The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists: A Novel
In a style reminiscent ofMonty Pythonand Douglas Adams (or so the publisher asserts) comes this tiny tome from fledgling author Defoe, set in the early 1800s (although filled with anachronisms such as Post-it Notes and dental floss). The adventure begins as the pirate captain (none of the crew have names, just descriptions, such as the "pirate with the red scarf" and the "pirate dressed in green") mistakes Charles Darwin's ship,Beagle, for a treasure ship from the Bank of England and boards it. Darwin's only claim to fame at this point is that he has taught an ape--a Man-panzee by the name of Mr. Bobo--to behave as a proper, albeit speechless, English gentleman. The pirate captain and Darwin, now chums, head back to England to rescue Darwin's brother, who has been abducted by the evil bishop of Oxford. Once in foggy London, the pirates encounter damsels in distress, nefarious schemes, and even the Elephant Man. Aficionados of outre British humor should find this amusing.Michael GannonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved