- The Island (1979 novel)
"The Island" is a
novel byPeter Benchley , published in1979 by Doubleday & Co.Plot summary
Blair Maynard, a divorced journalist in
New York City , decides to write a story about the unexplained disappearance ofyacht s and other small boats in theCaribbean , hoping to debunk theories about theBermuda Triangle . He has weekend custody of his preteen son Justin, and decides to mix a vacation with work, taking his son along. They fly fromMiami to theTurks and Caicos island chain but, while on fishing trip, are captured by a band ofpirate s. The pirates have, amazingly, remained undetected since the establishment of theirpirate enclave byJean-David Nau , the notorious buccaneer L'Ollonois, in1671 (in reality, however, L'Ollonois is known to have died four years earlier). The pirates have aconstitution of sorts, called the Covenant, and have a cruel but workable society. They raise any children they capture to ensure the survival of the colony, but kill anyone over the age of thirteen. In short order, Justin is virtually brainwashed and groomed to lead the pirate band, much to Maynard's horror. Maynard tries repeatedly to escape, and finally attracts the attention of the passingUnited States Coast Guard cutter "New Hope." The pirates attack and capture it, but Maynard is able to use amachine gun aboard to kill most of the pirates and to win Justin's and his own freedom.Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
"The Island" (1980 film), a film directed by Michael Ritchie, was based upon the book; Benchley wrote the screenplay. It starred
Michael Caine and David Warner, opened to decidedly mixed reviews and was considered a box office flop.
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