Tales of the Sea

[Dark Muse]

I have a foundness for tales of the open sea. One of my faveorite Poe stories is The Descent into the Maelstrom, and I also really enjoyed MS. Found in a Bottle.

One of my faveorite Stephen Crane stories which I have read, is The Open Boat.

I also really liked the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge

and I just finnished reading The Temple by H.P. Lovercraft, and found it an eerie and huanting tale.

I also own, but have not yet read The Sea Wolf by Jack London.

So do you have any high seas adventures you would recomend or any faveirote tales of the sea?

I am open to anything, novels, short stories, plays, poems.

[curlyqlink]

I recently read Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It's pretty darn good.

There's Victor Hugo's classic Toilers of the Sea. Along with Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, it's part of a kind of trilogy: Hugo explained it as Nature, Society, and Religion.

Best novels of the sea I've ever read, though, are Patrick O'brian's. Starting with Master and Commander, there are some twenty novels in the series. They are elegantly written, gripping, and quite funny at times. Captain Aubrey and Dr. Maturin are a pair of characters that rival Homes and Watson. O'Brian has been likened to Jane Austen, and I wouldn't call that hyperbole.

[Dark Muse]

I loved the movie Master and Commander. I might have to look into the book.

The Hugo triligoy sounds interesting as well. I have heard of Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but I did not know they belonged to a triligoy, and I like the Nature, Society, Religion, description.

[kasie]

I loved the movie Master and Commander. I might have to look into the book. ....

DM, do have a go at the books - the movie was a strange contraction of two books Master and Commander, the first of the series and The Far Side of the World, the tenth in the series, and did neither of them justice. They are well written with lots of technical details and a real feel for the sea and the characters are so believable - Jack Aubrey is one of those characters I wish were real, I would so like to have known him!

Then there are the Hornblower books which I loved until I came across O'Brian, a much better writer, imo.

[loe]

I guess Moby Dick is one of the most famous sea novels at all.
In Poe's Arthur Gordon Pym also one part of the story takes part on a ship.
I enjoyed reading Thoreau's Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. This is not exactly a novel, it's some kind of philosophical report I would say.

Regards

[hellsapoppin]

Hemingway's "The Old Man & The Sea".

Tristan Jones wrote what he said were non fictional accounts of his sea travels. But, as those who know him will say, all are fiction.

Jack London also wrote some very good stories of the Pacific Islands. Unfortunately, I don't remember the names of these tales off hand.

[Dark Muse]

Tristan Jones wrote what he said were non fictional accounts of his sea travels. But, as those who know him will say, all are fiction.


That sounds interesting


Jack London also wrote some very good stories of the Pacific Islands. Unfortunately, I don't remember the names of these tales off hand.

I love Jack London, I might have to do some looking into that

[Joreads]

[QUOTE=curlyqlink;604023]I recently read Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It's pretty darn good.

I just picked that book up at a sale I had placed it on the bottom of the to read pile, I will put it on top now

[johann cruyff]

And then there's that book about a whale...:)

[ex ponto]

''Two Years' Vacation'' by Jules Verne. But that's more for children.
''An Icelandic Fisherman'' by Pierre Loti (haven't read it)
And maybe you can check out something by Leonce Peillard.

[byquist]

Once. liked Lord Jim and should read it again.

[Virgil]

Yeah I can't believe no one has mentioned any Conrad novels until just now. Lord Jim, Victory, Nostromo, The Nigger of the Narcissus, Youth, Heart of Darkness, Typhoon. Even the lesser novels are interesting: Almyeer's Folly, Chance.

And how come no one has mentioned Moby Dick?

[Whifflingpin]

Most of Conrad's novels are set at sea, or have the sea as a major element. Typhoon, The Nigger of the Narcissus, Lord Jim spring to mind immediately.
[Hah! Virgil got in first, while I was writing this!]

From a similar period, John Masefield wrote some good sea yarns - The Bird of Dawning, Victorious Troy, The Taking of the Gry etc. Of course, the poem Sea Fever is also his. Since you refer to "high seas adventures" you may well be looking more to Masefield than Conrad - Masefields sea stories tend to be Adventures, whereas Conrad's tend to be Novels, although that statement probably insults both.

Henry Dana's "Two Years before the Mast" is an essential.

"Red Saunders" by Sinbad (A E Dingle) is a good (true?) tale if you can get hold of it.

And, since you say that you are open to anything, and especially if you love words as well as the sea, you might enjoy an hour or six with old seamen's manuals, like The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor by d'Arcy Lever. There are modern reprints of several of these and I find great pleasure in just reading them aloud and wallowing in the language they contain.

And I shall get told off if I don't mention E.T.Fox's "King of the Pirates: The Swahbuckling Life of Henry Avery" which is due out this month, I believe.

*** ***

"Then there are the Hornblower books which I loved until I came across O'Brian, a much better writer, imo." May be true, but without Hornblower there'd have been no O'Brian.

[Dark Muse]

Thank you, A lot of your suggestions sound quite interesting. I tired reading Lord Jim, and well me and Virgil had a dicussion about this previously, and well I could not get into his style of writing.

I have read some of Melveille's short stories that are sea related, and well they tend to drag a little bit for me.

[Virgil]

Thank you, A lot of your suggestions sound quite interesting. I tired reading Lord Jim, and well me and Virgil had a dicussion about this previously, and well I could not get into his style of writing.

I have read some of Melveille's short stories that are sea related, and well they tend to drag a little bit for me.

Muse, you might like Conrad's novel Victory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_(novel)
or here:
http://www.amazon.com/Victory-Penguin-Classics-Joseph-Conrad/dp/0140189785.

There's more description on the amazon site. For some reason I think this is your type of work.

[Dark Muse]

I will take a look into it

[Whifflingpin]

"Muse, you might like Conrad's novel Victory"

Someone who found Lord Jim heavy going would probably have a similar problem with Victory. Maybe "The Rover" or "Typhoon" would be better introductions to Conrad.

[Dark Muse]

Thank you, I will keep that in mind

[hellsapoppin]

Jack London's South Sea Tales:


http://books.google.com/books?id=jiDkPgfHTn0C&dq=jack+london's+sea+tales&pg=PP1&ots=oShBz8cmS6&sig=pRc4C6AyYbT2Mrzl5oTEaKyqQzs&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result

[hellsapoppin]

Tristan Jones:


http://www.tristanjones.org/

[Dark Muse]

Oh thanks for the site, it is looking interesting

[ex ponto]

William Golding's trilogy To the Ends of the Earth ( Rites of Passage, Close Quarters, Fire down Below).

I only saw a film based on Rites of Passage, that's how I heard of it.

[novelsryou]

This one's just for fun - Clive Cussler's Raise The Titanic! I read it long before the discovery of the wreckage and it seemed cool at the time because it really was surrounded in mystery. The movie didn't live up to my expectations.

[Dark Muse]

I have some of Clive Cussler's books, but I don't think I have that one

[bounty]

dark muse---the sea wolf is one of my favorites...but you must read the bounty trilogy! smiles...(mutiny on the bounty, pitcairn island, and men against the sea)

ive also enjoyed the horatio hornblower books...

and ive said this elsewhere...moby dick is one of the two most overated books ever!!

[Dark Muse]

The Bounty Triligoy sounds interesting.

[bounty]

I will take a look into it

i read in another thread dark muse where you say you like historical fiction. you'll be pleased to hear then that the bounty trilogy is based in fact...if you end up reading them, i hope you'll let me know what you think.

[Dark Muse]

oooh that sounds extra good.

[Janine]

I loved the movie Master and Commander. I might have to look into the book.


My friend read all of the "Master and Commander" novels and loved them. I loved the film also. I have wanted to see the Hornblower films. I am sure those books would also be wonderful.

DM, I love stories of the sea as well and some of the things you mentioned. I adore the poem "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" and I love songs related to the sea - lyrics. I love the song by Procal Harem "A Salty Dog".

I read a novel by Ernest Shakleton, the Antarctic explorer. I just loved that book. It is called "South, The Endurance Expedition". I have also read countless material about him written by other authors. I am fascinated with his explorations and life story, along with his amazing crew. I also love true stories, especially ones involving adventure and the sea.

[Dark Muse]

I am fascinated with his explorations and life story, along with his amazing crew. I also love true stories, especially ones involving adventure and the sea.

I read a really cool book about Pirates, but I do not often read much works of non-fiction

[arizony_ames]

You might also consider "The Cruel Sea" by Nicholas Monsarrat or "The Good Shepherd" by C.S. Forester. Some other good ones are the Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester.

[Kafka's Crow]

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor by John Barth

A lot many poems starting with Homer's epics and shorter poems like Tennyson's
Break, Break, Break:

"Break, Break, Break"

Break, break, break,
On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!
And I would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me.

O well for the fisherman's boy,
That he shouts with his sister at play!
O well for the sailor lad,
That he sings in his boat on the bay!

And the stately ships go on
To their haven under the hill:
But O for the touch of a vanish'd hand,
And the sound of a voice that is still!

Break, break, break,
At the foot of thy crags, O Sea!
But the tender grace of a day that is dead
Will never come back to me.

This poem haunts me during my annual holiday in Cornwall. In night time I find myself thinking about Sweet and Low by the same poet:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=174650

then there is Hardy's Convergence of the Twain :
http://barney.gonzaga.edu/~gverhoef/titanic.htm

Plays:
Anna Christie and The Hairy Ape by Eugen O' Neil and, of course, The Tempest. That is all I can think of as the baby is howling in my ears asking me to read her Who is Hiding in the Jungle (too many fans of literature around me!)

[Lioness_Heart]

This probably won't be exactly what you're looking for, but there's this wonderful children's book called The Whale Song. It's about a little girl who lives by the sea and tries to hear the whales singing, and eventually she does. It's got really beautiful illustrations and is (unnusually for a children's book) incredibly poignant and haunting. It only takes a few minutes to read (and a few hours to gaze at the illustrations) but is definately worth having a look at if you want to get a sense of wonder and amazement at the sea.

[Mr.K]

I have read most of the recommended novels here, and there are some very good ones. My personal favorite has to be "The Sharks" by Jens Bjorneboe. Simply one of my favorite books - a great read.

http://home.att.net/~emurer/works/schultz.htm

[Dark Muse]

I have just picked up a book which had The Bounty Trilogy all in one. I was pretty happy and excited about that.

[bounty]

I have just picked up a book which had The Bounty Trilogy all in one. I was pretty happy and excited about that.

good find dark muse! and i hope you will tell me how you like it...i think im the only one on the thread to recommend it, so a lot of pressure on me! smiles...

[Dark Muse]

I will be sure to let you know once I do get to reading it

[Dark Muse]

That sounds really interesting

[Nico87]

You could try reading the Hornblower novels (11 in all) by C.S. Forester. I loved the books and I loved the series! ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Hornblower#The_Hornblower_novels

[BienvenuJDC]

For the movies...start here
Horatio Hornblower: The Duel (part 1) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CPpTdZiR2Y)

Also check out these others:
Horatio Hornblower: The Fire Ships (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiYwruoHhCI)
Horatio Hornblower: The Duchess & the Devil (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKIrC4vhhW0)
Horatio Hornblower: The Frogs & the Lobsters (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrgkPpaBn9o)
Horatio Hornblower: Mutiny (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Polo__3sxW4)
Horatio Hornblower: Retribution (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhMonrQP92Y)
Horatio Hornblower: Loyalty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIKpgYNMSYA)
Horatio Hornblower: Duty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uvxDJxid_U)

You won't be disappointed...

[Warsaw1965]

"Old Man and The Sea" by Hemingway was good. Hemingway's style works perfectly with the suspense of the high-stakes fishing that the plot revolves around. If you like music, you should listen to a series of symphonic sketches by Claude Debussy called La Mer, which means "the sea" in french. The first movement is beautiful.

[dfloyd]

Years later, I reread it and found out how good a book it is. Conrad was so prolific, like Faulkner, that you should try some others, then come back to Lord Jim. Also, a very good movie was made of Lord Jim with James Mason and Peter O'toole. It might help if you watched it. Nostromo and The Secret Sharer are two good Conrad novels.

The Sea-Wolf is classic London, I've read it twice. Fenimore Cooper also wrote some sea stories set in our Revoltionary war. Try the Pilot, a tale about John Paul Jones.