|
|
| Plot Summary of The Black Joke |
|---|
" The Black Joke is a sleek, swift fishing schooner built by her owner, Jonathan Spence, and his now-deceased brother; and named after the 18th century pirate ship their ancestor sailed on. She is his pride and joy, and he is determined to hold on to her. But this is Newfoundland in the 1930s' depression, and cod markets are vanishing. Other fishing vessels are passing into the hands of local merchant Simon Barnes, as payment for debts. Although Spence is not yet indebted to him, he soon could be: He has a family to feed, and supplies are running low.
Barnes has a secret special interest in the speedy Black Joke because of the price it can fetch from rum-runners. So he lays a trap. He hires Spence, ostensibly to deliver a rush order of timber, but really to be framed in a deliberate channel collision. The plan is to sue Spence for damages he cannot afford, so he will have to sell the boat - and Barnes will buy it.
Unaware, Spence sails off with his son Peter, his nephew Kye, and Barnes, straight into Barnes' trap. He is arrested on a small island still under the jurisdiction of France, just off Newfoundland's Burin Pennisula. He knows virtually no-one here. The retainer for a lawyer is, alone, more than he can afford. The court proceedings are all in French. "Victims" and "witnesses" lie.
Realizing he has no chance for justice here, he asks a local skipper he trusts to organize a fake, drunken riot around midnight, a distraction so that the Black Joke can try to escape from the three-mile territorial waters surrounding the island. It's a good plan - until one of the players lets word of it slip to Barnes; and that's just the start of the complications. "
vjm, Resident Scholar
|
|
| Review Analysis of The Black Joke |
|---|
|
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
|
|
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 40%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
- 1930's-1950's
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Water adventure
Yes
Water:
- on the ocean surface
Crime plotlets:
- vigilante getting revenge
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- catching con-artist
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- throughout most of the book.
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
Setting
Water?
Yes
Water:
- sail boat
Island?
Yes
Island:
- Atlantic Ocean Island
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 0 (not a murder mystery)
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
|
|
|
Click here for more information about this book
Farley Mowat Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 vjm
SCHOLARS:
| |
Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback
Most recent discussions:
General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Suzanne Weyn
10:35:23 PM
George W. Bush
5:33:46 PM
Kin Platt
12:58:29 AM
Anonymous
12:47:34 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun
10:05:52 PM
Jane Rubino
10:04:38 PM
LaVyrle Spencer
10:04:00 PM
G.A. McKevett
10:03:31 PM
David Williams
10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield
10:02:30 PM
Jeanette Walls
10:00:19 PM
Darryl Ponicsan
9:59:27 PM
Ann Rinaldi
9:58:30 PM
R.L. Stine
9:57:34 PM
Geoffrey Huntington
9:57:14 PM
Betty Mahmoody
9:56:38 PM
Deric Longden
9:56:11 PM
Mary Downing Hahn
9:55:48 PM
Iris Johansen
9:55:24 PM
Marlo Morgan
9:54:58 PM
More message boards
|
