"Shark Attack!"

April 21, 2011

(In response to reader question "Are there "teaser" chapters we can see? See above post.)

Chapter VII. of The Coral Island:

Jack's ingenuity--We get into difficulties about fishing, and get out of them by a method which gives us a cold bath--Horrible encounter with a shark.

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.

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.

During this time, however, we had not been altogether idle. We made several experiments in cooking the cocoa-nut, most of which did not improve it. Then we removed our goods, and took up our abode in the cave, but found the change so bad that we returned gladly to the bower. Besides this we bathed very frequently, and talked a great deal; at least Jack and Peterkin did,--I listened. Among other useful things, Jack, who was ever the most active and diligent, converted about three inches of the hoop-iron into an excellent knife. First he beat it quite flat with the axe. Then he made a rude handle, and tied the hoop-iron to it with our piece of whip-cord, and ground it to an edge on a piece of sand-stone. When it was finished he used it to shape a better handle, to which he fixed it with a strip of his cotton handkerchief;--in which operation he had, as Peterkin pointed out, torn off one of Lord Nelson's noses. However, the whip-cord, thus set free, was used by Peterkin as a fishing line. He merely tied a piece of oyster to the end of it. This the fish were allowed to swallow, and then they were pulled quickly ashore. But as the line was very short and we had no boat, the fish we caught were exceedingly small.

One day Peterkin came up from the beach, where he had been angling, and said in a very cross tone, "I'll tell you what, Jack, I'm not going to be humbugged with catching such contemptible things any longer. I want you to swim out with me on your back, and let me fish in deep water!"

"Dear me, Peterkin," replied Jack, "I had no idea you were taking the thing so much to heart, else I would have got you out of that difficulty long ago. Let me see,"--and Jack looked down at a piece of timber on which he had been labouring, with a peculiar gaze of abstraction, which he always assumed when trying to invent or discover anything.

"What say you to building a boat?" he inquired, looking up hastily.

"Take far too long," was the reply; "can't be bothered waiting. I want to begin at once!"

Again Jack considered. "I have it!" he cried. "We'll fell a large tree and launch the trunk of it in the water, so that when you want to fish you've nothing to do but to swim out to it."

"Would not a small raft do better?" said I.

"Much better; but we have no ropes to bind it together with. Perhaps we may find something hereafter that will do as well, but, in the meantime, let us try the tree."

This was agreed on, so we started off to a spot not far distant, where we knew of a tree that would suit us, which grew near the water's edge. As soon as we reached it Jack threw off his coat, and, wielding the axe with his sturdy arms, hacked and hewed at it for a quarter of an hour without stopping. Then he paused, and, while he sat down to rest, I continued the work. Then Peterkin made a vigorous attack on it, so that when Jack renewed his powerful blows, a few minutes cutting brought it down with a terrible crash.

"Hurrah! now for it," cried Jack; "let us off with its head."

So saying he began to cut through the stem again, at about six yards from the thick end. This done, he cut three strong, short poles or levers from the stout branches, with which to roll the log down the beach into the sea; for, as it was nearly two feet thick at the large end, we could not move it without such helps. With the levers, however, we rolled it slowly into the sea.

Having been thus successful in launching our vessel, we next shaped the levers into rude oars or paddles, and then attempted to embark. This was easy enough to do; but, after seating ourselves astride the log, it was with the utmost difficulty we kept it from rolling round and plunging us into the water. Not that we minded that much; but we preferred, if possible, to fish in dry clothes. To be sure, our trousers were necessarily wet, as our legs were dangling in the water on each side of the log; but, as they could be easily dried, we did not care. After half an hour's practice, we became expert enough to keep our balance pretty steadily. Then Peterkin laid down his paddle, and having baited his line with a whole oyster, dropt it into deep water.

"Now, then, Jack," said he, "be cautious; steer clear o' that sea-weed. There; that's it; gently, now, gently. I see a fellow at least a foot long down there, coming to--ha! that's it! Oh! bother, he's off."

"Did he bite?" said Jack, urging the log onwards a little with his paddle.

"Bite? ay! He took it into his mouth, but the moment I began to haul he opened his jaws and let it out again."

"Let him swallow it next time," said Jack, laughing at the melancholy expression of Peterkin's visage.

"There he's again," cried Peterkin, his eyes flashing with excitement. "Look out! Now then! No! Yes! No! Why, the brute won't swallow it!"

"Try to haul him up by the mouth, then," cried Jack. "Do it gently."

A heavy sigh and a look of blank despair showed that poor Peterkin had tried and failed again.

"Never mind, lad," said Jack, in a voice of sympathy; "we'll move on, and offer it to some other fish." So saying, Jack plied his paddle; but scarcely had he moved from the spot, when a fish with an enormous head and a little body darted from under a rock and swallowed the bait at once.

"Got him this time,--that's a fact!" cried Peterkin, hauling in the line. "He's swallowed the bait right down to his tail, I declare. Oh what a thumper!"

As the fish came struggling to the surface, we leaned forward to see it, and overbalanced the log. Peterkin threw his arms round the fish's neck; and, in another instant, we were all floundering in the water!

A shout of laughter burst from us as we rose to the surface like three drowned rats, and seized hold of the log. We soon recovered our position, and sat more warily, while Peterkin secured the fish, which had well-nigh escaped in the midst of our struggles. It was little worth having, however; but, as Peterkin remarked, it was better than the smouts he had been catching for the last two or three days; so we laid it on the log before us, and having re-baited the line, dropt it in again for another.

Now, while we were thus intent upon our sport, our attention was suddenly attracted by a ripple on the sea, just a few yards away from us. Peterkin shouted to us to paddle in that direction, as he thought it was a big fish, and we might have a chance of catching it. But Jack, instead of complying, said, in a deep, earnest tone of voice, which I never before heard him use,--

"Haul up your line, Peterkin; seize your paddle; quick,--it's a shark!"

The horror with which we heard this may well be imagined, for it must be remembered that our legs were hanging down in the water, and we could not venture to pull them up without upsetting the log. Peterkin instantly hauled up the line; and, grasping his paddle, exerted himself to the utmost, while we also did our best to make for shore. But we were a good way off, and the log being, as I have before said, very heavy, moved but slowly through the water. We now saw the shark quite distinctly swimming round and round us, its sharp fin every now and then protruding above the water. From its active and unsteady motions, Jack knew it was making up its mind to attack us, so he urged us vehemently to paddle for our lives, while he himself set us the example. Suddenly he shouted "Look out!--there he comes!" and in a second we saw the monstrous fish dive close under us, and turn half over on his side. But we all made a great commotion with our paddles, which no doubt frightened it away for that time, as we saw it immediately after circling round us as before.

"Throw the fish to him," cried Jack, in a quick, suppressed voice; "we'll make the shore in time yet if we can keep him off for a few minutes."

Peterkin stopped one instant to obey the command, and then plied his paddle again with all his might. No sooner had the fish fallen on the water than we observed the shark to sink. In another second we saw its white breast rising; for sharks always turn over on their sides when about to seize their prey, their mouths being not at the point of their heads like those of other fish, but, as it were, under their chins. In another moment his snout rose above the water,--his wide jaws, armed with a terrific double row of teeth, appeared. The dead fish was engulfed, and the shark sank out of sight. But Jack was mistaken in supposing that it would be satisfied. In a very few minutes it returned to us, and its quick motions led us to fear that it would attack us at once.

"Stop paddling," cried Jack suddenly. "I see it coming up behind us. Now, obey my orders quickly. Our lives may depend on it Ralph. Peterkin, do your best to balance the log. Don't look out for the shark. Don't glance behind you. Do nothing but balance the log."

Peterkin and I instantly did as we were ordered, being only too glad to do anything that afforded us a chance or a hope of escape, for we had implicit confidence in Jack's courage and wisdom. For a few seconds, that seemed long minutes to my mind, we sat thus silently; but I could not resist glancing backward, despite the orders to the contrary. On doing so, I saw Jack sitting rigid like a statue, with his paddle raised, his lips compressed, and his eye-brows bent over his eyes, which glared savagely from beneath them down into the water. I also saw the shark, to my horror, quite close under the log, in the act of darting towards Jack's foot. I could scarce suppress a cry on beholding this. In another moment the shark rose. Jack drew his leg suddenly from the water, and threw it over the log. The monster's snout rubbed against the log as it passed, and revealed its hideous jaws, into which Jack instantly plunged the paddle, and thrust it down its throat. So violent was the act that Jack rose to his feet in performing it; the log was thereby rolled completely over, and we were once more plunged into the water. We all rose, spluttering and gasping, in a moment.

"Now then, strike out for shore," cried Jack. "Here, Peterkin, catch hold of my collar, and kick out with a will."

Peterkin did as he was desired, and Jack struck out with such force that he cut through the water like a boat; while I, being free from all encumbrance, succeeded in keeping up with him. As we had by this time drawn pretty near to the shore, a few minutes more sufficed to carry us into shallow water; and, finally, we landed in safety, though very much exhausted, and not a little frightened by our terrible adventure.

To get the whole book you can go Here.

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 10:23 AM | Permalink

Romance In Literature

March 15, 2011

"Love is like a red, red rose," said Robert Burns. Perhaps, but should we write about it? Romance has played an immense role in literature throughout history, probably because it plays such an immense role in life. One of the most important decisions you will ever face will be the choice of a spouse; it affects your life, your children, your success in life, and your heritage after death. "But love is blind, and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit." ^[1] That fact helped to earn Shakespeare over four centuries of fame. Was it biblical?

Is Fictional Romance Biblical?

If it isn't biblical to write about romance, you had better tear out the books of Ruth, Esther, and the Song of Solomon. While you're ripping, don't forget to take care of pages in Genesis, 2 Samuel, Proverbs, and many of the other books of the Bible. If romance isn't biblical, then the Bible isn't biblical. Critics will likely object that these passages are historical in nature, not fictional. Certainly, many of them are recounting historic deeds, but not all. Think of the Song of Solomon, which is in many ways allegorical, or Proverbs 7, where a story of ungodly romance is used to warn young men from dangerous relationships. Written romance, even fictional romance, is biblical.

Is Fictional Romance Wise?

A scene from Henty's When London Burned

Love is often compared to a fire, and for good reason. Fire can warm our bodies, cook our food, and comfort our souls, but it can also consume our flesh and turn us into the dust from which we came. Romance is no different. Used improperly, as it most often is in today's literature, it can create ungodly desires and encourage us in immoral choices. As humans, love stirs the depths of our souls. We feel for a character who is willing to remove any obstacles between him and his beloved. Sometimes, though, those obstacles are necessary, and shouldn't be removed.

Now that we recognize the dangers inherent in love stories, we can advance to the topic of virtuous romance. Virtuous romance involves a man and a woman who are prepared to follow God's law in their relationship both before and after the marriage covenant. The more burning buildings, pillaging armies, and ruthless villains between them the better, as long as these obstacles are weaved properly into the plot.

Romantic Elements in Books

Malchus and Clotilde escape from Rome

There is a difference between a Romance novel and a novel which includes romance. Romance novels are a genre of their own which I'll discuss in a moment. Elements of romance in a book are generally weaved into a larger story, such as David Copperfield's life, or Beric the Briton's fight for freedom. They add power, punch, and often comedy. Being a Roman slave, such as Malchus in The Young Carthaginian, is a problem. Being a Roman slave, and desiring to protect your beloved from a heartless Roman noble, is an even bigger problem.

"You knew that I loved you, and for every time you have thought of me, be it ever so often, I have thought of you a score. You knew that I loved you and intended to ask your hand from your father." ^[2]

Malchus raises another point in his brief declaration of love that is completely foreign to most novels today. A girl's father is her authority, and, according to Scripture, he is the point of access to her heart. Of course, there are times when this is not possible, such as when the girl is orphaned, but the principle remains. A young man trying to skirt a father's authority is not being virtuous.

Romance As a Genre

In the Romance genre, the main plot of the book is the romance, and the setting and action are generally accessories. I don't see a principial problem with this, so long as it follows biblical guidelines. Be careful, though, that you don't fill your mind with unrealistic ideas about who your spouse should be. Mr. Darcy is much too busy answering mail from his fan club to think about marrying you.

Conclusion

If romance is biblical, then there is a place for it in literature. Just remember that there can be too much of a good thing. Be careful how much time you spend in its coiled web, and don't get unrealistic notions of perfection. Filter what you read, and you'll filter how you act. Now, I'll conclude with a favorite quote from R. M. Ballantyne's The Island Queen.

It is of no use mincing the matter; Dr. John Marsh, after being regarded by his friends at home as hopelessly unimpressible--in short, an absolute woman-hater--had found his fate on a desolate isle of the Southern seas, he had fallen--nay, let us be just--had jumped over head and ears in love with Pauline Rigonda! Dr. Marsh was no sentimental die-away noodle who, half-ashamed, half-proud of his condition, displays it to the semi-contemptuous world. No; after disbelieving for many years in the power of woman to subdue him, he suddenly and manfully gave in--sprang up high into the air, spiritually, and so to speak, turning a sharp somersault, went headlong down deep into the flood, without the slightest intention of ever again returning to the surface. ^[3]

Posted by John Horn at 08:16 PM | Permalink

Jules Verne

February 08, 2011

Born On This Day 183 Years Ago:
Jules Verne; The father of Science Fiction

Hurrah for Jules Verne! One of my all time favorite authors. Since today is Verne's birthday, I thought I would give a short review of my top 5 favorite of his books.

~ Michael Strogoff
I've always enjoyed Michael Strogoff for Verne's ability to paint verbal pictures that give such clear and accurate description of the times. I also really loved Strogoff's extremely good plot. (Weeell I must admit, the N.C. Wyeth illustrations and my part-Russian background may have had an influence as well.)

~ Around the World in Eighty Days
About 7 or 8 years ago, Dad read Around the World in Eighty Days out loud to the family. So it has been a family favorite for a long time. Verne really did a great job of portraying a humorous, and sometimes serious, journey of Phileas Fogg, the unique nobleman bachelor of London, and his newly valet, Passepartout, as the try to go around the world in 80 days.

~ The Mysterious Island and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
The Mysterious Islands/20,000 Leagues Under the Sea/Capt. Grant's Children Trilogy is definitely one of the greatest adventure trilogies ever. No wonder so many stories, books, shows, films and games have been based off them. (Heh, and you wonder where we got our film title from...)

Many people wish there was more information about the life of Captain Nemo in the series. However, it appears that Verne was trying to illustrate a larger character map throughout the trilogy. There is also a lot of speculation about whether or not Verne was creating a larger "puzzle" story through all of his books... Who knows, either way, he was still brilliant.

~ Paris in the 20th Century
As for Paris in The Twentieth Century, both the history of the book itself and Verne's foresight while writing it are incredible! He really had an amazing ability to look to the future throughout all his works. There's a reason he made it to Google today.

Speaking of Google, today the website posted a really neat Happy Birthday to Verne blogpost on the Google Blog. I really enjoyed Ms. Hom's post so I've included part of it here and you can go here to read the rest.

Happy birthday from 20,000 leagues under the sea

It wasn't very difficult for something to spark my imagination when I was a child--whether it was a pile of leaves or a couch of stackable cushions, just about anything could jump-start my creativity. My first encounter with Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, however, sent my imagination into hyper drive.

I first found the novel while browsing through a random aisle in my local library. The cover was dark, murky and a little worn--but it was the most spectacular thing I'd ever seen. A pair of old-fashioned divers drag their feet over the ocean floor, watching a school of fish drift by. They don't seem to notice the twisting silhouette of a monster inching toward them.

The cover alone pulled me in, but I didn't want to spoil all of the possible story lines by actually reading the book. Looking back, I realize that what fascinated me most was the unknown: a creative spark and the imaginative exploration that followed. Since then, I've become more familiar with his work and still believe that exploration is the essence of Verne's novels. His stories pull the readers into a world filled with infinite potential--be it in the clouds, on land or under the sea...

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 01:18 PM | Permalink

It's All About the Accent

January 22, 2010

One of the most distinguishing features about a man or woman is their accent. You can change your clothing fashions, habits, and other similar features which characterize your region of habitation, but it is extremely hard to change your accent once fully acquired. In all books, but particularly in novels, capturing a character's accent in the dialogue can be used with great effect, but it is also very easy to lose the tremendous potential.

In order to emphasize an accent, a careful use of the vernacular is desirable. This simply means incorporating slang into the dialogue, where appropriate. Combined, you get a full sense of the speaker's background, habits, and personality.

Say, for example, that you write a novel set in Victorian England. Your main character is a London coachman, carrying on a conversation with a friend. He inquires into the state of the weather in the following manner:

"Hello, Richard, how are you? What do you think of the weather today?"

That's the way to ask the question, certainly. However, consider the greater effectiveness of this next example:

" 'Ey, Dick, 'ow are ye? Whady'ee think o' the wither today?"

Which do you think gives a better feel for a London coachman? The one which uses good King's English, fit for a law school graduate, or the highly accented, man-on-the-street dialect used by the second example?

In my opinion, it is the "power of the apostrophe" which makes the difference. London coachmen had little respect for the "h" sound, omitting it where it was needed and including it where it was not. Erase the "h," include the apostrophe to show that we do know how to spell, and there you have it! Of course other sounds, not just the "h," must also be transfigured and manipulated to achieve the desired effect. However, this is a splendid writing tool if used wisely.

Using this tool of writing you can easily differentiate between a Irish soldier, a Southern plantation owner, and an Australian banker, giving your reader a colorful glimpse into the education and culture of your character. If you do use this tool, be very careful not to accent words so that they appear to be other words. This creates great confusion and can harm more than it can help. Both Henty and Ballantyne use dialogical accents very effectively, creating a feel of authenticity for their audience and making the reading experience much more enjoyable.

An' soo, oi gives 'e a gud day, an' 'opes to see 'e agin!

Tutela ex Vulnero,

John

Posted by John Horn at 12:40 PM | Permalink