Review of Exploration

[Favour Amarachi Mgbeoji]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Exploration" by David Tory.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Just as the name implies, Exploration by David Tory is a book that tells us about the voyages and the adventures of the English people in the exploration of New England. Set in 17th century England, we get to see pre-colonialism and colonialism from the English people's point of view. This story is told through the journal of Isaac Stanfield, a remarkable and sagacious young man with a thirst for adventure.

After their little community, Dorchester faces a fire outbreak, Isaac finds himself aboard the sweet rose, fondly called Rosie by the crewmen, thanks to the influence of Silas, his guardian. As a result of his innate and indelible qualities, he finds favour in the eyes of the Skipper and Sir Ferdinando Gorges. This quickly saw him rising through the ranks, and we see Isaac at the forefront of the expedition to the land of the native Americans(the Indians) or New England as they fondly called it.

We get to see how they communicated with the Indians. Some were friendly, and some referred to them as savages, while some, like Captain Hunt, captured them to sell as slaves for their selfish gains. We also get to understand why they undertook such expeditions, chiefly for trading purposes and also to find a suitable environment for relocation as England was already suffering from overpopulation. It is on this basis that I find this book expository because we get to see a glimpse of how it all began.

Through this book, the writer explores the themes of love, friendship, support and community through the characters of all those surrounding Isaac, from Aby to Will to the Skipper and Sir Ferdinando Gorges. I also loved how the author presented it in a journalling format. It made it feel like we were being taken on a tour, a tour into the life of Isaac Stanfield, from how he started to how his future panned out. I also appreciated the writer's effective use of wry humour. The writer also explored the themes of loyalty and respect through the characters of Skipper and his crewmen.

The negative aspects of this book are almost nonexistent except for the usage of many big and complex words hence tampering with comprehension as the readers may not be so keen to continue. Looking at it from another angle, one may argue that it would expose readers to more complex words and help them build their vocabulary, but I believe that one of the best forms of writing is one presented with simple diction, thereby making it possible for a layman to understand and enjoy.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a book filled with adventures, discoveries and new beginnings. This book was edited finely, though, with a few subtle errors. I give this book 4 out of 4 stars because the negative aspect I mentioned was not sufficient to warrant the deduction of a star.

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Exploration
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[ThankGod Onyishi]

I love adventures, and I hope you take some of mine someday. The name of this book indeed suggests adventure and Isaac seems to be a commendable character.

[Riya Sarkar]

I would agree with your "other angle", there is nothing wrong with the author displaying their knowledge of vocabulary, it only works towards enriching the reader's vocabulary.

[Jennifer Coxon]

Thanks for a great review. This sounds like an interesting point in history to focus on. I’ll be adding this to my bookshelf.

[Okorji98]

Exploration by David Tory is a book that tells us about the voyages and the adventures of the English people. Great review.