Sea Urchins
1898
W.W. Jacobs, the master of British short fiction, turns his wicked wit to the high seas in this rollicking collection. At its heart is Ralph, a fourteen-year-old boy setting sail for the first time with dreams of piracy and adventure burning in his chest. The crew he joins is a motley bunch of grumpy sailors and old salts who have long since traded ambition for bitter humor. They tease the boy mercilessly for his romantic notions, yet somehow can't quite crush his spirit. Jacobs mines exquisite comedy from the collision between Ralph's wide-eyed fantasy and the world-weary cynicism of men who have seen too much ocean and too little glory. The humor is dry, character-driven, and powered by the universal tension between youthful hope and adult disillusionment. These stories capture something timeless: that delicious moment when the romance of adventure meets the messy reality of actually being at sea. For readers who love their humor sharp and their adventures sailed on rough waters.
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