lakecake's review against another edition
2.0
I gave up after the first section. I think it's a time issue--it would have been better if I had read it back in the early 1900's.
lisamleb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
allia_kennedy's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
allbookedupwithrosie's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
vvbooklady's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
readingmytroublesaway's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
phantomthreads's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
readingthethings's review against another edition
3.0
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I became interested in reading The Wreck of the Titan when I was reading a little non-fiction on the sinking of the Titanic recently. The Wreck of the Titan was cited as CREEPY because its plot has a lot in common with the sinking of the Titanic but was conceived of fourteen years prior (1898).
I can’t say I’d consider The Wreck of the Titan great literature, but it was an enjoyable enough story. It’s more about an officer’s efforts to extricate himself from legal trouble resulting from a one-sided romance prior to boarding the ship — than it is about the sinking of the boat. Basically, he loves a girl. She doesn’t love him. She gets married and has a child. She is on the boat, and he (the narrator, John Rowland) is a love-struck officer who cannot process that she has moved on. The boat sinks (FAST, as in, this was not a major part of the story), and her child is left behind. The story is about accusations that he kidnaps the girl in vengeance, and the fall-out from that, as well as questions about who gets paid for the sinking of the Titan by insurance companies, if anyone — which is in doubt because Rowland witnessed a cover-up during the novel about a hit at sea which may have damaged the Titan BEFORE it hit the iceberg. And he is basically being framed by rich people invested in gaining the insurance money — to shut him up.
Like I said, it was a reasonable enough story. I was interested in Rowland’s plight, but I can’t say I was on the edge of my seat or anything. As for the creepiness, it was definitely a little odd: the ship is called the Titan. It doesn’t have enough lifeboats. It is described as unsinkable. It travels much faster than advisable. It strikes an iceberg in the middle of the night in April. It sinks. Sure, it’s odd. But the author himself (who spent his life from that point forward being awed for clairvoyance) said he simply knew a lot about maritime life & had guessed something potentially devastating about sea travel. That was all. So basically, this is a historically interesting piece of literature, simply because it is a little creepy, but it’s not ACTUALLY all that creepy. The story is worth a read, but I wouldn’t say it’s particularly memorable. The part about the ship’s sinking is almost a side story. I did enjoy it though! And now my curiosity on this one is satisfied.
I became interested in reading The Wreck of the Titan when I was reading a little non-fiction on the sinking of the Titanic recently. The Wreck of the Titan was cited as CREEPY because its plot has a lot in common with the sinking of the Titanic but was conceived of fourteen years prior (1898).
I can’t say I’d consider The Wreck of the Titan great literature, but it was an enjoyable enough story. It’s more about an officer’s efforts to extricate himself from legal trouble resulting from a one-sided romance prior to boarding the ship — than it is about the sinking of the boat. Basically, he loves a girl. She doesn’t love him. She gets married and has a child. She is on the boat, and he (the narrator, John Rowland) is a love-struck officer who cannot process that she has moved on. The boat sinks (FAST, as in, this was not a major part of the story), and her child is left behind. The story is about accusations that he kidnaps the girl in vengeance, and the fall-out from that, as well as questions about who gets paid for the sinking of the Titan by insurance companies, if anyone — which is in doubt because Rowland witnessed a cover-up during the novel about a hit at sea which may have damaged the Titan BEFORE it hit the iceberg. And he is basically being framed by rich people invested in gaining the insurance money — to shut him up.
Like I said, it was a reasonable enough story. I was interested in Rowland’s plight, but I can’t say I was on the edge of my seat or anything. As for the creepiness, it was definitely a little odd: the ship is called the Titan. It doesn’t have enough lifeboats. It is described as unsinkable. It travels much faster than advisable. It strikes an iceberg in the middle of the night in April. It sinks. Sure, it’s odd. But the author himself (who spent his life from that point forward being awed for clairvoyance) said he simply knew a lot about maritime life & had guessed something potentially devastating about sea travel. That was all. So basically, this is a historically interesting piece of literature, simply because it is a little creepy, but it’s not ACTUALLY all that creepy. The story is worth a read, but I wouldn’t say it’s particularly memorable. The part about the ship’s sinking is almost a side story. I did enjoy it though! And now my curiosity on this one is satisfied.
catladyreba's review against another edition
4.0
I think I liked this so much because it was so different from what I usually read. It's hard to put my finger on it. The stories were OK, not amazing, but it was just so different for me that I really appreciated it.