This is a tough listen, for more than one reason.

The subject is tough because though it is science-fiction, it is very plausible. There are a few things which don't make sense (Why they weren't concerned about contamination at the Suez canal for one?), but otherwise most of it is entirely plausible and that hits close to home. This is written from the point of view of the captain, who in my opinion is unnecessarily wordy which makes you yell at the narrator to get to the point and move on. At times this made me just want to say enough and stop listening, but I made it to the end. It gets interesting when it takes a sudden twist into an X rated sex book which was unexpected, but it is from the point of view of the Captain who is only human. Read this at you own risk and hopefully you are doing something else while listening as it is 30 hours of your life you'll never get back.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Very punctilios word choices

First of all, the TV series if VERY loosely based on this book. About the only thing in common is the ship and a few of the sailors names. That's fine with me because the idea behind the book is very good. Yes, some of the information is a bit dated, but I was glad to hear the ship had a good supply of VHS and cassette tapes.

The word choice in this book was very punctilios (you can look it up too). Halfway through the book I was convinced the author was just starting to make words up. I even did a web search for a dictionary just so I could start looking words up to catch him. Perhaps due to the generational gap, but the authors literary style would have fit in better had the book taken place in the 1700's.
example:
"... the waters offering us a spondaic series of soft swells which gave a gentle roll and pitch so synchronized as to make the ship seem for once in fraternal rapport with the sea and to move through it with a serine swish. The sea all about lying in a melancholy splendor, luminous stillness the universe seemingly held in hands of tranquility ..."

The narrator didn't skip a beat in his reading of this book. There were no edits or stutters as he muddled through these words and his voices varied and were appropriate. Maybe the narrator read the same "word of the day" books the author did.

I liked this book but now feel like I have neglected my study of the English language and will endeavor to broaden my vocabulary so I can talk good too. 😀

43 of 51 people found this review helpful

Not what I expected

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The Last Ship was totally unexpected. When I finally got through all 29 hours I felt it was time well spent, although again, it left me with mixed feelings.

What did you like best about this story?

Books like this are simply not written any more. It had the feel of post-apocalyptic novels like On the Beach or Earth Abides. However it was written in an almost 19th century style. Think Melville or even Poe. Very formal and philosophical.

Did The Last Ship inspire you to do anything?

Pick up Moby Dick again.

Any additional comments?

As I said before, the author was extremely erudite. In other words he would not use a fifty-cent word if a two dollar word was available. This book would be a treasure-trove for scrabble fans. Because it was written in the late 80's it is a bit anachronistic technology-wise. The author also allowed some glaring errors in order to heighten the plot.

16 of 19 people found this review helpful

Sailor Beware

This is one of the books in which I both loved and hated. The loved the premise of the book. However, at times the style of writing drove me to the point of going postal! Strangely, at other times I found it like a drug which left me wanting more. At times it felt like the author was using words for the sake of using words! At other times the descriptive nature of the language was like sweet music to my ears.

I couldn't help but think about the author. What sort of person was/is he? Did he really speak and think like this in real life? I bet he would be the life of a party. I imagine he could insult me in 15 different languages.

I would like you to imagine me saying this in the voice of Forrest Gump; “I’m not a smart man, but I know what…” it takes to finish this book. It takes commitment. It takes a certain type of mood. Perhaps a certain type of insanity because unless you like to examine every last thing in detail. If you are the type of person who goes out into the rain to try and count the rain drops then you will love this one!

My advice is simple, listen to the sample not once, not twice, but over and over again for at least an hour. If you can still stomach the style of writing then go for it! You will have what it takes! This is the title for you. It will certainly give you a good credit per hour ratio, which is very important if you have to watch your cash flow like me (cheap skate actually for me).

If you have any doubts about the style, then do yourself a favour and let this one pass. You will go mad in an attempt to make it to the end. Because, frankly the story is good enough for you to attempt it. If you buy it and don't make it through to the end you will hate yourself. If you do make it through to the end you will still probably ending up hating yourself. It will only be worse for you if you work in a industry in which you have to deal with people. I know my tolerance dropped sharply while listening to this one... If I have to tell one more person "have you tried turning it off and on again' I will hit them over the head with my keyboard while asking myself the question why did I spend 29 hours of my jam packed week listening to "The Last Ship"?

So you have been warned sailor!

45 of 55 people found this review helpful

Just mostly sh-t

Sh-t and sh-t and sh-t. That's what you'll think after listening to this book.

I think the author was trying to write in a older literary style. Not successfully; it was just frustrating.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

meandering through tangent after tangent

barely got three hours in.....before I cound not bare it any more
tangent after tangent of pointless crap. too pointless to remember

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Redundant and R-rated

The descriptions were grand at first but soon became verbose and repetitive.
The sex scenes were needlessly detailed and vulgar and were out of character with the rest of the book.
The TV show that is very loosely based on this book is much better.
Is was not worth the read.
However, the reader did a fantastic job with the voices and accents.

13 of 16 people found this review helpful

Pretty Boring

You never learn what happened. Person reading it is to monotone. Very boring to listen to.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

worst book i ever listened to

What would have made The Last Ship better?

way to long

What was most disappointing about William Brinkley’s story?

the lead charicter is a self absorbed, condecending long winded dip stick

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

narrator did fine with what he had

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Last Ship?

most of them

Any additional comments?

get the abbridged verision

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Don't confuse this with the TV series

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Character development, a plot, a narrator that didn't remind me of Jon Lovitz "Acting! Brilliant! Thank you! Thank you!"

What was most disappointing about William Brinkley’s story?

I'm already a third way through this tome and I still have only the foggiest idea of what the book is about. The Big One has happened. Land masses are radioactive. There are some survivors who are apparently terminally ill and beyond help. American warship Nathan James and it's crew are cruising the Atlantic looking for - what? I don't know. What I do know is that the skipper is a victim of excessive introspection and the bulk of what I've read is him soliloquizing about the glories of the sea and the inherent nobility of the seaman.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Christopher Lane?

I don't know that anybody could make this palatable.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger that I feel committed to finishing it. It's like playing hide and seek with a ghost. Every time you round a corner you think you're going to find it, but you never do....

Any additional comments?

So many long and pretentious words. Save some money. Get a Roget's Thesaurus and just look up a lot of supercillious synonyms. This book's in there somewhere.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful