The Young Trawler

Robert Michael BallantyneProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 490K words
Chapters: 50

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Young Trawler by R. M. BallantyneAuthor: Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael), 1825-1894,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Jun 6, 2007

Editor's review

The Young Trawler comes from the pen of the prolific nineteenth-century British author R. M. Ballantyne, long known for his boys' adventure and sea stories. This book falls squarely within his familiar territory: a coming-of-age tale with a young protagonist, set against the labor and perils of life at sea. Classified as juvenile belles lettres, it is freely available through Project Gutenberg's public-domain electronic edition. Its value lies in presenting a typical example of Victorian sea-adventure fiction: detailed descriptions of trawler work, life at sea, and the natural environment, along with a narrative logic in which trials shape a boy's character. For readers, it is both an engaging adventure story and a sample of how nineteenth-century British juvenile literature conveyed ideas of diligence, courage, and responsibility. A caution: the language and attitudes bear clear marks of their era, and the pacing differs from contemporary young-adult fiction. It is best approached with a dual interest in the document and the genre; background knowledge of the sea and the fishing industry will make for a fuller reading experience.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers who enjoy sea adventure and trawler-life settings
Scholars and students of Victorian juvenile literature and maritime narrative
English learners who want to improve their reading through public-domain English originals
History readers interested in nineteenth-century British society and the fishing industry

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast-paced contemporary narrative and strong plot conflict
Readers impatient with old-fashioned English and slow build-up
Readers looking for modern marine science or technical material

Reading tips

Before reading, learn the basics of nineteenth-century British trawl fishing to better understand the scenes.
Proceed chapter by chapter, reviewing after each the trials and choices facing the young protagonist.
Collect nautical and fishing terms as you go and build your own short vocabulary list.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What kind of story does this Ballantyne work mainly tell?

It is a sea-adventure novel with a young protagonist, centered on life and dangers aboard a trawler, in the boys' adventure and maritime vein Ballantyne was known for. The story shapes character through labor and trials at sea, with the moral instruction common to Victorian juvenile fiction.

How difficult is the English?

As a nineteenth-century work, it has long sentences, many nautical and fishing terms, and a slow narrative pace, making it harder than contemporary young-adult fiction. It suits readers with intermediate English or above who are willing to look up words and adjust to old-fashioned expression; an annotated or bilingual edition will make it smoother.

Is this book suitable as a source of marine knowledge?

It should not be used as modern marine science or fisheries technology material. Its descriptions of life at sea and trawler work serve the story and character development, and reflect nineteenth-century understanding. For accurate marine and fisheries knowledge, choose modern specialist works instead.

Comments

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About the author

Robert Michael Ballantyne Author · United Kingdom · 1825–1894

Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825–1894) was a Scottish writer of children's literature, born in Edinburgh. At sixteen he went to Canada and worked for the Hudson's Bay Company for six years, an experience that later supplied material for his adventure stories; after returning to Scotland in 1847 he devoted himself to writing and produced more than a hundred adventure novels, of which ninety-seven are held in this collection. His representative works include The Coral Island, The Dog Crusoe and his Master, Black Ivory, The Lighthouse and Martin Rattler, mostly drawing on seafaring, desert-island and frontier adventure, with tight plots and solid detail that combine instruction with appeal for young readers. He was also skilled in watercolour painting. Public information on his early education and private life is limited.