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Flying Dutch
It's amazing the problems drinking can get you into. One little swig from the wrong bottle and you go from being an ordinary Dutch sea-captain to an unhappy immortal, drifting around the world with your similarly immortal crew, suffering from peculiarly whiffy side effects. Worst of all, Richard Wagner writes an opera about you.
Little does Cornelius Vanderdecker, the Flying Dutchman, suspect that a chance encounter in an English pub might just lead to the end of his cursed life, one way or another...
Little does Cornelius Vanderdecker, the Flying Dutchman, suspect that a chance encounter in an English pub might just lead to the end of his cursed life, one way or another...
252 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
35 people are currently reading
1342 people want to read
About the author
Tom Holt
98 books1,172 followersTom Holt (Thomas Charles Louis Holt) is a British novelist.
He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London.
Holt's works include mythopoeic novels which parody or take as their theme various aspects of mythology, history or literature and develop them in new and often humorous ways. He has also produced a number of "straight" historical novels writing as Thomas Holt and fantasy novels writing as K.J. Parker.
He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London.
Holt's works include mythopoeic novels which parody or take as their theme various aspects of mythology, history or literature and develop them in new and often humorous ways. He has also produced a number of "straight" historical novels writing as Thomas Holt and fantasy novels writing as K.J. Parker.
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May 10, 2018I'd be lying if I said that I found this funny. Which would be ok, but it is meant to be a comic novel. It was though slightly absurd, maybe zany, and if that's your cup of tea this could be the book for you.
In this story a Spanish alchemist succeeded in giving himself and crew of a Dutch ship extremely prolonged lives back in the sixteenth century. As an unanticipated side effect they all give off a foul smell. For some reason that I can no longer remember a story ensues in the tail end of the twentieth century.
The storyline is based around the Flying Dutchman with the twist that the love interest is an accountant, perhaps the prizing of what is generally considered to be one of the less romantic professions is the major favorable point of this book?
Good as a light read on a damp afternoon. Attempts to read under other circumstances to be undertaken at your own risk.
In this story a Spanish alchemist succeeded in giving himself and crew of a Dutch ship extremely prolonged lives back in the sixteenth century. As an unanticipated side effect they all give off a foul smell. For some reason that I can no longer remember a story ensues in the tail end of the twentieth century.
The storyline is based around the Flying Dutchman with the twist that the love interest is an accountant, perhaps the prizing of what is generally considered to be one of the less romantic professions is the major favorable point of this book?
Good as a light read on a damp afternoon. Attempts to read under other circumstances to be undertaken at your own risk.
July 14, 2008
British comic fantasy that really pales in comparison to the Terry Pratchett I’ve been reading lately. To start with, it’s just not that funny—the plot revolves around a lot of aspects of forced wackiness, such as bad smells and accountants, that really don’t do much for me, and at best the writing achieves a sort of affable Englishness which is pleasant, but hardly uproarious. It would work if the core of the book were meatier, but it isn’t. Pratchett is so impressive because, at his best, he’s not only funny, his books mean something—he addresses real-world issues through a fantastical setting and a lot of sharp satire. In Holt’s book, however, the Flying Dutchman and his situation aren’t representative of anything but themselves. I’m not saying everything I read needs to be OMG STEEPED IN METAPHOR AND SYMBOLISM!—but, you know, a little depth wouldn’t hurt.
Better jokes would be good, too.
Better jokes would be good, too.
May 31, 2014
Kind of surprised to see so many negative comparisons to Pratchett here, since I've only ever thought of them as being vaguely within the same genre. An a awful lot of perfectly enjoyable works will come up short if you compare them to Pratchett- it is actually possible to read and enjoy both on their own merits.
While Holt isn't one of my all-time favorite authors, there's plenty within his works to enjoy. I particularly like his earlier works that play on established mythologies and cultural motifs. Flying Dutch, focusing on, yes, the legend of the Flying Dutchman, is probably my most preferred Holt work after Expecting Someone Taller- there's a warm nostalgia about both that play upon the banalities of small-town British life in the late twentieth century without creeping into the cynicism of his later books. In contrast to other reviewers, I did find this to be very funny book, and my husband kept asking me what I was giggling about.
While Holt isn't one of my all-time favorite authors, there's plenty within his works to enjoy. I particularly like his earlier works that play on established mythologies and cultural motifs. Flying Dutch, focusing on, yes, the legend of the Flying Dutchman, is probably my most preferred Holt work after Expecting Someone Taller- there's a warm nostalgia about both that play upon the banalities of small-town British life in the late twentieth century without creeping into the cynicism of his later books. In contrast to other reviewers, I did find this to be very funny book, and my husband kept asking me what I was giggling about.
December 24, 2023
Light and mildly amusing lesson in why drinking stuff from unlabelled bottles is a stupid thing to do.
July 24, 2012
This past weekend I was in the mood for something light and fun to read but I had nothing on my own bookshelves that fit the bill so I went to my neighbours' house to raid theirs. With my neighbour's recommendation I came away with Flying Dutch by Tom Holt which looked like it would suit nicely. Plus a comment on the cover comparing the book to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy helped seal the deal.
Jane Doland's uneventful life as an accountant for the National Lombard Bank gets a jolt when she comes across a 400 year old insurance policy that has yet to be paid out. Stranger yet, it appears that the owner of the policy is still alive and that the world's economic stability depends on the bank buying his policy back. Curious as to who this long-living policy owner could possibly be Jane sets out to track him down and in the process gets roped into the biggest adventure of her life, largely thanks to her poor sense of smell.
Captain Julius Vanderdecker and his crew have been sailing the world's oceans for the past 400 years all because of a drunken mistake that led them to drink an immorality elixir that they thought was beer. Immortality might not be so bad if they weren't all forced to remain permanently on the ship due to the elixir's side-effect, an unbearable smell that makes it impossible for them to be around other people. But every seven years the smell subsides for a month allowing the captain and crew to enjoy a brief stint on land before being forced back on their ship.
But the sudden hope that there may be a cure for the smell has Captain Vanderdecker searching of the elixir's creator, which brings him in contact with a very determined accountant. Also mixed into the story are secret conspiracies, a frustrated journalist in search of a scoop and an immortal cat.
The story is based on the legend of the Flying Dutchman, or perhaps on the opera, The Flying Dutchman, which is based on the legend. Truthfully I don't know much about either of them so I can't say how they compare to this story by Holt.
There were a lot of characters, which got to be a bit confusing, and I did feel like the story could have benefited by paring the cast down somewhat. The romance was also rushed as the two characters appear to fall in-love after only having known each other for about a day. But these seem to be regular characteristics of humorous fantasy, or at least of the books that I've read, so I wasn't particularly surprised.
I also didn't get a lot of the jokes but I suspect this is because I'm not that familiar with British culture and humour (I had once watched an episode of some British TV show and I didn't get any of the jokes then either).
Reading Flying Dutch was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours even though it was no Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (now that book is funny, even if you're American). But it was a fun, lighthearted read that suited my mood and introduced me to the legend of the Flying Dutchman, which I'm now curious to find out more about.
Jane Doland's uneventful life as an accountant for the National Lombard Bank gets a jolt when she comes across a 400 year old insurance policy that has yet to be paid out. Stranger yet, it appears that the owner of the policy is still alive and that the world's economic stability depends on the bank buying his policy back. Curious as to who this long-living policy owner could possibly be Jane sets out to track him down and in the process gets roped into the biggest adventure of her life, largely thanks to her poor sense of smell.
Captain Julius Vanderdecker and his crew have been sailing the world's oceans for the past 400 years all because of a drunken mistake that led them to drink an immorality elixir that they thought was beer. Immortality might not be so bad if they weren't all forced to remain permanently on the ship due to the elixir's side-effect, an unbearable smell that makes it impossible for them to be around other people. But every seven years the smell subsides for a month allowing the captain and crew to enjoy a brief stint on land before being forced back on their ship.
But the sudden hope that there may be a cure for the smell has Captain Vanderdecker searching of the elixir's creator, which brings him in contact with a very determined accountant. Also mixed into the story are secret conspiracies, a frustrated journalist in search of a scoop and an immortal cat.
The story is based on the legend of the Flying Dutchman, or perhaps on the opera, The Flying Dutchman, which is based on the legend. Truthfully I don't know much about either of them so I can't say how they compare to this story by Holt.
There were a lot of characters, which got to be a bit confusing, and I did feel like the story could have benefited by paring the cast down somewhat. The romance was also rushed as the two characters appear to fall in-love after only having known each other for about a day. But these seem to be regular characteristics of humorous fantasy, or at least of the books that I've read, so I wasn't particularly surprised.
I also didn't get a lot of the jokes but I suspect this is because I'm not that familiar with British culture and humour (I had once watched an episode of some British TV show and I didn't get any of the jokes then either).
Reading Flying Dutch was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours even though it was no Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (now that book is funny, even if you're American). But it was a fun, lighthearted read that suited my mood and introduced me to the legend of the Flying Dutchman, which I'm now curious to find out more about.
June 11, 2014
I love this book. I've loved it, in fact, for years and years--I probably first encountered it in my early teens, though I have no idea how. How does a teenage girl living in the rural south come across a british comic fantasy novel about a 16th century sea captain and his cursed crew? It's a mystery lost to the ages.
But I came across a copy in a used bookstore recently and couldn't resist rereading it. It was actually more delightful than I remembered, though possibly because now I understand a great deal more of the inherent britishisms in it--pips, quid, eccles cake, the fascination with tea, etc. (Perhaps it set into place my weird lifelong anglophilia that was to follow?)
I was disappointed to discover that a lot of people have given this bad ratings because of what seems to be a comparison to the works of Terry Pratchett. Well, I read this long before I discovered Pratchett, but I was surprised how well it has aged, and while all comic fantasy tends to get lumped together, this isn't really like the Discworld novels at all, so I consider it an unfair comparison. (Comparisons are odious, right?)
So, yes, I would suggest this novel. It's perfect escapist reading, funny but with heart, and with a truly marvelous cast of characters that I want to spend more time with. What more can you ask for?
But I came across a copy in a used bookstore recently and couldn't resist rereading it. It was actually more delightful than I remembered, though possibly because now I understand a great deal more of the inherent britishisms in it--pips, quid, eccles cake, the fascination with tea, etc. (Perhaps it set into place my weird lifelong anglophilia that was to follow?)
I was disappointed to discover that a lot of people have given this bad ratings because of what seems to be a comparison to the works of Terry Pratchett. Well, I read this long before I discovered Pratchett, but I was surprised how well it has aged, and while all comic fantasy tends to get lumped together, this isn't really like the Discworld novels at all, so I consider it an unfair comparison. (Comparisons are odious, right?)
So, yes, I would suggest this novel. It's perfect escapist reading, funny but with heart, and with a truly marvelous cast of characters that I want to spend more time with. What more can you ask for?
June 13, 2011
I was badly in need of a laugh this weekend, and this book never fails.
December 2, 2022
This is a whimsical novel about a 16th-century ship's crew who find themselves endowed with immortality - and a foul body odour.
It is well-written and packed with references to historical people and events. It is also very funny and full of unlikely situations but I found that there was so much in it that I had to read more slowly than usual, and I read fewer pages of an evening.
That said, I did enjoy it and will shortly be starting the second book in the Omnibus edition. If you're a Terry Pratchett fan, this book will appeal to you.
It is well-written and packed with references to historical people and events. It is also very funny and full of unlikely situations but I found that there was so much in it that I had to read more slowly than usual, and I read fewer pages of an evening.
That said, I did enjoy it and will shortly be starting the second book in the Omnibus edition. If you're a Terry Pratchett fan, this book will appeal to you.
June 29, 2019
After I found KJ Parker/Tom Holt over a year ago, I’ve read any of his works I could get his hands on - witty epic fantasy, Greco-Roman historical fiction, and now humorous fiction with FLYING DUTCH. On Goodreads I noticed folks negatively contrasting this work from Terry Pratchett. I think it’s unfair to use Pratchett as a yardstick here, especially since Holt never made any claims that he rivaled the works of Discworld. Plus the plot of Flying Dutch seems less like Pratchett and more like something straight out of Captain Underpants.
Cornelius Vanderdecker (aka the Flying Dutchman) and his crew have lived over three centuries thanks to drinking the elixir of immortality prepared by Fortunatus Magnus. Only it comes with a catch - an ailment that brings to mind the curse of the Black Pearl in Pirates of the Caribbean: Vanderdecker and his men give off an odor so noxious that they get run out of every port on the globe. Only once ever seven years does the odor wear off enough for them to interact with civilization. Having failed to lift the curse with nuclear experiments, Vanderdecker and his crew must seek out Magnus and learn his recipe for deodorant strong enough to dispel the curse.
See what I mean about Captain Underpants?
Besides using clever phrases and Tom Holt elevates the sophomoric straits of Vanderdecker in a very KJ Parker fashion. By introducing an accountant.
Aside from tongue-in-cheek humor and clever wordplay, Tom Holt elevates the sophomore straits of Vanderdecker with the character of Jane Doland:
““I am an accountant, she said to herself, working mainly in banking. Why is it that, whenever I remember this fact, I want to scream?”
“She was enough of a realist to know that... [accounting] was probably the only... [career] she was likely to have, what with the vacancy of Princess of Wales having been filled and so many O-Levels being needed for pearl-diving these days.”
““Nevertheless, Jane said to herself as she walked through the door of the bank. When trying to cheer herself up, she never got further than nevertheless, but it was worth giving it just one more go.”
Yes, Jane hates her job. But she does it well. Well enough to investigate the life insurance policy of a customer who’s lived for over three centuries, impossibly enough. This lands her in trouble with her superiors, who tell her all about Vanderdecker and how his life insurance policy not only threatens to bankrupt the company, but perhaps the world itself.
It’s up to Jane, blessed without a sense of smell, to board the Flying Dutchman and talk Vanderdecker out of his policy. All the while, he’ll stop at nothing to track down Fortunatus Magnus.
There’s a nice parallel between the monotony the lives of the two main characters:
“Just as Jane Doland often felt at her most miserable on Tuesdays, because the memory of the brief freedom of the weekend had already faded without bringing Friday appreciably nearer, so it was with the more impatient of Vanderdecker’s command.”
Anyone who enjoyed KJ Parker/Tom Holt’s voice and humor from other works will definitely enjoy this piece. I don’t usually read works set in modernity, but this stood apart as a splendid exception. Here’s a few quotes that will give you an idea of the tone:
“It’s a very, very strange feeling to fall from a greater height, I can tell you, and not something I would recommend to anybody who isn’t employed by the Revenue.”
“The tea came from a device which looked like a knight’s helmet, and generally tasted as if the knight hadn’t washed his hair for a long time.”
“‘We are no longer going to Geneva; instead, we are going to Bridport.’ As the all-too-familiar chorus of groans, complaints, accusations, and other going-to-Bridport noises reached its crescendo…”
Original: storyscriptorium.wordpress.com/2019/0...
June 12, 2009
After reading "Barking," and "You Don't Have To Be Evil To Work Here" in my local bookstore, I started looking in the library system for Holt's earlier work. "Dutch" is, as the title implies, a story of the Flying Dutchman of Wagnerian opera, but with a few little twists showing what the composer got wrong. The story is set in modern times, and features a seriously disturbed if somehow still marginally functional crew and their captain that is miles away from Disney's "Pirates" version. Somehow, I greatly prefer Holt's telling! As in his other books, the wit is constant and acerbic, and features characters stuck in mind-numbing, spirit killing jobs much like the rest of us (the heroine is an accountant!) who are given a chance to rise above their professions and gain a slightly more interesting life.
Holt is frequently compared on book jackets to Pratchett and Douglass Adams, and while his subject matter is more fantastical than Adam's sci-fi-oriented / absurdist "Hitchhiker" series and more mundane / modern than Pratchett's "Diskworld," I do think that lovers of either author may find a kindred spirit in Holt. Highly recommended.
Holt is frequently compared on book jackets to Pratchett and Douglass Adams, and while his subject matter is more fantastical than Adam's sci-fi-oriented / absurdist "Hitchhiker" series and more mundane / modern than Pratchett's "Diskworld," I do think that lovers of either author may find a kindred spirit in Holt. Highly recommended.
February 15, 2012
A perfectly enjoyable book. I can see why comparisons are frequently made with Pratchett, as the styles of comedy and the lightweight handling of fantastical elements are very similar.
However I can also see why Pratchett has endured and Holt hasn't. Where Discworld slowly became a slate where Pratchett could write numerous styles of narrative and delve into various aspects of humanity and history, Tom Holt apparently just wrote a lot of humorous urban fantasy that didn't really connect at all. I said to Toby as I was reading, I think that his style of fiction has passed its use-by date.
It was fun, the characters were likeable/hateable, it was nicely plotted and well resolved. On the downside, a lot of the jokes were definitely only funny in the 90s and I found some of the overarching humour a bit juvenile (as in, the Dutchman can only put to shore once every seven years because he and his crew smell really bad; the scenario is handled well, but in the background you can kind of imagine the author giggling like a schoolboy...).
I had fun, but I don't think I'll be reading any more of his books, especially not while I've still got the majority of the Discworld novels to read.
However I can also see why Pratchett has endured and Holt hasn't. Where Discworld slowly became a slate where Pratchett could write numerous styles of narrative and delve into various aspects of humanity and history, Tom Holt apparently just wrote a lot of humorous urban fantasy that didn't really connect at all. I said to Toby as I was reading, I think that his style of fiction has passed its use-by date.
It was fun, the characters were likeable/hateable, it was nicely plotted and well resolved. On the downside, a lot of the jokes were definitely only funny in the 90s and I found some of the overarching humour a bit juvenile (as in, the Dutchman can only put to shore once every seven years because he and his crew smell really bad; the scenario is handled well, but in the background you can kind of imagine the author giggling like a schoolboy...).
I had fun, but I don't think I'll be reading any more of his books, especially not while I've still got the majority of the Discworld novels to read.
December 12, 2013
This book was one of my favorites as a child. I read it so much the cover came off and pages were falling out, and my mother eventually threw it away. Much to my delight, she sent me a package with this book in it because she thought it looked familiar. I have looked in several libraries for this book and couldn't find it, so I was over the moon to have my own copy! I'm looking forward to wearing it out all over again!
December 15, 2012
Hilarious
March 2, 2017
The best of all of his books that I've read so far...just fun silliness.
August 16, 2018
A fun story that left me feeling happy.
October 23, 2020
Deadly funny!
June 16, 2023
And now for something…completely different.
An adventure story that is largely a tale of well-worn tedium, this English riff on the legend of the Flying Dutchman is rife with drollery. Featuring a cast of knockabout sailors, their weary yet sanguine captain, a bored accountant, an insurance policy that extends for over four centuries, a Spanish alchemist turned reluctant scientist, a disgruntled ex-broadcaster and a mangy 400-year-old-plus cat, this book explores the notion of immortality. We come to the conclusion that it’s not what it’s cracked up to be.
Eternity hangs heavy on the hands, especially when you can’t really enjoy it. Blessed (or rather cursed) with extended life after stealing and drinking a magical elixir, Julius Vanderdecker and his ragtag crew realize that it comes with ghastly consequences—namely, a powerful effluvium that extends from them wherever they go. Condemned to trolling the oceans save for once every seven years when the odor temporarily vanishes, the crew grow to know each other very well indeed. After four centuries, they’re right sick of each other and yet they’ve grown accustomed to each other’s quirks, foibles, stupidities and failings. Just like any other family.
The story is peppered with improbable situations like something out of a Monty Python skit, conversations that could drive a person mad and the realization that eternity is mostly like life at sea—long stretches of monotony alleviated by the occasional spot of shore leave. Dry English wit abounds along with odd English colloquialisms that will baffle the average American reader. Oh well. Like Captain Vanderdecker, we muddle through somehow.
The novel features many people who long to be doing any other job than what they’ve got. Human dissatisfaction doesn’t make anyone a real villain here, only filled with the vague stirring that almost anything is better than what they’ve got. How a talented accountant, the Spanish alchemist, the captain and crew of the Verdomde, a nuclear reactor about to blow and the aforementioned unnamed feline resolve the issue, save the world and come to live happily ever, ever, ever after is something that must be read to be believed. And who in their right mind would believe this?
An adventure story that is largely a tale of well-worn tedium, this English riff on the legend of the Flying Dutchman is rife with drollery. Featuring a cast of knockabout sailors, their weary yet sanguine captain, a bored accountant, an insurance policy that extends for over four centuries, a Spanish alchemist turned reluctant scientist, a disgruntled ex-broadcaster and a mangy 400-year-old-plus cat, this book explores the notion of immortality. We come to the conclusion that it’s not what it’s cracked up to be.
Eternity hangs heavy on the hands, especially when you can’t really enjoy it. Blessed (or rather cursed) with extended life after stealing and drinking a magical elixir, Julius Vanderdecker and his ragtag crew realize that it comes with ghastly consequences—namely, a powerful effluvium that extends from them wherever they go. Condemned to trolling the oceans save for once every seven years when the odor temporarily vanishes, the crew grow to know each other very well indeed. After four centuries, they’re right sick of each other and yet they’ve grown accustomed to each other’s quirks, foibles, stupidities and failings. Just like any other family.
The story is peppered with improbable situations like something out of a Monty Python skit, conversations that could drive a person mad and the realization that eternity is mostly like life at sea—long stretches of monotony alleviated by the occasional spot of shore leave. Dry English wit abounds along with odd English colloquialisms that will baffle the average American reader. Oh well. Like Captain Vanderdecker, we muddle through somehow.
The novel features many people who long to be doing any other job than what they’ve got. Human dissatisfaction doesn’t make anyone a real villain here, only filled with the vague stirring that almost anything is better than what they’ve got. How a talented accountant, the Spanish alchemist, the captain and crew of the Verdomde, a nuclear reactor about to blow and the aforementioned unnamed feline resolve the issue, save the world and come to live happily ever, ever, ever after is something that must be read to be believed. And who in their right mind would believe this?
September 10, 2024
It's a pity Tom Holt isn't as known as Douglas Adams. There are quite a few similarities, though Tom is more prolific (sorry Douglas) and Douglas is more funny (sorry Tom). In particular they both are very good at portraying absurdity happening to fairly ordinary people in small British towns.
I must admit this book wasn't as funny as I'd expected, but there are many different kinds of funny. This one may not have been designed to BE as funny, it's more like ...here's an interesting premise, an amusing situation, and some entertaining people, now let's see how it plays out. It's also one of Tom's early works. A lot like Expecting Someone Taller, in that it's a different take on a myth, this time the Flying Dutchman. You probably know it, especially if you've seen Pirates of the Caribbean 3; he's immortal and cursed to sail the seas forever, only able to come ashore for a short period every seven years. (Note that this book came out 16 years before that movie.) This story goes into: how would that actually work with real people? How do they cope as a crew? How BORED are they?
I also want to point out that I always learn something when I read Tom Holt books... I find myself opening a couple Wikipedia tabs every chapter. Interesting references to British sayings, historical events, songs, even foods. Like yesterday I learned about how people in the UK pay a different price for a color TV license than black & white, even now. And also what malt bread is, and the song "We Saw The Sea" with Fred Astaire.
I liked the book. I admit I kinda lost interest halfway through and did other things and then forgot about it; it doesn't usually take me two months to finish a book this size. But once I picked it back up, I got through a slow bit in the middle, and the rest flowed quite quickly. Still, if you're going to pick up a Tom Holt book and haven't before, maybe start with something newer, unless the premise intrigues you.
I must admit this book wasn't as funny as I'd expected, but there are many different kinds of funny. This one may not have been designed to BE as funny, it's more like ...here's an interesting premise, an amusing situation, and some entertaining people, now let's see how it plays out. It's also one of Tom's early works. A lot like Expecting Someone Taller, in that it's a different take on a myth, this time the Flying Dutchman. You probably know it, especially if you've seen Pirates of the Caribbean 3; he's immortal and cursed to sail the seas forever, only able to come ashore for a short period every seven years. (Note that this book came out 16 years before that movie.) This story goes into: how would that actually work with real people? How do they cope as a crew? How BORED are they?
I also want to point out that I always learn something when I read Tom Holt books... I find myself opening a couple Wikipedia tabs every chapter. Interesting references to British sayings, historical events, songs, even foods. Like yesterday I learned about how people in the UK pay a different price for a color TV license than black & white, even now. And also what malt bread is, and the song "We Saw The Sea" with Fred Astaire.
I liked the book. I admit I kinda lost interest halfway through and did other things and then forgot about it; it doesn't usually take me two months to finish a book this size. But once I picked it back up, I got through a slow bit in the middle, and the rest flowed quite quickly. Still, if you're going to pick up a Tom Holt book and haven't before, maybe start with something newer, unless the premise intrigues you.
December 21, 2018
I love Tom Holt because reading his books doesn’t seem like work. There’s a fatigue that comes with stories written by someone who is visibly exerting themselves. When every word and sentence bears weight, when each paragraph and chapter fits neatly into a larger structure, to read quickly is a sin. It’s the same obligation for attention that follows a lot of what we consider “high culture,” literature and visual arts and music, the idea that you must sit still and appreciate to get the most out of something. Consuming media this way certainly has much to recommend it, and provides many rewards, but it is not the only way to do things. After a day of work, when collapsed on the couch, I don’t look at a book for a spiritual experience; I look at it for a good time. And I never regret it, with Tom Holt.
I’m not familiar with Wagner, much less this opera, so I believe I was starting on something of an even footing with Jane, the protagonist, the accountant who meets Julius Vanderdecker, the immortal captain whose life insurance policy provides the basis for the plot. It’s a good story! I loved reading it, and I love the way that Holt connects things, the way he ties everything in, the way he makes everything seem like a bit of a conspiracy and then instead of flat-earthing you, shows that it’s best in even the most exceptional circumstances not to lose one’s head.
If I keep writing, I would love to know how to make things like this. The world has enough manifestos, enough poetic masterworks. Maybe life should be lived like a great work, and entertainment can be appreciated and adored as it is instead of having to serve some great moral purpose.
I’m not familiar with Wagner, much less this opera, so I believe I was starting on something of an even footing with Jane, the protagonist, the accountant who meets Julius Vanderdecker, the immortal captain whose life insurance policy provides the basis for the plot. It’s a good story! I loved reading it, and I love the way that Holt connects things, the way he ties everything in, the way he makes everything seem like a bit of a conspiracy and then instead of flat-earthing you, shows that it’s best in even the most exceptional circumstances not to lose one’s head.
If I keep writing, I would love to know how to make things like this. The world has enough manifestos, enough poetic masterworks. Maybe life should be lived like a great work, and entertainment can be appreciated and adored as it is instead of having to serve some great moral purpose.
March 29, 2019
Wie kent er De Vliegende Hollander niet? The Flying Dutchman… Laat ons wel wezen, Willem van der Decken is de enige echte originele Vliegende Hollander, en niet Cornelius of Julius Vanderdecker zoals Tom Holt schrijft, of Davy Jones zoals we leren in Pirates of the Caribbean. Soit. Waar het de Vliegende Hollander betreft, is alles mogelijk. Dit gezegd zijnde, Tom Holt maakt zijn eigen verhaal op zijn eigen burleske manier: Wat gebeurt er wanneer de onsterfelijke kapitein ergens in de 16de eeuw een levensverzekering afsluit met een clausule die het uit te keren bedrag met 50% cumulatief verhoogt elk jaar na zijn 75ste levensjaar en dit 400 jaar later aan het licht komt, en… de bank hem wil uitkopen? Er is één probleempje: de stank. Cornelius Vanderdecker, zijn schip en zijn bemanning stinken zo verschrikkelijk dat geen sterveling het langer dan een paar seconden in hun buurt uit kan houden, behalve, behalve eens in de 7 jaar en… nadat ze gezwommen hebben in zeewater dat radioactief besmet is door een nucleaire centrale die gerund wordt door een al even onsterfelijke alchemist…
O ja, Danny Bennett, de onfortuinlijke TV-maker uit “Who’s afraid of Beowulf” is ook weer van de partij, en – believe it or not – ze drinken Stella Artois en Skol aan boord, in blikjes.
Uiteindelijk komt alles in orde en de Vliegende Hollander blijft de wereldzeeën bevaren, zij het dan niet langer met een aftands galjoen, maar met een omgebouwde olietanker.
De rest laat ik aan de lezers over. “May the Sock be with you” zou Mr. Gleeson zeggen.
O ja, Danny Bennett, de onfortuinlijke TV-maker uit “Who’s afraid of Beowulf” is ook weer van de partij, en – believe it or not – ze drinken Stella Artois en Skol aan boord, in blikjes.
Uiteindelijk komt alles in orde en de Vliegende Hollander blijft de wereldzeeën bevaren, zij het dan niet langer met een aftands galjoen, maar met een omgebouwde olietanker.
De rest laat ik aan de lezers over. “May the Sock be with you” zou Mr. Gleeson zeggen.
May 8, 2019
I'd wanted to try this author for a while, so when I found a two-volume version of this and "Faust Among Equals" for a decent price, I picked it up. Though I didn't particularly enjoy Faust, it also ended up with three stars because I didn't not like it enough to only give it two stars. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it at the time. Don't know. But this one skews the other way. I'd give it three and a half if I could, but it's not quite enough to make me give it four. Characters were more likable, and the story itself was more engaging. However, given the amount of material I have to read, it was not enough to make me seek out another from this author.
February 21, 2022
It has been a long while since I read a Tom Holt book. I remember them as being gently amusing, playing with myth and story. This is in a similar vein. However, I don’t think that it has aged particularly well. References to Ceefax and similar technologies date it and it shows its 30+ years.
Having said that, it is an enjoyable take on the legend of the Flying Dutchman, even if the science doesn’t make sense, or the smell. Little asides at accountants and TV producers add to the fun.
Having said that, it is an enjoyable take on the legend of the Flying Dutchman, even if the science doesn’t make sense, or the smell. Little asides at accountants and TV producers add to the fun.
November 15, 2023
Gently convoluted comedy and an easy fun read. Extra star because it features the Flying Dutchman, one of my favourite legends. Case in point, on my list of all time re-reads is Castaways of the Flying Dutchman!
August 27, 2019
Love his writing style. Very much British humour.
Had hoped for some dutch anecdotes, but i guess if you dont know the culture that well best to stay away lest you just end up with common stereotypes.
Really want to give 4.5 stars. Very much enjoyed the book but it wasnt one of those where i couldnt wait to continue reading.
Had hoped for some dutch anecdotes, but i guess if you dont know the culture that well best to stay away lest you just end up with common stereotypes.
Really want to give 4.5 stars. Very much enjoyed the book but it wasnt one of those where i couldnt wait to continue reading.
November 18, 2021
Everyone has heard of the legend of the Flying Dutchman, but few have actually met him (that they know of.) Vanderdecken did not, as people widely believe, make a deal with the devil. Indeed the truth is even stranger.
Many years ago I stumbled across this book as a recommendation for someone who enjoyed books by Terry Pratchett. I couldn't track it down at the time, and so chose another one as my introduction to Holt's works. I'm now quite familiar with him and his writing style, and I'm glad I discovered him. I'm surprised to see so many reviewers linking the two in negative reviews.
This one is true to Holt's style of being a bit wacky and off the wall, with a heavy dose of satire thrown in. There's a very English sense of humour about this, so it may not appeal to everyone. I found it highly entertaining though.
The story is based around the legend of the Flying Dutchman but Holt rewrites the story with his own spin. Cue a madcap adventure that you think doesn't make a lot of sense, until it does.
I would definitely recommend Holt to readers who like authors like Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams (in fact I recently did). Holt has a wealth of books to choose from, but this one is as good a place as any to start if you can get hold of it.
Many years ago I stumbled across this book as a recommendation for someone who enjoyed books by Terry Pratchett. I couldn't track it down at the time, and so chose another one as my introduction to Holt's works. I'm now quite familiar with him and his writing style, and I'm glad I discovered him. I'm surprised to see so many reviewers linking the two in negative reviews.
This one is true to Holt's style of being a bit wacky and off the wall, with a heavy dose of satire thrown in. There's a very English sense of humour about this, so it may not appeal to everyone. I found it highly entertaining though.
The story is based around the legend of the Flying Dutchman but Holt rewrites the story with his own spin. Cue a madcap adventure that you think doesn't make a lot of sense, until it does.
I would definitely recommend Holt to readers who like authors like Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams (in fact I recently did). Holt has a wealth of books to choose from, but this one is as good a place as any to start if you can get hold of it.
June 26, 2022
another silly flippy but so silly funny book . Its short and quick to read. and the crew is too funny
and all you people whining that its not om par with Douglas or Terry or any other author REALLY need to quit comparing books to other books .. so stupid
its not deep its not intense its not highly intelligent but it is fun
thee end
and all you people whining that its not om par with Douglas or Terry or any other author REALLY need to quit comparing books to other books .. so stupid
its not deep its not intense its not highly intelligent but it is fun
thee end
June 21, 2023
I liked the book it was an interesting story. It wasn’t super exciting, just casual. I liked the changing perspectives as a style, it made each character feel like just a person. I also enjoyed the slight tangents, they make it feel like someone is verbally telling a story, even if they make reading a bit more complicated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2021
Very entertainjng
A very easy read and very funny as well.
The story may be old but this retelling of it is my favourite. This is my third visit to this book and it's better every time.
A very easy read and very funny as well.
The story may be old but this retelling of it is my favourite. This is my third visit to this book and it's better every time.
June 7, 2020
I'm sorry but I had to give up on this. I made it to page 50 and I just can't stay focused. There's so much information on the tiniest little things and it makes for a slow story .
January 25, 2022
Zany. British humour differs from American humor.
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