book was still a compelling read. I'm no stranger to sea adventure, particularly concerning buccaneers of the 17th. Century Caribbean, and although there was not much new in that way presented here, it was still an exciting tale.
The contrast of pirate life to the character's priestly business in the 21st. century is very curious and does add dimension as we try to reconcile it with modern sensibilities and the character deals with his religion and confessions, forgiveness, freedom and salvation. As a pirate he is free, literally the captain of his own fate, or at least he feels as if that is so. The allure of the life is catching, even though the downside of cruelty, violence, treachery and death are not avoided.
In some respects this feels like a good YA adventure tale, a worthy read as such, but there are those few extra layers for those who look for slightly more complex themes. And the resolution at the end was particularly satisfying.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
