Probably all of us have seen the classic Mister Roberts play or movie. The book is better. It captures the mind-numbing tedium much better, and the humor is scorched with irony and paradoxical pain. The hero, Mr. Roberts, spends his time on board trying to leave the safety of his cargo transport's milk-runs, filing one transfer request after another, seeking the action of a war-ship. The author, Thomas Heggens, was discovered drowned in his bathroom in 1949, an apparent suicide, despite, or perh [...]

57-Mister Roberts by Thomas Heggen & Joshua Logan (Physical-Play) 4* This play takes place during WWII on a cargo ship in the Pacific Theater just prior to V-E day. The war by the time this play was written was over and so it's a some what light-hearted comedy to a war weary nation. Most of the play is staged on the deck of the ship with a few scenes in the cabin shared by Lt. AJG Roberts and Ensign Pulver. Mister Roberts is basically the serious naval officer who wants nothing more than to [...]

Checked out a bunch of books in preparation for the show I’m in currently, and one of them is this book. I finished it late last night when I had insomnia, and I was so sad afterwards that I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about the book, and how it relates to the play I’m in…which is going into tech this week, and I guess I just had one of those “tech week insomnia nights.” Though, I have to say, not a good way to start a long week. So…the book jacket probably has the best descrip [...]

Everybody's seen this movie, right? Well, everyone in my family has. Before it was a movie starring Henry Fonda, it was a Broadway hit starring Henry Fonda, and before that it was this novel, published in 1946. And that makes it remarkable.It's a book about comic moments on a dreary cargo vessel in the Pacific in WWII, not told comically, but manner-of-factly. The author's post-war bitterness and cynicism seep out from time to time in some remarkable passages. Try to imagine anyone writing an od [...]

Mister Roberts was one of a slew of books published by rising American authors immediately after the end of World War II. These young men had served in the war and drew from their experiences in the conflict as an initial introduction to their work. For young writer Thomas Heggen it brought instant fame and praise, and later personal tragedy. The book is ok, the story is original (one of the greatest battles in war can be the fight against boredom and monotony), however, the resulting movie is m [...]

Mister Roberts was an interesting book about a study of leaders and their style of leadership during WWII in the wide Pacific. The author Thomas Heggen a young naval officer served on various ships and one of them was a ship like the USS Reluctant as described in the book. I felt a kinship since I too served in the US Navy but after WWII and my ships were destroyers or as they are referred to in this book tin cans. Mr. Thomas Heggen description of the routine on a ship I am very familiar with ev [...]

Mister Roberts was an interesting book about a study of leaders and their style of leadership during WWII in the wide Pacific. The author Thomas Heggen a young naval officer served on various ships and one of them was a ship like the USS Reluctant as described in the book. I felt a kinship since I too served in the US Navy but after WWII and my ships were destroyers or as they are referred to in this book tin cans. Mr. Thomas Heggen description of the routine on a ship I am very familiar with ev [...]

Lol,,,I seem to be re-reading many of the books from my younger years. This was one of my favourite books. The characters are fantastic. Lt Doug Roberts, his detractor in the Captain and the wannabe Dougs. It will take you through a wide variety of emotions but it will put a smile on your face when you think about the relationships between the characters.

The book is a lot less light hearted than the movie adaptation. The story is rather dated and not terribly interesting. The captain isn't as over the top as Cagney portrayed him in the movie and in the book Doug Roberts is in his mid 20's, Hollywood wanted star power and cast Henry Fonda who was 50 at that time to portray Doug Roberts.

Great book. Gives an over view of being on a ship in the Navy during WW II. And shows some of the ship mates and officers and the state of their mental health and challenges while on board.

Book #3 in the shelf experimentI found Mister Roberts to be a surprisingly interesting story that dealt with life on a Navy supply ship at the tail end of WWII. Contrary to the battles being waged elsewhere, the crew of the USS Reluctant (yeah, absurb name) couldn't live a more sedate life, traveling from friendly island to island, delivering goods and not much else. The book consists of ten or so chapters that pretty much break down into individual short stories about certain crew members and t [...]

After having loved the movie growing up I was curious when I found that Mr. Roberts had begun life as a book. I was even more curious when I found that it was the author's one published novel and that he died before celebrating his 30th birthday and before the stage adaptation starring Henry Fonda made it big. In some ways the death of the author could be called (view spoiler)[foreshadowing as his protagonist also dies on the cusp of achieving something big. (hide spoiler)]The book is perhaps no [...]

The book is perhaps not as great as the movie adaptation but then young, ex-GI Heggen didn't have the talents of Fonda, Lemon and Cagney to bring his characters their additional embellishments. What the book does have is authenticity and I'd recommend it to anyone who's considering spending time in the service. Life aboard ship is not always the harrowing adventure tale that we see in movies and read about in books. This novel gives the reader a sense of the quieter side of military life. And of [...]

Loving this funny, touching film is what prompted me to read the book, which is also wry and comical. It doesn't quite have the heart of the movie, but, as a short and mostly breezy read, it doesn't disappoint either. I just had to hold my nose when women were mentioned. The nurses in the bathroom, for example, could have been allowed more dignity, but I accept the voyeurism tale as sadly accurate. It's hard to read something in which most of the male characters feel that women have some duty to [...]

This is the novel the classic movie (James Cagney, Henry Fonda, Jack Lemon) was based on. It captures the tedium and oppressive heat and life aboard a little ship in a big ocean.My dad started his naval career in the earl 50s as a cook on one of these little supply ships in the Pacific, and he had shipmates who'd been there since the War. He said this is pretty darned close to the real thingcluding the palm tree!

i just started this book a couple days ago and i haven't goten that far but the crew isn't like the rest of the navy crews by how they act and dress. the captin really doesn't act like a normal captin he doesn't know what kind of power he has over the crew. So the crew can kinda push him around. and mister roberts is the most respected officer.

Funny and poignant, Mr. Roberts was a real treat to read. More a collection of short stories than a novel in the classic sense. The all too real story tells of the trials and trivialities surrounding a crew onboard a cargo ship during WWII. The movie is much altered from the book, but both have their own merits.

My dad was a Navy man who loves this book and the movie that followed. Once I read the book, it was an instant favorite. The story is filled with humor and insights into life on a ship in the Pacific far from the action of WWII. It's a book I go back to a lot just to read a few pages, which always lifts me into a great mood.

Loved the book. Loved the movie. Originally published as short stories in the Atlantic Monthly, this book is about a group of men on the Navy cargo ship, the Reluctant. You read about their antics and trials while in Europe and the Pacific World War II is being played out without them. The movie starred Henry Fonda, James Cagney and Jack Lemmon.

I actually saw the movie first with Henry Fonda, James Cagney and Jack Lemmon. I thought the movie was great and the book did not disappoint either. As with anyone who's seen the movie before the book, you picture in your mind the actors from the movie with the characters in the book. A great read and to me it reminded me just a bit of M.A.S.H in its style of comedy.

A series of comic vignettes aboard a Navy cargo ship in the Pacific during WWII. The book is different than the play and movie in that it doesn't focus solely on the characters of Mister Roberts and Ensign Pulver.

This marks the third time I've read this one. First time early 60's an adventure story with a sad ending. Late 70's as a Navy Vet it was a real world story, Finally yesterday 2013 it was just a story of people serviving a difficult job. Definitly worth reading a clasic.

Wonderful book. Funny, heartbreaking and true. If you haven't read, go get it now and do so right away.

1st edition cpl.

DON'T SEE THE MOVIE UNLESS YOU DIG JIMMY CAGNEY. THIS NOVEL WILL LIVE FOREVER!

As much as I enjoyed the "light reading," I doubt if I would have read the book had I not seen the movie and, in retrospect, I doubt f I would have seen the movie if I read the book first.

read between fall 1974 & spring 1975

hmmmwell, not what I expected, but still a good book. it's obvious the movie (and most likely the play) took bits and pieces from the book, but not everything.

It is one of my favorite movies, and an even greater book.

If you enjoyed the movie - you will love the book.