Castaways of the Flying Dutchman is the first novel

Novel

A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....

 in the Castaways series by Brian Jacques

Brian Jacques

James Brian Jacques was an English author best known for his Redwall series of novels and Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series. He also completed two collections of short stories entitled The Ribbajack & Other Curious Yarns and Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales.-Biography:Brian Jacques was born...

, published in 2001. It is based on the legend of the cursed ship the Flying Dutchman. A young boy, Nebuchadnezzar

Nebuchadnezzar

Nebuchadnezzar was the name of several kings of Babylonia.* Nebuchadnezzar I, who ruled the Babylonian Empire in the 12th century BC* Nebuchadnezzar II , the Babylonian ruler mentioned in the biblical Book of Daniel...

 (later Neb (shortened) and Ben (reversed)), and his dog, Denmark (named after the country in which he was found and later Den (shortened) and Ned (reversed)), are the lone survivors of the Flying Dutchman, fated to wander the earth forever immortal

Immortality

Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...

 and youthful, helping those who need aid.

The second and third books in the series, The Angel's Command

The Angel's Command

The Angel's Command is a novel by Brian Jacques, author of the popular children's series Redwall, and the sequel to Castaways of the Flying Dutchman. It follows the adventures of an immortal boy and his dog as they face pirates and other dangers from the high seas to the mountains.The Angel’s...

and Voyage of Slaves

Voyage of Slaves

Voyage of Slaves is the third novel in Brian Jacques' Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series. It was released on September 13, 2006 in the UK and September 14, 2006 in the US....

, were published in 2003 and 2006, respectively.

Main characters

Ben,
Ned,
Captain Vanderdecken,
Angel,
Luis the Shepherd,
Winifred Winn,
Obadiah Smithers,
Wilf Smithers,
Amy Somers,
Alex Somers,
Jon Preston,
Will Drummond

Minor characters

Mr. Braithwithe,
Regina Woodworthy,
Maud Bowe,
Tommo,
Horatio,
Scraggs,
Jamil,
Sindh,
Vogel,
Cap'n Winn,
Hetty,
Mrs. Smithers,
Archie,
Mr. Mackay,
Dai Evans,
Blodwen Evans,
Petros,
The Chinese Gem Dealer,
Bjournsen,
Bjournsen's Three Sons,
Mrs. Drummond

Plot summary

The story starts by vaguely introducing a fourteen-year-old nameless boy, who at the beginning has no parents and is a mute

Muteness

Muteness or mutism is an inability to speak caused by a speech disorder. The term originates from the Latin word mutus, meaning "silent".-Causes:...

. He is apparently running away from his life as an abused orphan

Orphan

An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...

, and accidentally slips on the Flying Dutchman as a stowaway

Stowaway

A stowaway is a person who secretly boards a vehicle, such as an aircraft, bus, ship, cargo truck or train, to travel without paying and without being detected....

. He is found, and made to work with the cook, Petros, an antagonistic character who abuses him. Petros names the boy Neb, which is short for Nebuchadnezzar. One day, while the crew is off drinking in the port town of Esbjerg

Esbjerg

Esbjerg Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. Its mayor is Johnny Søtrup, from the Venstre political party...

, a dog wanders onto the ship and is befriended by Neb. He names the dog Denmark, after the country

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 he found the dog in. They strike up an immediate friendship. Den hides under sacks until it is safe to come out. The cruel, wild, and fearsome Captain Vanderdecken steers his ship on a long voyage to get emeralds from a dealer across the ocean, supposedly in Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

. The ship sails to the tip of South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, the treacherous Cape Horn

Cape Horn

Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...

, and unsuccessfully attempts to pass three times. After the third attempt, Captain Vanderdecken curses the Lord for smiting him, and an angel

Angel

Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...

 descends from heaven and curses the ship to sail the seas for eternity.

The angel, however, realizes Nebuchadnezzar and Denmark are not part of the motley, now undead crew, and throws them overboard. He blesses them, telling them to walk the earth forever, wise and forever young, to give kindness and guidance wherever they go. They later wash up on shore and find that they are able to communicate by thought

Telepathy

Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...

. They are found and taken in by a kind-hearted shepherd

Shepherd

A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...

 named Luis who grows fond of them, but does not ask about their past. After spending several years with him, Luis dies in a storm, trying to save an ewe. The angel appears in a dream telling them that they must move on at the sound of a bell, which they hear jingling on the neck of a sheep walking by. Neb and Den, young but ageless, must leave.

The story picks up many years later. Both characters have changed their names (by reversing them); Neb is now Ben and Den is Ned. It is apparent that they have lived with each other for several centuries. One day, they get on a train without knowing where they are going, and end up getting off at the village of Chapelvale. They meet a lady named Mrs. Winn as well as a boy named Alex and a girl named Amy. The children warn them about the Grange Gang, a group of local bullies. The gang leader, Wilf, takes an immediate disliking to Ben.

Together Ben, Ned, Amy, Alex, and Mrs. Winn go on a treasure hunt to save the town, which is about to be converted into a limestone

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

 quarry and cement factory. They team up with an old ship's carpenter named John (who is at first believed to be a mad man), a milkman named Will, and Will's family. They follow a series of clues written by Mrs. Winn's ancestor, who was believed to have been given the deed

Deed

A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...

s to the town. One clue leads to a treasure (which is a Byzantine

Byzantine

Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...

 artifact) and another clue and continues that way until three treasures and clues have been found. The last clue, of course, is the hardest and is the last thing that may show them the location of the deeds to Chapelvale.

The deeds to the village are found and Mrs. Winn is able to claim Chapelvale as her property so that it can be saved. However, the angel appears once again and informs Ben and Ned that they must leave Chapelvale and their friends at the sound of a bell. Jon finds a bell in the Almshouse and becomes excited about the discovery. He and Will decide to try the bell out. Ben and Ned run as fast as they can to escape the sound, but it is too loud, and they must leave.

Sequels

• The Angel's Command
  The Angel's Command
  The Angel's Command is a novel by Brian Jacques, author of the popular children's series Redwall, and the sequel to Castaways of the Flying Dutchman. It follows the adventures of an immortal boy and his dog as they face pirates and other dangers from the high seas to the mountains.The Angel’s...
  
  , published in 2003
• Voyage of Slaves
  Voyage of Slaves
  Voyage of Slaves is the third novel in Brian Jacques' Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series. It was released on September 13, 2006 in the UK and September 14, 2006 in the US....
  
  , published in 2006

Translations

• Les Naufragés du Hollandais Volant, tome 1 (French)
• Die Gestrandeten (German)
• La Vera Storia dell'Olandese Volante (Italian)
• Skipbrudne fra Den flygende hollender (Norwegian)
• Os Náufragos Do Holandês Voador (Portuguese)