Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is definitely a book to read if a reader likes pirate/swashbuckling novels. The setting, characters, scenes, and dialogue took me back to the 17th century in a time of political turmoil and wild seas and locales where the wars between countries play out in a very personal matter.  And Peter Blood, the main character is one that claims your affection and doesn't let go.  I sometimes find reading on the Kindle a chore, but with this story, I got so sucked in, that before I knew it, it was ending. And I had a smile on my face as I read the last sentence.

Captain Blood is not a predictable read, at least for me.  I literally didn't know what was going to happen from one scene to the next.  I loved reading about Peter rely on his wits and face each obstacle with courage and determination, always working towards the end goal, even when it didn't seem in sight.  He is a charismatic character who kept me captivated, through his quick thinking, and his powerful manner of expressing himself.   Although Captain Blood is a pirate, he is very much a man of honor, for his profession. He is, in my opinion, the preferred antihero. One who doesn't let go of his sense of honor, even if it doesn't necessarily follow the established rules.  And because of that, I rooted for him.

The one part that didn't sit right with me as I read, was how a distinction was made between Peter Blood and the English captives sold into slavery and the negro slaves.  As though they were too good to be slaves when the negroes weren't.  I realize that it was the ideas of race at the time, but that doesn't make it right.  Slavery to me is wrong, period. It doesn't make it more wrong when the enslaved is a white man versus a black man.  I wouldn't presume to call the author a racist. I think he was painting a realistic picture for the times, and I can't fault them for it.  I personally find the idea of racial superiority offensive, and it can slap me in the face even in the context of a historical work.  Overall it was a pebble in my shoe as I read, but not so much I couldn't read the book. 

Otherwise, I enjoyed this novel.  I've always had a yen for pirate stories, and it's great to go back and read a classic in the genre. Rafael Sabatini is an author who writes this type of story well, so I'll be back to read more of his books.



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