Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a junior novelization of the film of the same name. It features an eight-page full-color insert of photos from the film. It was released on April 12, 2011.
Publisher's description[]
The return of Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), and other familiar faces brings about an all-new adventure in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, where Jack must confront an old love from the past, whether he wants to or not. As you probably already know, not many women are exactly thrilled to see Captain Jack Sparrow again. This time though, Jack gets more than a couple slaps in the face when she forces him aboard the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane). Jack finds himself on an unexpected, doomed adventure to the Fountain of Youth in which he doesn’t know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past.
The junior novel retells action-packed tale of truth, betrayal, youth and demise.
Back cover[]
Fear the Fountain of Youth....
- He's been cursed, left for dead, and deposited at the world's end. Now the infamous pirate Captain Jack Sparrow sets sail on stranger tides for his most dangerous voyage yet—to the fabled Fountain of Youth.
- On this doomed quest, Jack will meet a lost love—the gorgeous but mysterious pirate Angelica—and be held prisoner on the horrifying Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship captained by the evil and dreaded Blackbeard!
- Now, Jack must avoid terrifying zombies and battle beautiful-but-deadly mermaids as he races against the Spanish Armada, the British Navy, and the treacherous Captain Barbossa to reach the Fountain.
- So set sail on the sinister seas...if you dare!
Differences between the film and the book[]
- The book revealed a little more about the opening scene with the Spanish castaway and the palace at the royal city Cádiz than the film. The castaway was revealed as someone undoubtedly of humble origins. King Ferdinand was described as having been divinely chosen by God to lead the Spanish people. In addition, the book implies Ferdinand's goal to find the Fountain of Youth and achieve immortality, claiming it was what his forefathers only dreamed of, rather than destroy the Fountain as in the film. Also, like the film, "The Spaniard" appears as a mysterious figure in the scene but was never identified until later.
- There was additional dialogue during Joshamee Gibbs' trial at the Old Bailey in London, England, specifically with Captain Jack Sparrow as the disguised Justice Smith.
- As Jack and Gibbs were riding in a paddy wagon in London's streets, there was slightly more dialogue. After Jack says he's bent as ever to find the Fountain of Youth and vowed to taste the waters, Gibbs slapped his friend on the shoulder and said, "There's the Jack I know." Jack also said, "And I'll not have it said there's a point on the map Captain Sparrow never found" just before the wagon came to a sudden stop.
- At St. James's Palace, Lord John Carteret doesn't appear and only the unnamed prime minister was with King George II, who eats throughout the meeting with Jack Sparrow. King George also selects a loaf of bread from the table when talking about the "melancholy Spanish monarch" to Jack, then angrily tears the loaf into small chunks. While it is unclear in the film, Jack apparently knew Gibbs stole his map. King George also When Hector Barbossa appears as a privateer in service to the King, Jack never says, "I understand everything... Except that wig." He mentions Barbossa's privateer hat instead.
- Some events of Jack's escape in London are different from the film. After he escaped from the King, Barbossa says "Round one to Jack Sparrow." Jack also never escaped through a window, hid behind a banner, or engaged the Royal Guards in a carriage chase through London's streets.
- Captain Teague doesn't appear in the book. Teague's line to Jack Sparrow about some people looking for a crew is delivered by an ale-drinking old sailor in the Captain's Daughter. Jack also already knew about the legend of specific items necessary to perform the Profane Ritual (simply referred to as the ritual of the Fountain of Youth) specifically the two silver chalices rumored to be in the possession of Ponce de León.
- Jack Sparrow and Angelica in the Captain's Daughter played differently, more or less with additional dialogue, from the latter impersonating the former to their trying to resolve their past history.
- Angelica's scheme was impersonating "first mate" Jack Sparrow, which he found downright unacceptable.
- Jack doesn't make the compliment "Dearest Angelica, fret not. You still have a few usable years left."
- Scrum enters after Jack said he could use a ship, rather than after Angelica asks Jack about the Fountain as in the film.
- There was more dialogue between Jack and Angelica before and after the royal guards burst in. When Angelica mentions the Spanish convent, Jack mistaking it for a brothel is not mentioned. Despite the sword battle, they continued their argument with Jack blaming Angelica for the "current state of affairs" and that impersonating him caused a "good amount of grief." Angelica said Jack ruined her life before almost taking a sword to the heart, only to be saved by Jack. Realizing they could not argue with each other and successfully fight the royal guards, Angelica suggested an alliance as she slashed a rope, which unleashed a stack of barrels that came crashing into the guards, which also caused the barrels to explode and shower the room with beer. Jack, agreeing to Angelica's offer, tried to drink in a quick sip of the airborne liquor before she led him through a maze of crates and barrels until they reached a trapdoor at the rear of the warehouse.
- Angelica and Jack talk about the two silver chalices required for the ritual before escaping the guards rather than at the Thames River. Angelica slashed the door open before the two jumped through the opening and came perilously close to the wooden pilings before they splashed down deep into the water. Unlike the film, where it was intended for Jack to grab a rope and slash another rope nearby only for Jack's rope to slither down to the ground, which then leads Angelica to slash a lever that opens the trapdoor.
- There was more lines of dialogue between Gibbs and Barbossa at the Tower of London, which was only referred to as "Execution Dock" or an "execution courtyard" in the film's screenplay drafts. Theodore Groves and Gillette also do not appear when Barbossa talks with Gibbs; Groves appears later aboard the HMS Providence, whereas Gillette does not appear in the book at all.
- The Quartermaster, who was unidentified in the book and is only depicted as an unnamed large man, his eyes completely dead and white, hulking over Jack Sparrow after he was hit with a voodoo dart. Just before Jack fainted from the dart's effects, he uttered one final word: "Zombie." Later, this zombie was mentioned when Jack and Angelica were talking below deck of the Queen Anne's Revenge, where Angelica mentions that he is an eleri ipin, which means "witness of fate" and details his ability to "see things before they happen" including Blackbeard's death. The specific identity of this character is unknown due to Gunner being the quartermaster in the novelization.
- Blackbeard flies a different pirate flag on the Queen Anne's Revenge. Rather than a large flaming skull, Blackbeard's flag featured the skeleton of the devil sticking a spear into a blood red heart.
- Seagulls were seen flying overhead in the voyages in the Atlantic Ocean as depicted in the book, but in the film were reduced to lines of dialogue by Captain Barbossa and Lieutenant Commander Theodore Groves, who serves as Lieutenant Groves in the book.
- There were more lines in the first scene aboard the HMS Providence. Specifically where Captain Barbossa gives Lieutenant Groves the order to have the navigator (Gibbs) to the helm, as well as the moment the Providence crew prepared to battle the three Spanish galleons.
- Prior to the mutiny on the Queen Anne's Revenge, Jack tells his crew of mutineers that they are not on Blackbeard's ship, with Scrum protesting that it is. Scrum says he saw the name painted on the side of the ship, whereas in the film it was on the back of the ship, something that was seen in the earlier scenes as the Revenge sailed on the high seas.
- Unlike the film, when Blackbeard makes his appearance in Jack's mutiny, he walks ominously among his mutinous crew before drawing his sword, and neither the Sword of Triton's jeweled hilt nor the unearthly power to control ships was ever mentioned or detailed in the book. Blackbeard also mentioned being in the "captain's quarters" and that made him captain, naturally follows before saying "Mutineers HANG!"
- Blackbeard threatens Jack with his sword rather than with his pistol, only to be saved by Angelica, who pleaded for mercy when Blackbeard prepares to kill Jack. Angelica also pulls out her sword while defending Philip, the missionary.
- There is more dialogue between Blackbeard, Angelica, and Philip, specifically while Blackbeard punishes the Cook with Greek fire.
- There were more or less content in the scene at Blackbeard's cabin. Jack does not talk to Blackbeard about the latter's historic death of being beheaded, nor about Angelica's deception about being his daughter. Blackbeard never makes a voodoo doll of Jack Sparrow. The Cook is also revealed to be zombie-fied, with Greek fire being part of a voodoo ritual, and brought in as Blackbeard threatens Jack into helping him make it to the Fountain in time.
- Jack and Angelica's dance aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, in which they discuss the ritual, is omitted.
- Blackbeard's collection of various ships in bottles are never seen, and the Black Pearl is depicted to have indeed been sunk as per Barbossa's point of view.
- As the deserter of Barbossa's crew swam away from the Providence, Gibbs says "And may God have mercy on our souls."
- Several dialogue from the Whitecap Bay scenes were either altered or deleted from the film, including:
- Shortly after Blackbeard's crew arrive to Whitecap Bay, a story of Jack Sparrow once having the favor of mermaids was briefly mentioned by a young sailor, with Jack saying "You ever seen a mermaid? You start with a shark. Give them weapons. And make them all women." Garheng and Salaman were named in the dialogue seen in the screenplay, but not in the junior novelization, which does not feature Garheng by name at all.
- A very brief moment after Angelica mentions the old moon in the new moon's arms, saying it was perfect for a mermaid hunt. Jack Sparrow asked why, then Angelica replied "Mating season."
- Tamara (not mentioned by name) only singing one verse of "My Jolly Sailor Bold."
- The battle at Whitecap Bay was shortened in the book.
- Unlike the film, Blackbeard didn't use his ship, sword, nor Greek fire to draw mermaids to shore.
- Blackbeard offered a doubloon to the first crewman to spot a mermaid.
- Unlike the film, the captured mermaid Syrena was simply injured and trapped in a tidal pool, with Philip never having stabbed her tail. Also, Philip never falls in love with Syrena, who is mentioned by name since her capture. Unlike the film, Syrena was a "very beautiful but very deadly mermaid" in the book. Also, the injured Syrena was simply trapped in a tidal pool, with Philip never having stabbed her tail.
- Scenes of Barbossa's crew on the island been altered or deleted from the novelization, including:
- The mermaid attack on the HMS Providence, leading to the ship sinking at Whitecap Bay.
- Barbossa having a jar of poisonous frogs.
Because there are two editions released, the junior novelization plays out and ends in two different ways. One of the editions simply ends with Jack discovering the wrecked remains of the Santiago, a square-masted Spanish sailing vessel perched upon the cliff. In such a way, the remaining 40-50 minutes of the film are omitted from the book, leaving the fate of the characters to be determined by the reader. Alternatively, the book could have served as a means of encouraging readers to go see the movie in order to find out what happens next. Regarding the editions that do cover the plot-points taking place further in the film:
- Jack and Barbossa find the silver chalices aboard the Santiago. The incident at Palm Tree Grove doesn't happen in the book.
- Blackbeard was stabbed by Barbossa during their sword fight battle, not while talking to The Spaniard.
- Angelica wasn't ready to sacrifice herself to save her father.
- The book ends with Blackbeard's death at the Fountain of Youth. Syrena saving Philip, Barbossa returning to piracy aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, Jack marooning Angelica on a desert island before meeting with Gibbs is omitted.
Trivia[]
- Like the Dead Man's Chest junior novel, a preview of Jack Sparrow: The Coming Storm is included.