A highly entertaining story of a young man's adventures and coming of age at sea and abroad. Great imagery and a short read for those who don't want to tackle Melville's epic novels.

While this book probably inadvertently created a lot of the stereotypes of black people and southern whites, it also preserves the ideology of the era. It is always enjoyable to explore our history through the eyes of an contemporary observer. Certainly a worthwhile read for anyone at any age.

Highly reminiscent of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". The philosophical evaluation of the conflict between morality and amorality. The story exposes the duality of human nature through hardship and intimacy. The antagonist is a true anti-hero, someone we love to hate. Quite disturbing if you believe the author's comment that he based the character on a real ship's captain. Enjoy.