When I began reading this book, a friend of mine took one look at the cover and started naming off what he thought the aspects of the plot were. He named all of the traditional pirate story cliches (sometimes platitudes): orphaned boy, evil pirate, hidden treasure, etc. By looking at the cover, I thought that was what it would be too, and I looked forward to the classic adventure story (I've always loved swashbucklers). As it was, Moonfleet is a very original novel that doesn't follow of the conventions. Surely, some of those elements are there--the orphaned boy and treasure--but they are twisted in different ways. Moonfleet is somewhat darker than other swashbucklers such as Treasure Island, and there are actually no pirates at all. There is also a little bit more depth of characterization as John Trenchard and Elziver Block have a long and meaningful friendship. Moonfleet is certainly a superior adventure novel, complete with exciting escapes (a lot of them), lost treasure, and some actual characterization. It's well worth reading.