The Sea-Witch


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(4 stars; 12 reviews)

Maturin Murray Ballou was the author of dozens of books, chiefly centered around his extensive sea travel. He was deputy navy-agent in the Boston Custom House and circumnavigated in 1882, collecting material for several travel accounts and various nautical romances, amongst which The Sea-Witch can be counted. (Summary by Gesine) (4 hr 21 min)

Chapters

Preface 1:22 Read by woggy298
Outward Bound 11:30 Read by woggy298
Captain Will Ratlin 13:25 Read by woggy298
The Gale 10:08 Read by woggy298
Bramble Park 14:52 Read by woggy298
The Naval Officer 15:27 Read by woggy298
The Wreck 16:06 Read by woggy298
The Sea-Witch 14:25 Read by woggy298
The Quadroon 15:48 Read by woggy298
The Attack 16:00 Read by woggy298
The Duel 15:16 Read by woggy298
The Hues of Love 15:19 Read by Todd Lennon
The Conflict 15:47 Read by Todd Lennon
The Trial 11:53 Read by Caryn Salamy
The Brothers 16:04 Read by Elliott Miller
The Escape 15:18 Read by Elliott Miller
The Cannibals 16:16 Read by Elliott Miller
The Poisoned Barb 15:48 Read by Elliott Miller
The Denouement 10:44 Read by Elliott Miller

Reviews

LOVED IT


(5 stars)

I loved this, but anything about the sea is my cup of nautical tea!

Bad Book can't be helped


(2 stars)

Book Stars = 2 (generous at that) Readers Stars = 3 (ranging from 2 to 5) Technical Stars = 3 (the usual overmic’d “S” hiss and other noises) Ballou spewed out 18 novels from 1845-50. You've heard nothing of his other 17 and the world would be better had not this one inexplicably endured. This book shows that his approach was volume with tabloid quality. Thin, linear plot, flat characters, little detail of interest; it's a bad B-movie script. Two brothers (one good, the other evil), two young women (one white, rich and sappily pure; the other mixed-race, vengeful, evil). The dialog and pretense are quintessential Victorian “crud”. It is obliviously racist and imperialist. I won't "ruin" the story for you but don't expect literature or interest. To all readers: Thank you for volunteering. I say this in support of your efforts. Because the words are provided you, it is natural for you to concentrate on your style of delivery rather than vocabulary. However, the Librivox system requires you to self-edit, which is difficult but essential. Your effort's quality can be greatly improved with just a few minutes of online pronunciation checking. In this ensemble reading, we have errors in, for example, "ascertain", "tryst", "draught", and several more 9th grade words, as well as in nautical words forecastle, bows, mainsail, topsail, staysail, foresail, and topgallant.