The Coral Island (Puffin Classics)

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Assuma, Daniel J. (1953), "A List of Simplified Classics", College English, 42 (2): 94–96, doi: 10.2307/808695, JSTOR 808695 I mean the idea of making it is a good one,” said I, laughing. “And, now I think of it, I’ll change my plan too. I don’t think much of a club, so I’ll make me a sling out of this piece of cloth. I used to be very fond of slinging, ever since I read of David slaying Goliath the Philistine, and I was once thought to be expert at it.” Inflation Calculator, Bank of England, archived from the original on 22 November 2016 , retrieved 29 September 2018

He spoke briefly of the history of the book. This book was edited by Espasa and I bought it in a second-hand book store together with "Captain Corcoran" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... (which God willing I will read this year, as it is a novel that liked my friend Krisi Keley very much https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... i do not know if He translated it into English) and "The shooters of rifle" by Thomas Mayne Reid https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... I can be wrong, but these kinds of adventure and survival novels have been promoted by the group of Spanish writers prisoner of Zenda, who promoted by Arturo Pérez Reverte https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... This book was written in first-person point-of-view, and Ralph Rover is our very own ‘Story-teller’, or narrator. Ralph was philosophical, studious, and absolutely charming. He often trails off into deep patterns of thought, which is quite interesting, and, honestly, kind of fun. Suffice to say, I loved him. (But you really can’t help but love all the boys.) For some years I was happy in visiting the seaports, and in coasting along the shores, of my native land. My Christian name was Ralph; and my comrades added to this the name of Rover, in consequence of the passion which I always evinced for travelling. Rover was not my real name; but as I never received any other, I came at last to answer to it as naturally as to my proper name. And as it is not a bad one, I see no good reason why I should not introduce myself to the reader as Ralph Rover. My shipmates were kind, good-natured fellows, and they and I got on very well together. They did, indeed, very frequently make game of and banter me, but not unkindly; and I overheard them sometimes saying that Ralph Rover was a “queer, old-fashioned fellow.” This, I must confess, surprised me much; and I pondered the saying long, but could come at no satisfactory conclusion as to that wherein my old-fashionedness lay. It is true I was a quiet lad, and seldom spoke except when spoken to. Moreover, I never could understand the jokes of my companions even when they were explained to me, which dulness in apprehension occasioned me much grief. However, I tried to make up for it by smiling and looking pleased when I observed that they were laughing at some witticism which I had failed to detect. I was also very fond of inquiring into the nature of things and their causes, and often fell into fits of abstraction while thus engaged in my mind. But in all this I saw nothing that did not seem to be exceedingly natural, and could by no means understand why my comrades should call me “an old-fashioned fellow.” a b Miller, John (2008), "Adventures in the Volcano's Throat: Tropical Landscape and Bodily Horror in R. M. Ballantyne's Blown to Bits", Victorian Review, 34 (1): 115–130, doi: 10.1353/vcr.2008.0021, JSTOR 41220406, S2CID 162508944

CHAPTER XXXI.

Ralph and Bloody Bill making their escape on board the pirate schooner, from an 1884 edition of the novel Ward, Simon (2007), "The Economics of Authorship", in Finkelstein, David; McCleery, Alistair (eds.), The Edinburgh History of the Book in Scotland: Professionalism and Diversity 1880–2000, vol.4, Edinburgh University Press, pp.409–430, ISBN 978-0-7486-1829-3 Jolly, Roslyn (2006), "Ebb Tide and The Coral Island", Scottish Studies Review, 7: 79–91 [ dead link] a b c d e f Singh, Minnie (1997), "The Government of Boys: Golding's Lord of the Flies and Ballantyne's Coral Island", Children's Literature, 25: 205–213, doi: 10.1353/chl.0.0478, S2CID 144319352 We had, up to this time, been in the habit of going to bed with the sun, as we had no pressing call to work o’ nights; and, indeed, our work during the day was usually hard enough—what between fishing, and improving our bower, and diving in the Water Garden, and rambling in the woods—so that when night came we were usually very glad to retire to our beds. But now that we had a desire to work at night, we felt a wish for candles.

Ralph Rover is a young man who has the sea in his blood, so naturally, and with his parent’s permission, he joins a trading crew sailing for Oceania. His mother makes him promise two things: to read the Bible every day and to pray to God every day. These he gladly promises. Dolphins– For visitors who have ever dreamed of swimming and interacting with dolphins, Coral Island is the place to do it. While out in the tour boats, visitors will get a chance to see these friendly and curious creatures in their native habitat. We did not think this likely, however, because, in such circumstances, the crew of a ship would cut wood of small size and near the shore; whereas this was a large tree, and stood near the top of the mountain. In fact, it was the highest large tree on the mountain, all above it being wood of very recent growth.

CHAPTER XXI.

All this we noted, and a great deal more, while we sat on the top of the mountain. After we had satisfied ourselves we prepared to return; but here, again, we discovered traces of the presence of man. These were a pole or staff, and one or two pieces of wood which had been squared with an axe. All of these were, however, very much decayed, and they had evidently not been touched for many years. There were various causes that induced this state of comparative inaction. In the first place, although everything around us was so delightful, and we could without difficulty obtain all that we required for our bodily comfort, we did not quite like the idea of settling down here for the rest of our lives, far away from our friends and our native land. To set energetically about preparations for a permanent residence seemed so like making up our minds to saying adieu to home and friends for ever that we tacitly shrank from it, and put off our preparations, for one reason and another, as long as we could. Then there was a little uncertainty still as to there being natives on the island, and we entertained a kind of faint hope that a ship might come and take us off. But as day after day passed, and neither savages nor ships appeared, we gave up all hope of an early deliverance, and set diligently to work at our homestead. The Coral Island", British Film Institute, archived from the original on 21 January 2009 , retrieved 10 September 2012 This book is in fact a prototype of several story genera, Ballantyne was a prolific writer of stories for young people, publishing over 100 between 1847 and his death in 1894. The Coral Island is considered his most successful in that it has never been out of print since it was published in 1858. Surely that is some kind of record in print for almost 160 years! And so it was. That anchor did not “kiss the mud” for many long days afterwards; and when at last it did, it was for the last time!

A feathered arrow without a barb,” said he, “is a good weapon, but a barbed arrow without feathers is utterly useless.” Roving has always been, and still is, my ruling passion, the joy of my heart, the very sunshine of my existence. In childhood, in boyhood, and in man’s estate I have been a rover; not a mere rambler among the woody glens and upon the hill-tops of my own native land, but an enthusiastic rover throughout the length and breadth of the wide, wide world. It's an interesting thing to read a book written in 1857 and see how much the world, and our perceptions of it, have changed. So,” said Peterkin, “we seem to have everything ready prepared to our hands in this wonderful island—lemonade ready bottled in nuts, and loaf-bread growing on the trees!”Notwithstanding the racism, there is a certain charm in these old-fashioned stories. The formality of the language may strike a modern ear as stilted, but that's not necessarily a bad thing; I found a great deal of humor in it. For a 19th century book, it IS readable and the phrasing goes down smoothly. And let us not forget that Treasure Island, for one, is written in a similar, though far superior, fashion (Stevenson admired Ballantyne). The awesome earnestness of its moralizing and the delight the author takes in telling the tale, also make one smile. Potter, Jane (2007), "Children's Books", in Finkelstein, David; McCleery, Alistair (eds.), The Edinburgh History of the Book in Scotland: Professionalism and Diversity 1880–2000, vol.4, Edinburgh University Press, pp.352–367, ISBN 978-0-7486-1829-3 Then why don’t you do it?” interrupted Peterkin. “Why have you kept us in the dark so long, you vile philosopher?”

Chapter Eight. The beauties of the bottom of the sea tempt Peterkin to dive—How he did it—More difficulties overcome—The water garden—Curious creatures of the sea—The tank—Candles missed very much, and the candle-nut tree discovered—Wonderful account of Peterkin’s first voyage—Cloth found growing on a tree—A plan projected, and arms prepared for offence and defence—A dreadful cry. We now resumed our journey, resolving that, in our future excursions into the interior, we would be careful to avoid this dangerous precipice.For several days after the excursion related in the last chapter we did not wander far from our encampment, but gave ourselves up to forming plans for the future and making our present abode comfortable. Anderson, Katharine (Spring 2008), "Coral Jewellery", Victorian Review, 34 (1): 47–52, doi: 10.1353/vcr.2008.0008, JSTOR 41220397, S2CID 201782824