Book Description
Upon its original publication in 1951, this Pulitzer Prizewinning novel was immediately embraced as one of the first serious works of fiction to help readers grapple with the human consequences of World War II. In the intervening half-century, Herman Wouk's boldly dramatic, brilliantly entertaining story of life--and mutiny--on a Navy warship in the Pacific theater has achieved the status of a modern classic.


Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation)


The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
Novel by Herman Wouk, published in 1951. The novel was awarded the 1952 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The Caine Mutiny grew out of Wouk's experiences aboard a destroyer-minesweeper in the Pacific in World War II. The novel focuses on Willie Keith, a rich New Yorker assigned to the USS Caine, who gradually matures during the course of the book. But the work is best known for its portrayal of the neurotic Captain Queeg, who becomes obsessed with petty infractions at the expense of the safety of ship and crew. Cynical, intellectual Lieutenant Tom Keefer persuades loyal Lieutenant Steve Maryk that Queeg's bizarre behavior is endangering the ship; Maryk reluctantly relieves Queeg of command. Much of the book describes Maryk's court-martial and its aftermath. The unstable Queeg eventually breaks down completely.


The publisher, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.
Each decade new readers discover the characters and curious activities aboard the U.S.S. Caine in this classic tale of pathos, humor, and scope.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Upon its original publication in 1951, this Pulitzer Prizewinning novel was immediately embraced as one of the first serious works of fiction to help readers grapple with the human consequences of World War II. In the intervening half-century, Herman Wouk's boldly dramatic, brilliantly entertaining story of life—and mutiny—on a Navy warship in the Pacific theater has achieved the status of a modern classic.