The Phantom Ship facts for kids
Frontispiece to the 1847 edition
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| Author | Frederick Marryat |
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| Language | English |
| Genre | Gothic novel |
| Publisher | E.L. Carey & A. Hart |
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Publication date
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May 1839 |
| OCLC | 1711835 |
| Text | The Phantom Ship at Wikisource |
The Phantom Ship (1839) is an exciting adventure novel written by Frederick Marryat. It explores the famous legend of the Flying Dutchman, a mysterious ghost ship. This book is a type of story called a Gothic novel, which often includes spooky or mysterious elements.
What the Story is About
The main character is a young man named Philip Vanderdecken. He lives in a town called Terneuzen in the Netherlands. Philip's father is the captain of a bewitched ship, known as the Flying Dutchman. His father was doomed to sail forever after he made a quick promise to heaven and then hurt one of his crew members. This happened while he was trying to sail around the Cape of Good Hope.
When Philip's mother passes away, he learns there is a way to help his father's troubled spirit find peace. Philip promises to live at sea until he can meet his father face-to-face. He also vows to complete the task that will free his father.
Philip sails all over the world on different ships. He works for the Dutch East India Company. His goal is to give his father a special item: a relic from the Holy Cross. Philip wears this relic around his neck. However, his journey is full of challenges. Seeing the Flying Dutchman often brings bad luck to anyone who comes across it.
How the Book Was Published
The Phantom Ship was first released in parts, like a TV show. It appeared in a magazine called The New Monthly Magazine. The story started in March 1837 and finished in August 1839.
One chapter from the book is about a werewolf. This chapter is very popular and has often been printed by itself in collections of supernatural stories. It is known as The White Wolf of the Hartz Mountains.
