Argall: The True Story of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith
Encyclopedia
Argall is a historical novel
by American
writer William T. Vollmann
, which was first published in 2001
. It is the third book in a planned seven-book cycle entitled Seven Dreams: A Book of North American Landscapes
. (As of 2009, four of the seven books have been published.)
Argall is a retelling of the founding of the Jamestown Colony and the legend of Pocahontas
and Captain John Smith. The novel is primarily written in flowery Elizabethan language, which was met with mixed critical reception; the New York Times found the language "endlessly distracting and often silly", whereas the San Francisco Chronicle
found the narrative "informative and even delightful".
The titular (but by no means central) character is Samuel Argall
. He did not appear in Disney's 1995 animated film
or its 1998 direct-to-video sequel
, but was played by Yorick van Wageningen
in Terrence Malick
's The New World (2005).
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer William T. Vollmann
William T. Vollmann
William Tanner Vollmann is an American novelist, journalist, short story writer, essayist and winner of the National Book Award...
, which was first published in 2001
2001 in literature
The year 2001 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The film version of J. R. R. Tolkien's classic book, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, is released to movie theaters...
. It is the third book in a planned seven-book cycle entitled Seven Dreams: A Book of North American Landscapes
Seven Dreams: A Book of North American Landscapes
Seven Dreams: A Book of North American Landscapes is a series of novels by William T. Vollmann about the settlement of North America and the conflicts between natives and settlers. Each volume focuses on a different historical expedition in North America...
. (As of 2009, four of the seven books have been published.)
Argall is a retelling of the founding of the Jamestown Colony and the legend of Pocahontas
Pocahontas
Pocahontas was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the head of a network of tributary tribal nations in Tidewater Virginia...
and Captain John Smith. The novel is primarily written in flowery Elizabethan language, which was met with mixed critical reception; the New York Times found the language "endlessly distracting and often silly", whereas the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
found the narrative "informative and even delightful".
The titular (but by no means central) character is Samuel Argall
Samuel Argall
Sir Samuel Argall was an English adventurer and naval officer.As a sea captain, in 1609, Argall was the first to determine a shorter northern route from England across the Atlantic Ocean to the new English colony of Virginia, based at Jamestown, and made numerous voyages to the New World...
. He did not appear in Disney's 1995 animated film
Pocahontas (1995 film)
Pocahontas is the 33rd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and was originally released to selected theaters on June 16, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures...
or its 1998 direct-to-video sequel
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World is a 1998 straight-to-video sequel to the 1995 Disney film Pocahontas. The film is inspired by true events in the life of Pocahontas which took place several years after her encounter with John Smith and the founders of Jamestown...
, but was played by Yorick van Wageningen
Yorick van Wageningen
Yorick van Wageningen is a Dutch actor.After acting in several Dutch plays, movies, and television series, van Wageningen was asked to come to Hollywood to appear in Steven Spielberg's Minority Report. Due to problems with his visa, he was unable to work on that movie in the United States....
in Terrence Malick
Terrence Malick
Terrence Frederick Malick is a U.S. film director, screenwriter, and producer. In a career spanning almost four decades, Malick has directed five feature films....
's The New World (2005).