The Coral Island

Description

Ralph’s desire to go out to sea just grows stronger and more intense as he becomes older. When he is finally allowed to go out to sea, and meets two new friends in Jack and Peterkin, he has no idea that they would all be shipwrecked in the Pacific without the hope for a quick rescue. Fortunately for them, the island they’ve stumbled upon seems to not only hide the provisions that they will need in order to make it their new home, but also some of the most intriguing mysteries and dangers they could have assumed to find.

R.M. Ballantyne has penned this gripping tale of exciting adventure in the mid-1800s, when virtually everyone was interested in perilous explorations and new adventures. The author has written the novel mainly for the younger audience of the times, inspired by similar seafaring tales like Daniel Dafoe’s Robinson Crusoe.

The Coral Island, however, stands as a unique and enchanting story in the genre, due to the main protagonists being young teenagers and children. Not only did it catch on as a popular read for the next half a century or more, but it was also used as inspiration for later successful novels such as William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.

Aside from being a thrilling adventure that virtually anyone who likes seafaring novels will be able to enjoy, the story explores the psychological aspects of children being in a position to fend for themselves, and explores the implications of the effect that the Christian world has had on South Pacific cultures.

While it has great historical value, The Coral Island is mainly a story about children, and their ability to cope with the most trying of circumstances. Inspiring, entertaining and quite insightful, it is able to offer quite a fulfilling reading experience even for the younger audiences of the 21st century.
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