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A review by harymouck
Cup of Gold: A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History by John Steinbeck
2.0
As a Steinbeck fan, I really don't know what to make of this one. The racism and sexism are definitely turn-offs, but on the other hand, it's a fairly unflinching description of English and Spanish colonialism in the carribean, and the book doesn't romanticize it. That's the only reason I rated two stars instead of one.
The main character only makes sense as an antihero. I could not relate or sympathize with him at all after he took control of a plantation, repeatedly raped the slaves, got himself a special slave just for sex and then rejected her. I kept getting the feeling, though, that the author wanted the reader to sympathize or admire him in some way.
I'm glad Steinbeck found his real genre and hit his stride, otherwise he would have been a mediocre-at-best adventure writer.
The main character only makes sense as an antihero. I could not relate or sympathize with him at all after he took control of a plantation, repeatedly raped the slaves, got himself a special slave just for sex and then rejected her. I kept getting the feeling, though, that the author wanted the reader to sympathize or admire him in some way.
I'm glad Steinbeck found his real genre and hit his stride, otherwise he would have been a mediocre-at-best adventure writer.