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Chargement... The Pyrates (1983)par George MacDonald Fraser
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Inscrivez-vous à LibraryThing pour découvrir si vous aimerez ce livre Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre. Right from the off, when author George MacDonald Fraser announces 'BOOK THE FIRST' in gloriously bombastic capital letters, The Pyrates is an absurdly over-the-top anachronistic comedy-adventure romp in the vein of Monty Python, Terry Pratchett and the Carry On films (though Fraser's book predates Pratchett, whose first Discworld book was published in the same year). Stiff-upper-lipped English heroes shouting 'sa-ha!', roguish scoundrels on the make, damsels-in-distress (bosom-heaving distress, mark you), swarthy pirates, sea battles, swashbuckling… it's all here and then some. Whether it's a metatextual imploration to get on with it and 'skip the tourist stuff' when eloquently setting the scene (pg. 334), a fiery maiden's wrath "dissolving like an election pledge" (pg. 323) or a swarthy pirate's curved scimitar "ideal for thrusting round corners in a crafty Oriental way" but no match for straight British steel (pp125-6), every line contains a joke or an aside or a sly reference. And in such a fertile terrain as pirate fiction, the accomplished Fraser allows his imagination free rein. It doesn't compare to the Flashman Papers, of course – nothing does – but it is still joyous. Like his later novel The Reavers, a similarly-styled romp, the pace can drag despite its seemingly short length, and The Pyrates requires more effort and application from its reader than many will deem it warrants. It can, admittedly, be hard to stay afloat in the sheer tsunami of tropes and jokes and dialects. But Fraser's enthusiasm is infectious, and it seems churlish to complain about a book being too rich and bounteous. Not every story has to be a lean, mean plot-driven machine. The Pyrates is a bulky treasure-room filled with gold and rubies and other assorted baubles, and the effect is that it can sometimes be hard to focus the eye on any one dazzling thing. As Fraser says – quoting the real-life pirate Francis Drake – on page 118: "We shall bring ye to the Treasure House o' the World, and… blame yourselves if ye go away empty-handed." That should sum up your approach to this book.
The only thing remotely like it is William Goldman's "The Princess Bride", and I hardly know how to praise a book more. Appartient à la série éditorialeHarvill (176) Est contenu dans
In THE PYRATES, the author of the celebrated Flashman novels pays tongue-in-cheek homage to the swashbuckling books and movies that have always stirred his imagination. In these rollicking pages you'll find tall ships and desert islands; impossibly gallant adventurers and glamorous heroines; devilishly sinister cads and ghastly dungeons; improbably acrobatic duels and hair's-breadth escapes; and more plot twists than you can shake a rapier at. A deliriously entertaining combination of Errol Flynn action-adventure and Naked Gun pastiche, in a new package geared to the legions of Flashman fanatics. Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
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Google Books — Chargement... GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)823.914Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999Classification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne:
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As the name implies, it is primarily involved with following a crew of 17th century Caribbean pirates, as they battle the Spanish and English navies. The chief protagonist is a British naval officer, Captain Avery, who is something of a comic book hero, a handsome, dashing caricature. In addition to a collection of pirate captains, a Colonel Blood sets off nicely against Avery, because he is very much in the Harry Flashman mold, venal, cowardly, and very much out for himself.
While starting off mildly entertaining, the book soon bogged down into a never-ending adventure that seemingly goes on forever. There were a number of clever asides, mixing contemporary references with period activities, and a healthy dose of magical realism, but not enough to keep this monstrosity afloat.
Certainly not the equal of the Flashman series, or even Black Ajax and Mr. American. Can’t recommend. ( )