Pirate Latitudes
Michael Crichton
Harper Collins 2009
Found as a complete manuscript in Michael Crichton’s files and published posthumously in 2009, Pirate Latitudes is a swashbuckling pirate adventure on the high seas.
In the English colony of Port Royal in Jamaica, a group of misfits lead by Capt Charles Hunter is commissioned to travel to the heavily fortified Spanish port, Matanceros, where the Spanish galleon, El Trinidad thought to contain riches, is docked. Along the way they get captured by the Spanish Commander Cazalla, get caught in a storm at sea and encounter the mythical Cracken.
This book is very different than Chrichton’s other novels. Most of his other novels deal with advances in science or technology but Pirate Latitudes reminded me more of Pirates of the Caribbean. The story even takes place in the same town.
There are a few too many characters that at times it was difficult to keep them all straight. And I didn’t find myself really engaged in the story, but it is a short read. I can see why Chrichton never published it while he was alive and I’m thinking maybe it was never intended to be published. Chalk this one up to publishers trying to make as much money from their talent as possible, even ones that are no longer with us.
Story **
Characters *
Readability ***
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