The Caine Mutiny

Rating:
Summary: War...Romance...Courtroom Drama...Amazing
Review: For good reason, Herman Wouk was awarded the Pulitzer prize for his writing of the Caine Mutiny. The book has everything one could ask for in a book. It is incredibly well written. He has in-depth character development. It takes place during a war so action is a prevalent theme. A love story lurks in the background. The conclusion holds one of the greatest courtroom dramas in modern writing.

First the war backdrop: no one describes it better. The reader truly understands the feelings of the crew of the USS Caine. We can see the tension of war as well as the feelings of serving in the Navy. Wouk does not hesitate to illustrate the good and bad of this perspective.

The love story just hangs on throughout the book and keeps the reader on edge attempting to find out what happens. For much of the book it seems the love story is forgotten. Just when it seems that we will never hear what happened, Wouk ties it in unexpectedly but in a very shrewd manner.

Of course the courtroom drama (which went on to spawn a separate play) is the best military court martial story I have read. The reader truly feels as if they are in the courtroom.

Wouk never hesitates to provide a greatd deal of descriptive visualiazations and in-depth character development. These truly aid the reader in his quest to finish teh book. Honestly, I was moved at times and could not wait to find out teh conclusion. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Rating:
Summary: More Than A War Story
Review: Good literature can transport the reader into the world of the book. Great literature enters the world of the reader. "The Caine Mutiny" is great literature. Many have seen the movie so I can say a little about the story. Set on an obsolete destroyer-minesweeper during World War II, "The Caine Mutiny", seen through the eyes of a young officer, Willie Keith, tells the story of an inadequate captain whose mismanagement leads to his relief from command when a crisis confronts the ship. With romance and a domineering mother, the book intertwines several stories which hold the reader's interest.

Perhaps a Navy veteran would see much about the service in "The Caine Mutiny", I do not know. Although it is set on a naval vessel in wartime, it is much more than a war story, although that it is. I saw much about life in it. It contains instances and characters which I encounter in a life about as far from the Caine as one can imagine. This ability of this book to enter into the world of the reader, even as the reader enters the world of the book, earns "The Caine Mutiny" a place in the canon of great literature.

I enjoy reading, but I cannot remember a book which I was so loath to set down. This book is a real page turner. Years ago my father told me to watch the movie, which I did. I finally took his advise the next step and read the book. Since I cannot return the favor, I will pass it on. READ "THE CAINE MUTINY"!

Rating:
Summary: More Than A War Story
Review: Good literature can transport the reader into the world of the book. Great literature enters the world of the reader. "The Caine Mutiny" is great literature. Many have seen the movie so I can say a little about the story. Set on an obsolete destroyer-minesweeper during World War II, "The Caine Mutiny", seen through the eyes of a young officer, Willie Keith, tells the story of an inadequate captain whose mismanagement leads to his relief from command when a crisis confronts the ship. With romance and a domineering mother, the book intertwines several stories which hold the reader's interest.

Perhaps a Navy veteran would see much about the service in "The Caine Mutiny", I do not know. Although it is set on a naval vessel in wartime, it is much more than a war story, although that it is. I saw much about life in it. It contains instances and characters which I encounter in a life about as far from the Caine as one can imagine. This ability of this book to enter into the world of the reader, even as the reader enters the world of the book, earns "The Caine Mutiny" a place in the canon of great literature.

I enjoy reading, but I cannot remember a book which I was so loath to set down. This book is a real page turner. Years ago my father told me to watch the movie, which I did. I finally took his advise the next step and read the book. Since I cannot return the favor, I will pass it on. READ "THE CAINE MUTINY"!

Rating:
Summary: Readers and critics
Review: I have been reading the reviews written on Amazon about this book. Many readers refer to it as a great book, and some as the greatest that they have ever read. This is in stark contrast to the critical evaluation of the work given by professionals, academics primarily. For them Wouk is a ' middle- brow' writer whose powers of character creation, language, are not very great. Here I must confess that ' The Caine Mutiny' is one of those books from which I have a stronger memory from the movie , than from the book itself. Many readers have referred to the masterful character creation of Captain Queeg, of his once contemptible and yet sympathy- arousing character, of the story of the development of Willie Kieth from crude and selfish young man to responsible sailor and hero. Many too suggest that Wouk's ending of the work is masterful. And all point out how wonderfully readable the book is.
My guess is reading it will not only help the reader understand something about American life during the Second War but will also give an insight into American values and attitudes in the 1950's.

Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Book of all time!!
Review: I read this book while vacationing in St.George, Utah and I read it in two days. It is an amazing read one that most likely will never be beat. The writing is overwhelming, the characters haunting and it's setting enchanting. You will fall in love with the soothing voice of May Wynn, the piano playing of Willie Kieth and the craziness of Captain Queeg. I recomend this to anyone who likes novels of World War II or just a great read!!!

Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece of modern novels.
Review: The best book Wouk ever wrote ( Don't Stop the Carnival is second). Captain Queeg has become part of the culture, thanks in part to Humphery Bogart in the movie version. The character development, particually Willie Keith, is top flight, and the story itself is timeless...do we question our superiors or do we obey without hesitation at all times even when they seem crazy? More than a war novel, "The Caine Mutiny" is a study in moral conflict, and is beautifully written. A must read!

Rating:
Summary: Overdone
Review: The book has a broad range of plots, centering around the mutiny and the events preceding. Many other sub-plots, tiny ones, not easily noticed, help to provide a sense of reality to the book and fill in spaces between Queeg's explosions.
May Wynn's love affair is the main theme that opens and closes the book. In the middle, the most important things happen, although very little time is spent in those situations in comparison to the rest of the book. The two consider getting married, write letters back and forth, and break up in the small amount of time given to their affair. This is the largest and most prominent sub-plot in the book.
Although there are many other sub-plots in the book, one of the strongest parts in the book is its vivid detail of situations. The best points are not lengthy, but they capture the feel of the situation in the emotion of the character. The book is almost charismatic in the way it describes the rolling sea, and the raging wind. On page 324, the severity of the storm is emphasized by the words: "...it [the deck] was slanting steeply to starboard... so steeply that he could not stand on it... the deck was remaining slanted."
One point where the plot really was captivating was that things in Willie's life never seemed to go smoothly. He nearly was expelled from the officer school because of his demerits. Then, his late flight caused him to arrive in the port after the ship left. Where things could go wrong for Willie, they did.
Captain Queeg's outbursts led to filling over two hundred of the book's four hundred ninety-eight pages, which seemed to be the more interesting part of the book. The pace of the book increased once he relieved de Vriess. His manner of thinking and dealing with his officers took up most of the storyline from the time the crew left the west coast of the USA to the mutiny, and was possibly the most interesting part of the book.
In contrast to that, the plot seemed to lose momentum after the mutiny. The court-martial had very little action or plot advancement for over sixty pages. It is mostly a battle of words and definitions, and mostly the plot revolves around Greenwald's defense strategy. There was little suspense, little surprises, little plot. The court-martial is more of a review of the past chapters than new events.
Another point which left a bad taste in my mouth is the conclusion of Willie and May Wynn's life. By the end, May seems little more than a filler, something needed to take up space in the novel. Except for the fact that she is Willie's girlfriend she bears no weight or effect on the focus of the novel. After the mutiny, the whole love affair sputters and dies, leaving little interest in the whole mess. Although useful in the beginning of the book, May Wynn did little to help the plot advance after Willie boarded the Caine.
Overall, I feel that the book was worth reading until the court-martial. In the beginning, there are all sorts of challenges to overcome, puzzling situations, and brief yet vivid detail about the ship, the sea, and the emotions of the officers and men. The court-martial is mostly just questions asked and answers given, with little real action. The story afterwards really has little to do with the story before, like a doomed surgery patient with no chance of survival and no reason to go on, just living its pathetic life until the bittersweet end.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book
Review: The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk was one of the first works of literature rather than fiction that I read by my own will, and for that I am very thankful. When I saw 500 pages of small print, I wasn't looking forward to it, but once I got started, I found myself completely immersed. The story is a classic coming of age tale- Willie Keith's maturing is very interesting, and the characters have a lot of personality. You loath queeg, laugh at the funny stuff, and just cant help liking the seamen. And the story is full of high action and drama. You can't put it down! This book is perfect for teens up.

Rating:
Summary: A gripping drama about the trials of war and command.
Review: The Caine Mutiny is not merely another war novel. What makes this book special is the way in which Herman Wouk develops complex characters and relationships within the setting of World War II. He places emphasis on the depth of the characters, rather than the war itself. Because of his attention to the complex attitudes and relationships on board the Caine, it is not necessary for the reader to have a strong naval background in order to understand the situations at hand. Wouk's main character focus is on Willie Keith. The reader is able to understand his character more than the others because of extensive expository information in the first several chapters. At times the information seemed long-winded and irrelevant, but it achieved its main purpose of establishing the main character, the protagonist for the reader to follow throughout the novel. Because of this personalized insight, the reader receives a biased, yet deeper understanding of the events. Wouk provides some very intriguing twists and turns throughout the novel, the most poignant of these being the court martial trial. Because of the way Wouk chooses to slant the proceedings, the reader has almost every reason to believe that Maryck will be found guilty. Such elements of irony and surprise make for some suspenseful and highly engaging reading. Wouk achieves a high level of success with this novel. His use of locus, attention to complexities of character and relationships, and his ability to twist situations create a highly dramatic, touching coming-of-age story centered around the trials of war and command.

Rating:
Summary: Classic tale of WWII
Review: The Caine Mutiny is the best military fiction that I have ever read. It is well-written and engaging. The characters and situations rang true to me as a former naval officer even though I served more than 50 years after the story was set.
I also recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand more about the leadership. It contains everything good and everything bad about leadership, and the lessons that Willie Keith learned aboard the Caine apply in or out of the military.
Overall, The Caine Mutiny is a great story that does not require an interest in the navy or military to enjoy or appreciate.