On the spur of the moment I decided to check out a classic of children's literature that somehow escaped me previously - it was my serious intention for some time now to explore some more genres I know just in theory and to branch out some more. Knowing myself, I would be perfectly happy just to read celebrity biographies and books about history, but at the back of my mind I always had this gnawing idea that perhaps given chance I might enjoy something completely different.
"The Coral Island" is almost completely forgotten now but it was hugely successful in its time, in fact it inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island" (another one to re-visit). Apparently it was a school literature for lots of kids during 20th century, so it should be well known, but I doubt it was even translated in my native language since I never actually heard of it until now. Just like with another recent discovery, "Anne of Green Gables" it turned out a beautiful experience and I enjoyed it so much that I just couldn't wait to return to the reading each night after I finished my work. People say its old-fashioned and dated (politically incorrect for current oversensitivity) but this gives it even bigger charm to my eyes because its obviously a book written in some previous times and author didn't mean anything bad or malicious, he was simply writing from a perspective of his times.
It is a delightful Robinson Crusoe-like boys adventure, where author clearly relishes storytelling about faraway, exotic locations - not unlike Karl May who so thrillingly let his imagination roam trough the places he never actually visited in real life, Ballantyne lovingly describes isolated coral island that in some other hands could have been shipwrecking hell, but in this case he made it sound like a heaven. Its all about three boys who bond trough daily explorations of "their" island and in process learn how to swim, cook, dive and survive on their own. Its all very, very uplifting and not once these boys ever get depressed about missing their families and such, in fact, they seem to have been perfectly content being where they are, their only care being how to build a fire and what exotic fruit to eat. Occasionally the book shows its age (with chapters devoted to description of plants, fruits, etc) but to my eyes this gives it even more of quaint charm and I have absolutely no problem with now-dated racial and moralistic aspects of it, since its obvious that Ballantyne lived in different time and he was not malicious person. Three boys are divided between various strengths - each of them have something to bring to the company and along the way they grew genuinely attached to each other. Perhaps the last few chapters were not really necessary (kind of stretch just to add some more action) but this didn't diminish my pleasure in reading something so inspiring and wonderful. Truly loved it.
No comments:
Post a Comment