The Caine Mutiny: A Novel

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Summary: Excellant plot line and contrast of characters
Review: This book covers a multitude of events/emotions, yet does a masterful job of tieing them all together so that there are no loose ends. Although there is some salty sailor talk, it is a wonderful book.

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Summary: Truly a modern classic
Review: Surely we have all known some of the characters in this story, it could be set anywhere that people work together, not just the U.S. Navy. The eerie familiararity you feel for these characters, who are trapped like prisoners on a pathetic, obsolete, WW1 type vessel that is stuck in the backwaters of the fleet, is what makes this story work. The chief impact of Wouks Caine Mutiny is that the competent establishment is always in charge and "master of the situation". It's a grim lesson we all must learn. This is that rare type of tale in which any reader can place her or himself in at least one of these characters shoes and say, I've been there, done that

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Summary: The Caine Mutiny- a novel for the ages
Review: There are two types of books written by authors- those which appeal only to critics and those which appeal to the general public. This is a prime example of the latter(the ease of the vocab used helps). With brilliant imagery and lots of Navy jargon (which I didn't understand before I read the book), Herman Wouk conveys to us the story aboard the USS Caine during WWII. He gives us deep charachters with Willie Keith, Steve Maryk and Tom Keefer,and he creates a legend with Captain Phillip Francis Queeg. He makes us think. A classic.

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Summary: Superiors are not always superior
Review: Herman Wouk portrayed a Navy in a way few others have dared. Generally, books about war fit their stereotype quite well--the hero is the commanding officer who leads his men courageously into battle. However, Wouk showed that even our most heralded commanders are human and make mistakes like the rest of us. Captain Queeg was unbalanced, but was he so unbalanced as to warrant a mutiny? That is one of the central themes of The Caine Mutiny, along with Willie Keith's change from an immature mama's boy into a man capable of commanding an entire ship in the United States Navy. Wouk seemed to have a much better grasp of war and human nature than most authors who have written so-called great novels, showing how most men are vulnerable, and military men are no exception. I would definitely recommend this books to everyone I know

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Summary: A touching coming of age novel that touched me the wrong way
Review: Don't get me wrong. I appreciated this book. However, about 80% of my appreciation has to do with the fact that I was told it had "classic" status before I even started reading it. Even though I can respect the precise knowledge of naval procedure and psychology that went into this book, I found it a humorless bore. The characters all either wishy-washy, like Keith, or basket-cases, like Queeg. Reading about Keith's romantic angst got especially boring after a few chapters. Personally, I didn't care for the guy, and I certainly wasn't interested in his coming of age. This book was selected by my English department as a representative book of the Age of Uncertainty. Since I happen to be living in the midst of the Age of Uncertainty, reading a book about doubt and confusion in the Navy is just a repetition of daily life to the nth. Perhaps that was the point of the book-- to get you to feel as antsy and dissatisfied as the prisoners on the U.S.S. Caine. I'm not sure exactly what I was supposed to take away from this reading experience. Reading it certainly took a lot of hours out of my life.

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Summary: Not just about WWII!
Review: The Caine Mutiny has been hearlded as a great World War II novel. I personally do not think that this is an apt description. Though the Caine Mutiny was set in World War II I don't think that's what makes it great. By first introducing us to Willie Keith Wouk gives us our first caracter impression--which is what makes this book great. With Willie as the lead caracter the reader is introduced to the military, a change in lifestyle, the confusion of love, and the hopelessness of war. Willie as a man changes drastically and as he changes so does the reader. Wouk's descriptions of his caracters leaves almost nothing to be desired. From the first captain of the Caine to the last you are given an impression of life through the eyes of the caraters. Questions could be raised such as, did Keefer manipulate the crew? or was the mutiny necessary? But this is all due to the reality of Wouk's writing. His caracters portray people who have reasonable problems and few solutions. The author's excellent writing keeps the reader wrapped up in his caraters. Though the novel is set in World War II it should not be read solely for that fact. This novel is for those who enjoy strong caracters who have weaknesses. It is a novel of life as well as war and should be read by anyone who loves true literature.

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Summary: A gripping story of life in the Navy!
Review: This was a required reading for one of my classes. I wasn't overly excited about having to read it. Once I dove in though, it became an exiting adventure on the high seas. Military stories don't usually do much to capture my interest, but Wouk has a way of commanding your attention and opening your eyes to a very interesting situation. His characters are well-developed and the descriptions are very detailed. So much so that I was transformed into the The United States Navy of 1943. By the end of the book, I was actually thinking like a sailor. I really think the popularity of this book could be renewed because this is exactly the kind of story the modern American is thirsty for. Stories of corruption and power have been all over the airways and the big screen in the '90's. Movies like The Firm, several made-for-TV movies, and several news magazine shows have featured this type of topic. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking to get away--away to a rich time in our history, a time when almost anything could happen and ordinary people experienced some very extraordinary things. Open the book and enjoy the ride!!! Amanda Fritz

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Summary: A capturing and well written novel.
Review: At first glance, the Caine Mutiny seems to be just another boring war novel. However, once you begin to read this capturing novel you find that this assumption could not be farther from the truth. This is the story of Willie Keith and his life in the navy. But the book grabs the reader and introduces them to Willie Keith, the person. At the beginning of the novel, Willie is selfish and naive. He is greatly spoiled by his mother and is unsure of his relationship with a young woman named May. But as the book goes on you learn a lot about his life. You watch this boy who is blind to the real world being transformed into a man who goes off to war. He soon learns that his mother can no longer look out for him and he that he will be treated just like everyone else. He faces many hard times but pulls throught. This is because he wants to prove to everyone else that he can do it, no matter what anyone else says. As the story goes on he matures and learns responsibility. The author's style captures the reader and you soon find yourself wraped up in the lives of the characters. This helps you to get more "into" the book and you find yourself not wanting to put the book down. Overall, this book was well written. The characters are believable and you soon find yourself sympathizing with them. This is one of the better novels I have read in a long time

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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.

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Summary: The Caine Mutiny: a book about growing up.
Review: This novel was one of the best that I have read in recent years. At first, I thought it was just going to be a boring story about the navy during WW II. This book turned out to be so much more. At the heart of this novel is a metamorphasis of a boy into a man. This person is, of course, Willie Keith. Herman Wouk really shows how this individual grows up and matures during the course of this novel. The first impression of Keith is of "mama's boy" who is getting into the navy only because it will be easier and safer than the army. As the reader progresses, you see Willie making fewer and fewer mistakes and becoming more responsible. He comes to grips with his relationship with his girlfriend and stands up to his mother. This transformation is so gradual that the reader may not even be aware of it. It hit me at the very end of this book when Willie saves the ship after the kamikaze attack: The Willie Keith that we saw at the beginning of the novel never would have been able to accomplish this.