{"id":1084,"date":"2015-07-15T19:55:24","date_gmt":"2015-07-15T17:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/?p=1084"},"modified":"2025-09-06T22:34:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T20:34:22","slug":"schiffbrueche-alexandre-dumas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/2015\/07\/schiffbrueche-alexandre-dumas\/","title":{"rendered":"Schiffbr\u00fcche \u2022 Alexandre Dumas"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Again and again, you\u2019ll find books about the sea here on Lesestunden\u2014a theme I simply love and can\u2019t get enough of. I also adore Dumas, who truly knew how to write thrilling adventures. When I think of The Count of Monte Cristo<\/em> and the role the sea played in it, it was immediately clear to me that Schiffbr\u00fcche<\/em> absolutely had to go on my wish list. And indeed, this is a real hidden gem, far from any current bestseller lists.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The book contains four short stories about shipwrecks, all based on true events, describing the disaster from the moment of crisis to the sinking of the ship and the crew\u2019s struggle for survival. Dumas\u2019s writing style strongly resembles a logbook, narrating events as a factual report. That alone lends the stories a dramatic tone, but beyond that, Dumas masterfully conveys the fight for survival in all its intensity. Being a true bon vivant, adventurer, and prolific writer, Dumas\u2014after publishing countless books and stories\u2014was quite happy to draw upon existing material here, adding even more authenticity to his tales.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Schiffbr\u00fcche<\/em> is a very enjoyable and engaging read. The short sentences, precise language, and detailed descriptions of the struggle for life make it genuinely gripping. Whether it\u2019s encounters with fierce natives, battles against hunger, the evacuation of a burning ship, or the desperate search for land from a small lifeboat\u2014this book has plenty to offer. It reminded me strongly of The Islands Where I Am Stranded<\/em> by Lucien Deprijck. Of course, as the title Schiffbr\u00fcche<\/em> already suggests, the focus here lies on the shipwreck itself rather than on life after being cast ashore, yet the struggle for survival and the escalating tension that turns everything upside down have a similar pull. Naturally, Dumas\u2019s characteristic depictions of the darker sides of human nature are also present once again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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On one side were the brave\u2014those whose souls were enlivened by the power of circumstances; on the other, the incomparably smaller group of those whose fear had paralyzed all capacity to act or think, or driven them into madness or resignation. (p. 207)<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As for the settings, I was often reminded of Treasure Island<\/em>. The romantic South Seas, the lonely shores of what seems like an undiscovered world, and exotic locations\u2014even reaching as far as the New Zealand islands\u2014provide a wonderful backdrop.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

At the end of the book, there is an interesting afterword by the translator, Nicola Denis, offering some background information. However, I didn\u2019t care much for the essay by Volker Harry Altwasser, which follows the afterword. In it, he points out numerous errors and inconsistencies in Dumas\u2019s so-called \u201ctrue stories.\u201d But honestly, anyone picking up a Dumas book isn\u2019t expecting a realistic view of the world\u2014they\u2019re looking for a fast-paced tale, full of flair and adventure, not bogged down by details or factual accuracy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Conclusion:<\/strong> With Schiffbr\u00fcche<\/em>, readers get four thrilling yet light adventure stories, delivered in Dumas\u2019s usual high quality. The exotic and beautiful settings, the dramatic survival struggles of the characters, and the maritime theme make this book a joy to read. Unfortunately, it\u2019s far too short a pleasure, with stories that may lack major twists or surprises, but offer compelling and engaging storytelling throughout.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Book information:<\/strong> Schiffbr\u00fcche \u2022 Alexandre Dumas \u2022 Matthes & Seitz Berlin \u2022 263 pages \u2022 ISBN 9783882217018<\/p>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Again and again, you\u2019ll find books about the sea here on Lesestunden\u2014a theme I simply love and can\u2019t get enough of. I also adore Dumas, who truly knew how to write thrilling adventures. When I think of The Count of Monte Cristo and the role the sea played in it, it was immediately clear to … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Schiffbr\u00fcche \u2022 Alexandre Dumas”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1452,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"Schiffbr\u00fcche \u2022 Alexandre Dumas - lesestunden","description":"Immer wieder findet man hier auf Lesestunden B\u00fccher \u00fcber das Meer, einem Thema, das ich einfach sehr gerne mag und von dem ich nicht genug bekommen kann. Genaus"},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[10,20],"tags":[30],"class_list":["post-1084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-classics","category-reviews","tag-alexandre-dumas"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/dumas_schiffbrueche.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1084\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}