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Summary: You know those stories where you choose alternate endings?
Review: How about a book where the ending is the same but the main plot depends on what you focus on? That's what "Caine Mutiny" is. Hollywood chose troubled, underachieving Captain Queeg, as played by Bogie, with his deteriorating mental health under the stresses of combat and command of a minesweeper. The bad guy is mid-level officer and intellectual snob Tom Keefer (Jose Ferrer), who chooses the solid command-material first officer as the fall guy for a plot against the captain. Like a lot of other people, I saw the flick first and said; "War movie. Been there/ done that." This book, though, gives you an alternate hero--junior officer Willie Keith, who's the sheltered son of a New York doctor as well as a Columbia University rah-rah boy (I think Wouk later drew on Keith to create "Winds Of War's" Byron Henry). In the film, Keith is a forgettable supporting character (I don't even remember who played him), but in this book, we watch him as he dries out quite a bit behind the ears on the way to becoming a competant Navy officer. It's classic Wouk--some dude you'd never picture as a hero rises to the occaison. As well as a rite-of-passage tale as good as anything from Twain.
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Summary: Maybe the best book I've read.
Review: Deep, multidimensional characters and an action packed plot make this a great book. There is profound insight into human nature. This is a resource manual on how organizations and their constituent individuals evolve. I listened to it on tape.
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Summary: A war story that's not about war.
Review: Most Americans have probably seen the classic Humphrey Bogart film adaptation of this book. Indeed, the plots are very similar, and the casting, with one exception, was terrific.Which brings me to the surprise... Willy Keith. Turns out Willy is really a rich, musically talented New Yorker, a little chubby, and quite immature; not the wooden pretty boy we saw in the Film. Indeed the first 100 pages of the book deal with Willy, his musical career, his relationship with his girlfriend, his troubles as a Navy cadet. Beore he sets foot on the Caine, we have the makings of a film in and of itself. Wouk carefully shows how events, even facts, which we see with our own eyes, can be interperted in dramatically different ways, how very few issues, and NO people, are drawn in black and white. The characters are robust and multi-dimensional, and the relationships between the officers and crew of the Caine, as well as the seemingly all-powerful Naval commands all boil down to decisions and interpertations of flawed men -- and as the doctors tell us during the court martial, none of them is without some form of mental instability; it's simply a matter of how we compensate or adjust to those shortcomings. All of the major characters go through a fascinating self-assessment process, and wind up as different people by the end. An engaging, enjoyable book, even for someone who's seen the film a dozen times.
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Summary: In my opinion, the finest novel ever written
Review: This book has more to say about how people react to situations and to each other; the problems and stresses of responsibility and command; the value of loyalty; and the treachory of psuedo-intellectualism and class distiction than any book I've ever read. I still read this novel over and over again, and have since first dicovering it in high school freshman english. It is simply a must read for anyone interested in the human condition and the maturing process (or lack thereof) of people over time and under pressure. I love this novel and all of it's characters.
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Summary: The most interesting book I've read in years.
Review: This book, The Caine Mutiny, by Herman Wouk holds it's readers as much today as it did in the 1950's when it was released. Anyone who is interested in military novels must add this book to their collection. From the first page you will feel as though you can actually step into Willy Keith's shoes and see life on the Caine as it was. The reading is interesting and easy for even the most novice military reader and interesting enough for the expert. Definately THE BEST book I've read in a long long time.
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Summary: A compelling insight into taking command
Review: This is, indeed, a great novel of the war and the difficulies faced by everyday men and women thrown into larger than life dramas. But for me, as compellling as the training, the days at sea, the mutiny and the trial were, the best of the book is at the end. After the trial, as first Keefer and then Willie assume command, we are treated to a very rich insight into the lonliness of command -- and the irony of newfound knowledge in making an ultimate judgement on Queeg by the these two officers. When the verdict is announced Maryk fades into insignificance and it is in Keefer and Willie that the author presents the issue of judgement, growth, heroism and responsibility. Keefer's honesty is brutal; Willie's growth is wonderful. This book is great.
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Summary: So much more than the movie, it entices you to read others.
Review: A friend recommended this to me, and as I liked the movie I read it. Wow! There was so much more to the story, especially what happened after the trial. The book made me appreciate Humphry Bogart's portrail! I had always thought it was just his persona, but no, he WAS Cpt. Q.
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Summary: A Spellbinding Novel
Review: I picked up this book on the way to the airport to read during a long flight. After reading only a few pages I was thoroughly engrossed following the exploits of Ensign Willie Keith aboard the obsolete minesweeper Caine under the abusive and neurotic Captain Queeg. There is more action and drama in the book than in the movie and the story is still relevant and quite captivating well over 40 years after it was written. I would recommend it to anyone that needs a good read. I literally could not put it down and I started reading it again on the return flight!
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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.
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Summary: Hilarious for all ages!
Review: At first, the average person may view this easily read novel as a book purely dealing with war. This is not the case, however, as it explores the depths of psychology among people, romance, humor, and unjustifiable mutiny. This book is the first of its time period to also elude to homosexuality, something unheard of in that time. The characters become very identifiable and jolt emotions- a good read for teens throungh senior citizens!
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