Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

I love Michael Crichton. I also love pirates. So when I found Pirate Latitudes on my father's bookshelf, I was understandably excited. The author of such thrillers as Jurassic Park and Timeline was bound to do brilliantly with swashbucklers and wenches and mystical creatures like the Kraken, right?

Well, turns out my high expectations were only partially met. 

Pirate Latitudes follows the voyage of Captain Hunter and crew, who are on a "privateerng" mission against the Spanish. Their ship sails out from the Caribbean town of Port Royal under contract with the British governor. Without giving too much of the plot away, the crew faces many setbacks on their voyage, from encounters with giant sea monsters to cannibals. 

The book, published after Crichton's death, is definitely a page-turner. The brilliant characters, such as the mysterious assasin Samson and stubborn Lady Almont, are perfect examples at Crichton's gift of imaginations.

Pirate Latitudes is far from Crichton's best work, however. One review I read by "murph" on GoodReads described the novel as Crichton's "vanity project" that he (probably) never intended to be published. I completely agree. Pirate Latitudes is stuffed with overdrawn and pointless action scenes and plotlines that are left under-developed. In comparison with his better renowned novels, this Crichton fan was left a little disappointed.

So here's the deal: if you're looking for a book to read on the beach to help you escape from reality, Pirate Latitudes is the one. If you want something that will challenge your mind or change your world, keep browsing that bookshelf.

My rating: