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The Blue Lagoon #1
Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is the story of two cousins, Dicky and Emmeline Lestrange, stranded on a remote island with a beautiful lagoon. As children, they are cared for by Paddy Button, a portly sailor who drinks himself to death after only two and a half years in paradise. Frightened and confused by the man's gruesome corpse, the children flee to another part of Palm Tree Island. Over a period of five years, they grow up and eventually fall in love. Sex and birth are as mysterious to them as death, but they manage to copulate instinctively and conceive a child. The birth is especially fifteen-year-old Emmeline, alone in the jungle, loses consciousness and awakes to find a baby boy on the ground near her. Naming the boy Hannah (an example of Stacpoole's penchant for gender reversals), the Lestranges live in familial bliss until they are unexpectedly expelled from their tropical Eden.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1908
280 people are currently reading
3514 people want to read
About the author
Henry de Vere Stacpoole
210 books37 followersHenry De Vere Stacpoole (9 April 1863 – 12 April 1951), pseudonym: Tyler De Saix, was an Irish author, born in Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire). His best known work is the 1908 romance novel The Blue Lagoon, which has been adapted into feature films on three occasions.
A ship's doctor for more than forty years, Stacpoole was also an expert on the South Pacific islands. His books frequently contained detailed descriptions of the natural life and civilizations with which he had become familiar on those islands.
He moved to the Isle of Wight in the 1920s and lived there until his death. He was buried at Bonchurch in 1951. [Wikipedia]
A ship's doctor for more than forty years, Stacpoole was also an expert on the South Pacific islands. His books frequently contained detailed descriptions of the natural life and civilizations with which he had become familiar on those islands.
He moved to the Isle of Wight in the 1920s and lived there until his death. He was buried at Bonchurch in 1951. [Wikipedia]
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April 7, 2021
روبنسون كروزو مجددا لكن تلك المرة شاب وفتاة ينجحون في النجاة وإقامة عائلة صغيرة في جزيرة معزولة، بها كثير من ملامح روايات روبنسون كروزو والعائلة السويسرية لكنها تظل رواية ممتعة
March 4, 2020
الكتاب ده جيه في وقته، سلام داخلي وأنت بتقراه بعيد عن دوشة كل حاجة حتى دوشة الكتب، لا صراع ولا نزاع ولا ملحمية ولا فلسفية ولا عمق ولا توتر أعصاب ولا أي حاجة غير ان انت هتخلص الكتاب بدون أي أستراحة، علشان الأحداث هادية وماشية على وتر واحد ومافيش مبالغات من الكاتب، بإختصار اللي حصل حصل واللي كان كان،، حادثة حرق عادي من غير توتر، موت شخصية رئيسية عادي من غير توتر، قرش بيهاجم عادي برضه، مستقبل بيضيع وتشرد والله جاب والله خد والله عليه العوض وعادي برضه.
ولأن كل شئ عادي وهادي وجميل كدة، المراجعة بالعامية ومن غير تكلف ولا حوارات كتير، الكتاب يستحق 3 نجوم لا أكثر بس أنا هديله 4 وده تقييمي الشخصي.
إقتباس:
نحن الشعوب التي تعيش في المدن وفي بلاد مثل إنجلترا وأمريكا نشعر بالأسف لشعوب مثل تلك الشعوب من سكان الجزر.. ولكن لا يجب علينا ذلك! إنهم يعيشون حياة صحية فلا يرون الشمس عبر نافذة المكتب ولا القمر بين سحابة من الدخان.. إنهم سعداء يحيون في العالم كما صنعه الله.. وليس كما أفسده الإنسان!
February 3, 2015
It seems that many people base their opinions on this book by how well it stood up to the 80s movie. Well, I have not seen the movie, nor do I want to. The book describes things perfectly.
After their ship catches fire, two children (cousins) are tossed into a dingy with Paddy, an able seaman. They drift for some days before coming upon an abandoned ship and later, an uninhabited paradise island. There they stay for many years, partaking of the island's yield and exploring its mysteries.
I really enjoyed this. Stacpoole is amazing in his ability to put the reader in a scene and make us see what he sees, smell what he smells and feel what he feels.The island simply comes alive in all its poetry and magic.
Is the story perfect? No its not. But while some will roll their eyes at a certain point in the story, thinking it incomprehensible that Dick and Emmeline could be quite so naive, I would remind them of the time period. At eight years old (its at this age that their whole life is turned upside down) they still believed that babies were born under cabbages (and replaced under cabbages if all was not well and they needed to "grow some more").
An interesting point for Stacpoole fans is that the sailor Paddy in this story is actually "Patsy" grown up from Stacpooles earlier novel by that name. Also the children are relatives of the Lestranges featured in that novel.
BOTTOM LINE: Wonderful escape read. However Stacpoole's "Beach of Dreams " surpasses this in my estimation.
CONTENT:
SEX: Fade to black
VIOLENCE: One fight with an 'octopod'
PROFANITY: Mild (D's)
MY RATING: PG for thematic elements
After their ship catches fire, two children (cousins) are tossed into a dingy with Paddy, an able seaman. They drift for some days before coming upon an abandoned ship and later, an uninhabited paradise island. There they stay for many years, partaking of the island's yield and exploring its mysteries.
I really enjoyed this. Stacpoole is amazing in his ability to put the reader in a scene and make us see what he sees, smell what he smells and feel what he feels.The island simply comes alive in all its poetry and magic.
Is the story perfect? No its not. But while some will roll their eyes at a certain point in the story, thinking it incomprehensible that Dick and Emmeline could be quite so naive, I would remind them of the time period. At eight years old (its at this age that their whole life is turned upside down) they still believed that babies were born under cabbages (and replaced under cabbages if all was not well and they needed to "grow some more").
An interesting point for Stacpoole fans is that the sailor Paddy in this story is actually "Patsy" grown up from Stacpooles earlier novel by that name. Also the children are relatives of the Lestranges featured in that novel.
BOTTOM LINE: Wonderful escape read. However Stacpoole's "Beach of Dreams " surpasses this in my estimation.
CONTENT:
SEX: Fade to black
VIOLENCE: One fight with an 'octopod'
PROFANITY: Mild (D's)
MY RATING: PG for thematic elements
July 24, 2023
There was no moon, the starlight both lit and veiled the world, and no sound but the majestic thunder of the waves. As he stood, the night wind blowing on his face, the white foam seething before him, and Canopus burning in the great silence overhead, the fact that he stood in the centre of an awful and profound indifference came to his untutored mind with a pang.
Thus came the lost children to The Blue Lagoon.
The sun and its bright; the wasteless verdant; the caressing and hungry storm; the open, open sky: behold paradise.
Eden—purity, beauty, abundant sustenance—and the sacred ignorance of innocence. A world without thought. Not until the appearance of temptation and death’s representative does the blessing of knowledge and comprehension creep in.
One by one the threads must snap.
Paradise is not eternal.
There was life in the void, and it was no longer terrible.
Thus came the lost children to The Blue Lagoon.
The sun and its bright; the wasteless verdant; the caressing and hungry storm; the open, open sky: behold paradise.
Eden—purity, beauty, abundant sustenance—and the sacred ignorance of innocence. A world without thought. Not until the appearance of temptation and death’s representative does the blessing of knowledge and comprehension creep in.
One by one the threads must snap.
Paradise is not eternal.
There was life in the void, and it was no longer terrible.
September 27, 2013
I don't really wish to review this book. If I did I would have to criticize certain implausible moments like Hannah's birth (or lack thereof). My experience with this book has me questioning how much personal freedom I allow myself as a reader to enjoy what I'm reading without judgment. The truth is I loved this book. It wasn't the story, or even the writing, it was the spirit of the book, or rather, what I perceived to be, the spirit of the author that I felt swept up and carried away by.
I liken my experience with this book to sitting with a dear old soul who's heart is struck by wonder as he ponders: "What would it be like if..." and just like that I watch his imagination take flight over the vast Pacific Ocean and alight on the tiny Island of his story. What innocence? What fears? What would we know of love if we had no preconceived ideas? I listen and its a flight of fancy and I'm fortunate enough to be taken along for the ride.
My reaction to Hannah's appearance in the story troubles me. I felt cranky. Here I was enjoying this book and telling people how lovely it was and then this ridiculous thing happened. It made me mad. Why? The embarrassing reason is that I don't want people thinking less of me because I enjoyed a book with such a ridiculous plot issue. How awful! What troubles me just as much is how much do I allow this inhibition, this ridiculous self-consciousness to effect my own writing? What flights of fancy do I miss because I'm too hung up on making sure I don't blunder and make a fool out of myself?
So, a kiss on Mr Henry de Vere Stacpoole's dear old cheek today, not only for a lovely story, but for the opportunity to stop and look at myself. What is the point in reading if I'm not allowing myself the freedom to just let go and enjoy without censure?
“When we have learnt to call storms, storms, and death, death, and birth, birth, when we have mastered the sailor's horn-book and Mr Piddington's law of cyclones, Ellis's anatomy and Lewer's midwifery, we have already made ourself half blind. We have become hypnotized by words and names. We think in words and names, not in ideas; the commonplace has triumphed, the true intellect is half crushed.”
― Henry de Vere Stacpoole, The Blue Lagoon: A Romance
I liken my experience with this book to sitting with a dear old soul who's heart is struck by wonder as he ponders: "What would it be like if..." and just like that I watch his imagination take flight over the vast Pacific Ocean and alight on the tiny Island of his story. What innocence? What fears? What would we know of love if we had no preconceived ideas? I listen and its a flight of fancy and I'm fortunate enough to be taken along for the ride.
My reaction to Hannah's appearance in the story troubles me. I felt cranky. Here I was enjoying this book and telling people how lovely it was and then this ridiculous thing happened. It made me mad. Why? The embarrassing reason is that I don't want people thinking less of me because I enjoyed a book with such a ridiculous plot issue. How awful! What troubles me just as much is how much do I allow this inhibition, this ridiculous self-consciousness to effect my own writing? What flights of fancy do I miss because I'm too hung up on making sure I don't blunder and make a fool out of myself?
So, a kiss on Mr Henry de Vere Stacpoole's dear old cheek today, not only for a lovely story, but for the opportunity to stop and look at myself. What is the point in reading if I'm not allowing myself the freedom to just let go and enjoy without censure?
“When we have learnt to call storms, storms, and death, death, and birth, birth, when we have mastered the sailor's horn-book and Mr Piddington's law of cyclones, Ellis's anatomy and Lewer's midwifery, we have already made ourself half blind. We have become hypnotized by words and names. We think in words and names, not in ideas; the commonplace has triumphed, the true intellect is half crushed.”
― Henry de Vere Stacpoole, The Blue Lagoon: A Romance
did-not-finish
September 2, 2023DNF
Mehh not the classic for me as I felt bored after a while.
Still trying to find my way in classic literature
Mehh not the classic for me as I felt bored after a while.
Still trying to find my way in classic literature
November 7, 2021
3 Stars for The Blue Lagoon (audiobook) by H. DeVerde Stacpoole read by Adrian Praetzellis.
I recently read There Was a Little Girl. The autobiography of Brooke Shields. In the book she mentioned the that the Movie: The Blue Lagoon was based on a book. And that the Movie that she started in was actually the third movie based on this 1908 book.
After seeing the movie, I found the book to be a little slow and melancholy. But I find it interesting to see what story Hollywood writers started with. It’s an interesting premise and I was wondering if there will ever be another remake. Maybe a modern shipwreck?
I recently read There Was a Little Girl. The autobiography of Brooke Shields. In the book she mentioned the that the Movie: The Blue Lagoon was based on a book. And that the Movie that she started in was actually the third movie based on this 1908 book.
After seeing the movie, I found the book to be a little slow and melancholy. But I find it interesting to see what story Hollywood writers started with. It’s an interesting premise and I was wondering if there will ever be another remake. Maybe a modern shipwreck?
November 27, 2025
“Memory cannot produce a picture that Imagination has not retouched; and her pictures, even the ones least touched by Imagination, are no mere photographs, but the world of an artist.”
― Henry de Vere Stacpoole, The Blue Lagoon
It is funny how certain books appeal to some people and then there are others who just do not get it. I see it all the time with some of my favorite books getting trashed.
This is the opposite..I know many who love the story. I never did..not the film and not the book. I found it tragic yes but also dull and was a very slow read for me. With the movie you can at least turn it off.
SPOILERS:
I never got involved in the story either book wise or movie wise. I know it is considered a classic so I will not go on. This is a case of me just not liking it for whatever reason.
― Henry de Vere Stacpoole, The Blue Lagoon
It is funny how certain books appeal to some people and then there are others who just do not get it. I see it all the time with some of my favorite books getting trashed.
This is the opposite..I know many who love the story. I never did..not the film and not the book. I found it tragic yes but also dull and was a very slow read for me. With the movie you can at least turn it off.
SPOILERS:
I never got involved in the story either book wise or movie wise. I know it is considered a classic so I will not go on. This is a case of me just not liking it for whatever reason.
October 22, 2016
"A Lagoa Azul" foi uma feliz surpresa, pois apesar de conhecer a história porque já vi um sem número de vezes o filme com o mesmo nome (trailer oficial aqui: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfNgP... ), o livro conseguiu trazer-me novidade. Há partes, importantes e podendo fazer a diferença no desenrolar da história, que o filme não mostra e o livro conta de forma magistral.
As descrições são soberbas, quase cinematográficas. De tal modo que, durante os dias que estive a ler "A Lagoa Azul" também eu me senti como se estivesse na ilha e a viver numa cabana longe da civilização. Henry de Vere Stacpoole escreve com uma sensibilidade tal que é fácil sentirmo-nos parte da história, ainda que o seu papel seja apenas o de observador. Por outro lado, o autor tem algumas "saídas" bastante brilhantes, sobretudo porque, em 1908 (quando em Inglaterra as mulheres são começam a ter direito ao voto depois da Primeira Guerra Mundial), e a título de exemplo, escreve que "O desprezo pelas mulheres é a primeira lei da selvajaria e talvez a última lei de uma qualquer filosofia velha e profunda" (p.290). Gostei de ler isto. Principalmente porque foi escrito por um homem e foi escrito em 1908... Extraordinário!
Ademais, "A Lagoa Azul" está longe de ser apenas uma história sobre duas crianças que vão dar a uma ilha no Pacífico, crescem e se amam. É mais do que isso. É uma viagem. Uma reflexão sobre o que é a liberdade (se é viver em vida selvagem, se é viver em civilização). E, por isso, adorei ler este livro, um verdadeiro bálsamo, e devo sublinhar que já me arrependi várias vezes de, quando no Outono de 2010 comprei este livro, me ter questionado (e voltado a questionar) se tinha tomado a opção certa em comprar um livro, cuja história já conhecia de trás para a frente... Que tamanho disparate! Já o devia ter lido antes...! Ler um livro nunca há de ser o mesmo que ver um filme! Este livro é muito bonito e ainda é melhor porque nos leva a sonhar... Com um mundo diferente do nosso, puro e inocente... Utópico, na verdade. Porém, se não sonharmos com a utopia como poderemos melhorar o que temos?
*
"Para esquecer a passagem do tempo, é necessário viver ao ar livre, num clima quente, com o mínimo possível de roupa sobre o corpo. É necessário caçar, pescar, colher e cozinhar o nosso alimento. E então, passado algum tempo, se não tivermos quaisquer laços a ligar-nos à civilização, a Natureza começará a fazer-nos a nós o que faz ao selvagem. E então, reconheceremos que é possível ser feliz sem livros e jornais, cartas ou contas. Reconheceremos então o papel que o sono desempenha na Natureza." (p. 127)
As descrições são soberbas, quase cinematográficas. De tal modo que, durante os dias que estive a ler "A Lagoa Azul" também eu me senti como se estivesse na ilha e a viver numa cabana longe da civilização. Henry de Vere Stacpoole escreve com uma sensibilidade tal que é fácil sentirmo-nos parte da história, ainda que o seu papel seja apenas o de observador. Por outro lado, o autor tem algumas "saídas" bastante brilhantes, sobretudo porque, em 1908 (quando em Inglaterra as mulheres são começam a ter direito ao voto depois da Primeira Guerra Mundial), e a título de exemplo, escreve que "O desprezo pelas mulheres é a primeira lei da selvajaria e talvez a última lei de uma qualquer filosofia velha e profunda" (p.290). Gostei de ler isto. Principalmente porque foi escrito por um homem e foi escrito em 1908... Extraordinário!
Ademais, "A Lagoa Azul" está longe de ser apenas uma história sobre duas crianças que vão dar a uma ilha no Pacífico, crescem e se amam. É mais do que isso. É uma viagem. Uma reflexão sobre o que é a liberdade (se é viver em vida selvagem, se é viver em civilização). E, por isso, adorei ler este livro, um verdadeiro bálsamo, e devo sublinhar que já me arrependi várias vezes de, quando no Outono de 2010 comprei este livro, me ter questionado (e voltado a questionar) se tinha tomado a opção certa em comprar um livro, cuja história já conhecia de trás para a frente... Que tamanho disparate! Já o devia ter lido antes...! Ler um livro nunca há de ser o mesmo que ver um filme! Este livro é muito bonito e ainda é melhor porque nos leva a sonhar... Com um mundo diferente do nosso, puro e inocente... Utópico, na verdade. Porém, se não sonharmos com a utopia como poderemos melhorar o que temos?
*
"Para esquecer a passagem do tempo, é necessário viver ao ar livre, num clima quente, com o mínimo possível de roupa sobre o corpo. É necessário caçar, pescar, colher e cozinhar o nosso alimento. E então, passado algum tempo, se não tivermos quaisquer laços a ligar-nos à civilização, a Natureza começará a fazer-nos a nós o que faz ao selvagem. E então, reconheceremos que é possível ser feliz sem livros e jornais, cartas ou contas. Reconheceremos então o papel que o sono desempenha na Natureza." (p. 127)
January 25, 2024
Много симпатична приключенска история от южните морета, която е в основата на любим мой филм. Изненадващо свежа, при условие, че е писана в зората на 20-ти век. Просто ми дойде малко бавна и определено предпочитам филма.
July 7, 2021
When I watched a movie adaption and even years afterward, I had no idea The Blue Lagoon was based on a book originally published in 1908 by a man who had experienced travel through the South Seas in his own adventures as a doctor aboard ship. This made me eager to give this classic a try when I needed one for the COYER Classic Readathon.
Review:
Stacpoole's description of setting and life aboard ship and the island was captivating and drew me into that world. His poetic writing style was partly lovely, but also distracting. He explored a what if with his story. What if two innocent children were marooned on an island alone? How would they survive? What would form their education in all matters? I thought he drew this portrait well.
Em is something of a thinker and dreamer. Not a very practical person and somewhat nervy. Alone, her survival would have been impossible. But, her cousin Dick was there with her and Dick was an adventurous, bold, practical-minded personality and he more than thrived in primitive island life.
The story establishes them on the island with an old sailor after they were separated from the rest of their ship party. Paddy is prone to yarns and drinking, but he guided the children early on. The rest of the book moved forward in time to two young teens who are at the cusp of adulthood. They can only wonder at a deadly battle of islanders from another island that took place there, a stone idol from days gone by, and the push-pull feelings inside them toward each other. They were innocents and had no idea especially when they started to have feelings for each other.
For those wondering about the sexual side since these were younger teens. The author was gentle with this and didn't dwell on or detail out. It was part of their awakening around the usual time people get sexually active and they were both willing.
This was a quick read and had a romantic and realistic balance in how survivors would make out on a deserted South Seas island and how children would grow into adults when left alone not long after their eighth year. The ending was bittersweet and a little mysterious. There are further books in a trilogy that carry the story past that open-ended point. Incidentally, I would equate it with other classics that tend to fall in the group that could be read by young adults or adults because of the writing style and topics.
So, I enjoyed this old-fashioned romantic island survival story and will definitely read more of Stacpoole's work to see what comes next in the Blue Lagoon trilogy. If you're looking for a classic that is easy reading and has an exotic location, try this one.
Review:
Stacpoole's description of setting and life aboard ship and the island was captivating and drew me into that world. His poetic writing style was partly lovely, but also distracting. He explored a what if with his story. What if two innocent children were marooned on an island alone? How would they survive? What would form their education in all matters? I thought he drew this portrait well.
Em is something of a thinker and dreamer. Not a very practical person and somewhat nervy. Alone, her survival would have been impossible. But, her cousin Dick was there with her and Dick was an adventurous, bold, practical-minded personality and he more than thrived in primitive island life.
The story establishes them on the island with an old sailor after they were separated from the rest of their ship party. Paddy is prone to yarns and drinking, but he guided the children early on. The rest of the book moved forward in time to two young teens who are at the cusp of adulthood. They can only wonder at a deadly battle of islanders from another island that took place there, a stone idol from days gone by, and the push-pull feelings inside them toward each other. They were innocents and had no idea especially when they started to have feelings for each other.
For those wondering about the sexual side since these were younger teens. The author was gentle with this and didn't dwell on or detail out. It was part of their awakening around the usual time people get sexually active and they were both willing.
This was a quick read and had a romantic and realistic balance in how survivors would make out on a deserted South Seas island and how children would grow into adults when left alone not long after their eighth year. The ending was bittersweet and a little mysterious. There are further books in a trilogy that carry the story past that open-ended point. Incidentally, I would equate it with other classics that tend to fall in the group that could be read by young adults or adults because of the writing style and topics.
So, I enjoyed this old-fashioned romantic island survival story and will definitely read more of Stacpoole's work to see what comes next in the Blue Lagoon trilogy. If you're looking for a classic that is easy reading and has an exotic location, try this one.
April 6, 2018
Dicky (Richard):Quisiera que caiga del cielo un libro enorme con todas las respuestas a nuestras preguntas, para saberlo todo
Emmeline: No, es imposible. Sólo Dios sabe todas las respuestas.
Una historia en dónde dos niños sobreviven a un naufragio y son criadas por Paddy, un viejo soldado naviero, (otro sobreviviente), hasta que éste muere. Se criarán solos durante su adolescencia, descubriendo los procesos fisiológicos de su desarrollo, como la aparición de la menarca de Emmeline, o el desarrollo de los músculos de Dicky. Aparecerán cambios de humor, sorpresa, reacciones muy humanas. Hasta que un día son padres de un niño (también llamado Paddy). Deciden así tratar de volver a la civilización, con uno de los botes que llegaron a la costa. El final es memorable.
Película: The Blue Lagoon (1980) with Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins.
Emmeline: No, es imposible. Sólo Dios sabe todas las respuestas.
Una historia en dónde dos niños sobreviven a un naufragio y son criadas por Paddy, un viejo soldado naviero, (otro sobreviviente), hasta que éste muere. Se criarán solos durante su adolescencia, descubriendo los procesos fisiológicos de su desarrollo, como la aparición de la menarca de Emmeline, o el desarrollo de los músculos de Dicky. Aparecerán cambios de humor, sorpresa, reacciones muy humanas. Hasta que un día son padres de un niño (también llamado Paddy). Deciden así tratar de volver a la civilización, con uno de los botes que llegaron a la costa. El final es memorable.
Película: The Blue Lagoon (1980) with Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins.
April 11, 2020
1908 novel that was the basis for the film of the same title. Pure escapism, but beautifully written. The baby's birth was a little unbelievable, but Google does say it is rare but possible. The children do seem incredibly naive by today's standards, but not perhaps for two isolated wealthy children in 1908. (I'm sure well-bred people of that time never discussed or even used words like "sex" or "pregnancy" in front of their children.) The attitude toward a life more in harmony with nature must have been controversial for the time the novel was written, especially with regard to sex. The ending of the book was more definite than the film's ending, which I liked. Not a perfect novel, but an enjoyable one.
June 7, 2011
I have long had an obsession with the 1980 (Brooke Shields) version of this movie. I will stop whatever I'm doing if The Blue Lagoon is on tv - including schoolwork, chores, a run, etc. I had no idea that this novel was such a hit in its time and has been made into not one but three different movie versions following its publication in 1908. It is the story of two cousins that are stranded on an island and discover death, sex, and love by experiencing it. The story has clear Adam and Eve connections, as well as subtle references to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. I love Emmeline and Richard's story. Yay for free ebooks.
May 17, 2023
Following a shipwreck, two children and a salty but kind old galley cook are marooned on an island with a beautiful blue lagoon.
January 5, 2019
Stacpoole's 1907 novel tells of two innocent children who find themselves marooned on a tropical island in the Pacific after the ship carrying them to San Francisco catches fire and eventually explodes. They are initially accompanied by Paddy Button, an illiterate sailor who dies in a drunken stupor about 2½ years into their sojourn on the island, which lasts another five years, during which they grow from being 8 years old to 14 or 15. With nothing to read and only the minimal amount of tools (tinder box, saw, hatchet), they often spend most of the day totally naked, and idle - with an innocence that Rousseau would idealize.
There is a stone monolith with rough facial features among the trees on the island, under whose countenance they initially learn to kiss and make love. A few months later Dick, the boy, upon his return from a foraging expedition looks for Emmaline, the girl, but she is not in their rude house. She then appears, bearing their son, whom they name Hannah. Previously having been so shocked by the discovered corpse of Paddy (a crab crawled out of his mouth, and half his face was being consumed by worms) that she never re-visited its site, the birth of their son indicates to her that, like death, nature allows for birth.
Circumstances conspire against them one morning and they find themselves without oars in their dinghy being drawn out away from the island by the tide. Coincidentally, their uncle, one of the few other survivors from the wreck of the Northumberland (Paddy and the 'childers' had been separated from the other two longboats by a thick fog while all the castaways on another of the boats died of thirst through their failure to secure water supplies when exiting) who had not given up on his efforts to find the children, is in a schooner which discovers their dinghy afloat and the young family asleep.
A real 'romance' as the title indicates, very well written and relatively simple in both scope and execution. Dick's fight with a shark to land an albacore and his near-death in an attack from an octopod are particular highlights. Stacpoole knew both the world of which he was writing and his fair share of classicallore - for instance, as Dick blows on some punk to start a fire, he was "looking not unlike Aeolus as represented on those old Dutch charts that smell of schiedam and snuff , and give one mermaids and angels instead of soundings."
Overall, pretty good, and the basis of at least four movies, the 1949 version of which was the truest to the novel.
There is a stone monolith with rough facial features among the trees on the island, under whose countenance they initially learn to kiss and make love. A few months later Dick, the boy, upon his return from a foraging expedition looks for Emmaline, the girl, but she is not in their rude house. She then appears, bearing their son, whom they name Hannah. Previously having been so shocked by the discovered corpse of Paddy (a crab crawled out of his mouth, and half his face was being consumed by worms) that she never re-visited its site, the birth of their son indicates to her that, like death, nature allows for birth.
Circumstances conspire against them one morning and they find themselves without oars in their dinghy being drawn out away from the island by the tide. Coincidentally, their uncle, one of the few other survivors from the wreck of the Northumberland (Paddy and the 'childers' had been separated from the other two longboats by a thick fog while all the castaways on another of the boats died of thirst through their failure to secure water supplies when exiting) who had not given up on his efforts to find the children, is in a schooner which discovers their dinghy afloat and the young family asleep.
A real 'romance' as the title indicates, very well written and relatively simple in both scope and execution. Dick's fight with a shark to land an albacore and his near-death in an attack from an octopod are particular highlights. Stacpoole knew both the world of which he was writing and his fair share of classicallore - for instance, as Dick blows on some punk to start a fire, he was "looking not unlike Aeolus as represented on those old Dutch charts that smell of schiedam and snuff , and give one mermaids and angels instead of soundings."
Overall, pretty good, and the basis of at least four movies, the 1949 version of which was the truest to the novel.
August 14, 2013
I can see this being a tuff read for some ppl as its pretty much all descriptive. my five star rating comes from the fact that it was published in the 1900's and deals with some pretty controversial issues, especially dealing with children and teens. I loved this book, but some of that may be rooted to my memories of the movie being one of my favorites in the 80s. I found the ending poetic, I dont think i'll read the next one, just leave it as is. oh yeah, plus its free on amazon kindle ap. :)
September 18, 2015
Henry de Vere Stacpoole writes beautifully and I loved The Beach of Dreams: A Romance and The Man Who Lost Himself. This is his most famous book and was made into a movie (which I have not seen). I found it rather uneven. The book opens with a ship fire that strands two young children--cousins--in a boat with an old Irish sailor, inevitably named Paddy. They spend days drifting about on the Pacific currents while Paddy tells stories and feeds them on ship's biscuit. This part was about a three star for me mostly because I'm not keen on reading dialect. Eventually the three survivors are cast up on a magnificent coral atoll where they set about finding food and shelter.
As always, de Vere Stacpoole's descriptions of nature are arrestingly beautiful--and sometimes terrifying. The story moves along briskly and Paddy's .
The children grow up in this Eden rediscovered in a state of complete innocence. I enjoyed Emmeline and Richard as children, and as teenagers. Things get more complicated as they discover their sexual desires and the inevitable happens. Their coming of age is done very delicately--in fact so delicately that it bordered on the unbelievable and the author lost me when . But I suppose this is on one level a parable about innocence and how it might have been mankind never left the Garden.
Even with the improbable bits I loved the descriptions of life on Emmeline and Richard's island. If de Vere Stacpoole had left it at that I would rate this one four stars, but the ending was simply ridiculous and very unsatisfying. For maximum enjoyment read the first two parts of this novel and imagine your own ending.
As always, de Vere Stacpoole's descriptions of nature are arrestingly beautiful--and sometimes terrifying. The story moves along briskly and Paddy's .
The children grow up in this Eden rediscovered in a state of complete innocence. I enjoyed Emmeline and Richard as children, and as teenagers. Things get more complicated as they discover their sexual desires and the inevitable happens. Their coming of age is done very delicately--in fact so delicately that it bordered on the unbelievable and the author lost me when . But I suppose this is on one level a parable about innocence and how it might have been mankind never left the Garden.
Even with the improbable bits I loved the descriptions of life on Emmeline and Richard's island. If de Vere Stacpoole had left it at that I would rate this one four stars, but the ending was simply ridiculous and very unsatisfying. For maximum enjoyment read the first two parts of this novel and imagine your own ending.
April 16, 2013
It took me a long time to finish this book. Normally I finish books in a matter of hours but 'The Blue Lagoon' took me about two months. I don't know how many descriptions I read of Dick going fishing or of the blue birds but it was mostly dull. I think the word 'lugubrious' was used three times in an event that was only two pages long! Not to mention the romance itself was barely there. I don't mean that they didn't have any chemistry, I mean that there were literally only a few sentences leading up to it and then a chapter revolving around it, and then poof! It was gone. Back to Dick fishing. Again.
The most frustrating thing about this book, however, was
There were a things that I really liked. I loved reading Dick and Em's conversations when they were little. They were completely honest (their memory of the day their cat died is too funny) and their rambling was cute. Although Paddy was written with a terribly confusing accent I also found him to be very entertaining. The only part of the book that I felt was memorable . And I did agree with the author on many points("An affair absolutely natural, absolutely blameless, and without sin." Awesome.) All in all I guess what I'm trying to say is that 'The Blue Lagoon' was an okay read.
The most frustrating thing about this book, however, was
There were a things that I really liked. I loved reading Dick and Em's conversations when they were little. They were completely honest (their memory of the day their cat died is too funny) and their rambling was cute. Although Paddy was written with a terribly confusing accent I also found him to be very entertaining. The only part of the book that I felt was memorable . And I did agree with the author on many points("An affair absolutely natural, absolutely blameless, and without sin." Awesome.) All in all I guess what I'm trying to say is that 'The Blue Lagoon' was an okay read.
January 3, 2025
5⭐️🙏😔
“The terror of their position was as deeply veiled from them as eternity is veiled from you or me.”
“They had come across death raw and real, uncooked by religion, undeodorised by the sayings of sages and poets.”
“The absolute happiness of wandering through the woods together, discovering new flowers, getting lost, and finding their way again, was a thing beyond expression.”
“Now that the first terror was over they felt neither sorrow nor fear. They were together. Come what might, nothing could divide them; even should they sleep and never wake up, they would sleep together.”
This story will always bring me great comfort, as i grew up pirating the movie and watching it on repeat as a child. Reading the book, i was impressed at the writing of this author and struck by the story’s tragedy once again. Romance novel my ass lol.
“The terror of their position was as deeply veiled from them as eternity is veiled from you or me.”
“They had come across death raw and real, uncooked by religion, undeodorised by the sayings of sages and poets.”
“The absolute happiness of wandering through the woods together, discovering new flowers, getting lost, and finding their way again, was a thing beyond expression.”
“Now that the first terror was over they felt neither sorrow nor fear. They were together. Come what might, nothing could divide them; even should they sleep and never wake up, they would sleep together.”
This story will always bring me great comfort, as i grew up pirating the movie and watching it on repeat as a child. Reading the book, i was impressed at the writing of this author and struck by the story’s tragedy once again. Romance novel my ass lol.
June 25, 2022
Overall, I found this to be a thought provoking book. Exploring how two young people discover, learn about, and interpret life, death, and love without any outside influences - just instincts.
If you’re looking for a book with a lot of dialogue, this is not where you’ll find it. But if you enjoy masterful descriptions, this is pure gold. I really enjoyed the author’s descriptions of the nature/scenery and of Richard and Emmeline’s inner thoughts/feelings.
There are some profound passages in this book. One of my favorites is when Dick is contemplating the concept of death - “If you had asked him what lay before him, and if he could have expressed the thought in his mind, he would have answered you, ‘change.’”
If you’re looking for a book with a lot of dialogue, this is not where you’ll find it. But if you enjoy masterful descriptions, this is pure gold. I really enjoyed the author’s descriptions of the nature/scenery and of Richard and Emmeline’s inner thoughts/feelings.
There are some profound passages in this book. One of my favorites is when Dick is contemplating the concept of death - “If you had asked him what lay before him, and if he could have expressed the thought in his mind, he would have answered you, ‘change.’”
June 3, 2020
Classic story
So I've obviously seen the movie before even realizing there was also a book. So of course while listening to this book I'm picturing scenes from the book. The book is definitely more detailed. But I admit to actually liking the movie better.
3 Stars
So I've obviously seen the movie before even realizing there was also a book. So of course while listening to this book I'm picturing scenes from the book. The book is definitely more detailed. But I admit to actually liking the movie better.
3 Stars
October 1, 2014
This was not nearly as sappy, melodramatic, cheesy, overdone, and mushy as the 1980 movie, but I quite liked it anyway.
May 22, 2022
have a newfound appreciation of the prelapsarian Adam and Eve references:
- 'An affair absolutely natural, absolutely blameless, and without sin.'
- 'So happy in their ignorance were they'
- 'An affair absolutely natural, absolutely blameless, and without sin.'
- 'So happy in their ignorance were they'
July 2, 2018
#bookbingoleiturasaosol2
Categoria: livro passado no verão.
Excelente!!!
Categoria: livro passado no verão.
Excelente!!!
October 30, 2023
De film heb ik diverse keren gekeken (zo'n 20 jaar of meer geleden ) en ik was benieuwd naar het boek.
De film is platter op sommige stukken dan het boek en dat maakt het ook fijn om te lezen. Het zijn namelijk jonge kinderen als ze stranden en dat hoef je niet allemaal expliciete te vertellen. Laat je eigen gedachten maar gaan over wat er plaats heeft gevonden.
Sommigen stukkies las het wat lastig. Vooral het dialect. Daarintegen vond ik de korte hoofdpersoon erg prettig.
Nu maar eens kijken of ik ergens deel 2 en/of 3 kan vinden.
De film is platter op sommige stukken dan het boek en dat maakt het ook fijn om te lezen. Het zijn namelijk jonge kinderen als ze stranden en dat hoef je niet allemaal expliciete te vertellen. Laat je eigen gedachten maar gaan over wat er plaats heeft gevonden.
Sommigen stukkies las het wat lastig. Vooral het dialect. Daarintegen vond ik de korte hoofdpersoon erg prettig.
Nu maar eens kijken of ik ergens deel 2 en/of 3 kan vinden.
April 27, 2024
যেমন গল্প তেমন তার অভূতপূর্ব বর্ণনা। পড়ার সময়ে রীতিমতো বুঁদ হয়ে ছিলাম। বর্ণনার এমনই গুণ যে শুরু থেকে শেষ পর্যন্ত আমিও ছিলাম ব্লু লেগুনের বাসিন্দা।
Want to read
November 16, 2023This book was adapted to the screen in 1923, 1949, and 1980.
Read this book online for free through Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/...
Read this book online for free through Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/...
August 22, 2012
I usually have a hard time giving a book 2 stars...just because usually I can find something about it I really liked. This book was no exception. I LOVED the whole "shipwrecked" part of the story, and the descriptions of the island were amazing. I also bought the whole cousin romance thing, I mean, there was a time when cousins marrying was totally normal. Also, given the fact there were not many other folks around to choose from, it worked. What ruined it for me was the fact they named their SON Hannah. Umm, really? You lived in civilization for half your life and you couldn't think of one boy's name? I sort of bought the whole "I Didn't know I was Pregnant Episode", even though my 4 year old knows that babies grow in a woman's belly...I guess I could buy that these kids had never encountered a pregnant woman. I don't think you need to make the kids complete morons to justify the pre-marital cousin sex.....but that's just me. I am sure this book was very "forward thinking" for 1908.
March 31, 2009
My favorite thing about 'The Blue Lagoon' was H. de Vere Stacpoole's brilliant descriptions of the beauty and adventure of being on a restless sea and a flourishing, deserted island. I'd never thought of a boat kissing the sea or birds in flight looking like stars before. I was surprised that the romance that dominates the 1980 movie version of 'The Blue Lagoon' doesn't appear until shortly after the middle of the novel! As I was reading, I kept thinking that something (besides the ick factor of Emmeline and Dick being cousins) about the romance was off. I realized that their romance was a lot less sophisticated than the modern romances I'm use to. There isn't any flirting or clever lines. The romance (or maybe I should call it courting) just happens.
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