vmars314's review
3.0
I stumbled across mention of this book while reading another, and had to check it out. It was published in 1898, 14 years before the Titanic sank, and its own wrecked ship (the Titan) bore many similarities to the Titanic. In addition to that, this book also has its own story of survivers, conspiracy, lost love, and even a polar bear. Interesting story, even outside of the Titanic premonition.
readbygio's review
3.0
Si bien es una locura que este libro haya narrado sin saber, la catástrofe del Titanic, (y es lo que más impacta) , en realidad es una novela marítima en donde tenemos un protagonista al que todo le sale mal pobre hombre por estar enamorado de una mujer que no vale la pena y me cae super mal. Hay mucho concepto náutico y entreveros judiciales por la cobertura del seguro tras el hundimiento del gran Titán que supuestamente era imposible que se hundiera, hasta que un iceberg dejó en claro lo contrario.
lapingveno's review
3.0
r/atheism
Ship called the Titan sinks, killing many; at that point, the similarity to the Titanic disaster proves to have been somewhat exaggerated.
Point in this story's favor: this Rowland dude, armed with only a jack knife, kills a polar bear in a freaking one-on-one fight.
Ship called the Titan sinks, killing many; at that point, the similarity to the Titanic disaster proves to have been somewhat exaggerated.
Point in this story's favor: this Rowland dude, armed with only a jack knife, kills a polar bear in a freaking one-on-one fight.
ellena91's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
2.0
liberty_the_baron's review
1.0
Written 14 years before the Titanic went on her fatal maiden voyage, 'Futility, or the Wreck of the Titan' was published in 1898 as a novella. The author, Morgan Robertson was called 'a clairvoyant' for the work, though he denied it.
However, the similarities between the Titan and the Titanic go far beyond their names and fatal icebergs. The length of the Titan was 800 feet, the Titanic 882 feet. The speed at which the Titan crashed into the iceberg was 25 knots, while the Titanic’s was 22.5. The Titan held 2,500 passengers, whereas the Titanic held 2,200, yet both had a capacity of 3,000 passengers. Both ships were British owned. Both ships were hit on their starboard bow, both around midnight. Both sank in the North Atlantic precisely 400 nautical miles from Newfoundland. Both had a severe lack of lifeboats, the Titan holding 24, and Titanic carrying just 20. Both had a triple screw propeller. Robertson's work was truly prophetic.
But Robertson's novella was also prophetic in a different way, one that is almost completely unknown. It showed almost 100 years before the overacting and terrible dialogue of James Cameron's movie 'Titanic'. It was able to accomplish this by inserting it's own dialogue worthy of being printed on toilet paper, while maintaining a plot that is so ridiculous, it is almost laughable. Here is one of those torturous dialogues before mentioned:
"What ails me?" He gasped. "I feel as though I have swallowed hot coals. And my head! And my eyes! I can't see!" The pain left him in a moment and the laughter returned. "What's wrong with the starboard anchor? It's moving! It's changing! It's a-what? What on earth is it? On end, and the windlass, and the spare anchors, and the davits - all alive and moving!"
This torturous dialogue runs throughout the book. The plot is just the same. Our antihero, drunkard John Rowland is poisoned aboard the Titan, escapes the sinking ship, finds himself on the very iceberg that sank the mega steamer, brings a polar bear to a knife fight and kills it, saves a little girl in the process, only to have the mother, whom Rowland loves madly, throw the man in jail for kidnapping. I'm surprised soap operas haven't picked this plot up to run daytime specials! Sadly, Cary Grant's screams on the rope bridge in 'Gunga Din' were more believable than any of this occuring.
Being the book that prophesied the worst maritime disaster in history, I admit I had high hopes for this novella. However, the book was simply not able to deliver a coherent sentence, (let alone good writing skills, character development, or an engaging plot) and sounded much like a speech given by the 46th President.
However, the similarities between the Titan and the Titanic go far beyond their names and fatal icebergs. The length of the Titan was 800 feet, the Titanic 882 feet. The speed at which the Titan crashed into the iceberg was 25 knots, while the Titanic’s was 22.5. The Titan held 2,500 passengers, whereas the Titanic held 2,200, yet both had a capacity of 3,000 passengers. Both ships were British owned. Both ships were hit on their starboard bow, both around midnight. Both sank in the North Atlantic precisely 400 nautical miles from Newfoundland. Both had a severe lack of lifeboats, the Titan holding 24, and Titanic carrying just 20. Both had a triple screw propeller. Robertson's work was truly prophetic.
But Robertson's novella was also prophetic in a different way, one that is almost completely unknown. It showed almost 100 years before the overacting and terrible dialogue of James Cameron's movie 'Titanic'. It was able to accomplish this by inserting it's own dialogue worthy of being printed on toilet paper, while maintaining a plot that is so ridiculous, it is almost laughable. Here is one of those torturous dialogues before mentioned:
"What ails me?" He gasped. "I feel as though I have swallowed hot coals. And my head! And my eyes! I can't see!" The pain left him in a moment and the laughter returned. "What's wrong with the starboard anchor? It's moving! It's changing! It's a-what? What on earth is it? On end, and the windlass, and the spare anchors, and the davits - all alive and moving!"
This torturous dialogue runs throughout the book. The plot is just the same. Our antihero, drunkard John Rowland is poisoned aboard the Titan, escapes the sinking ship, finds himself on the very iceberg that sank the mega steamer, brings a polar bear to a knife fight and kills it, saves a little girl in the process, only to have the mother, whom Rowland loves madly, throw the man in jail for kidnapping. I'm surprised soap operas haven't picked this plot up to run daytime specials! Sadly, Cary Grant's screams on the rope bridge in 'Gunga Din' were more believable than any of this occuring.
Being the book that prophesied the worst maritime disaster in history, I admit I had high hopes for this novella. However, the book was simply not able to deliver a coherent sentence, (let alone good writing skills, character development, or an engaging plot) and sounded much like a speech given by the 46th President.
toastx2's review
4.0
The Wreck of the Titan (Futility): Stays afloat even after 120 years
I read the 1912 ‘Autograph Edition’ of Morgan Robertson’s short stories/novellas collection. It was quite good considering its age. I enjoyed the entire 4 story collection (some more than others), but will focus on the longest and namesake novella here (from 1898)-
In The Wreck of the Titan: Lieutenant John Rowland is on a several year bender after being rejected by a maiden, wanting nothing of him. After learning he is an Athiest, she feared his ‘evil blood’ and sent him packing. Rowland crews several boats and drinks his pay from port to port.
Rowland drunkenly stands aboard the ‘unsinkable’ Titan, watching for any object ahead which could decrease structural integrity of the ship if plowed through at full velocity.
After the Titan carves through a small craft murdering all aboard, Rowland begins to mentally sober up. When provoked and bribed, he stands his ground, sees fit to put the Titan’s Captain in a paupers prison. The Captain has a different plan, drugging Rowland on the job to discredit him and ruin him.
I was brought to this public domain book by an internet meme. I was presented with a picture of a boat and a ‘creepy fact’ that this fiction book ‘predicted’ the sinking of the Titanic, 14 years before its fatal accident. Speculation of coincidences lead to a bunch of nonsense. The only real coincidence is the name ‘Titan’.
People should read this for what it is. A time capsule from a time when distance and time kept drunken sailors searching for an improved mousetrap and financial glory. Unsinkable boats and the risk/reward they brought were likely a hot topic for seafaring entrepanuers as a form of near-future scifi. Robertson, being son of a captain and a 33 year merchant marine had as much time as any to dream up an infallible monolith, only one of many which were dreamed up and forgotten in a drunken fog.
The unsinkable ship was a pipe dream. The iceberg was a boogeyman in a pre-radar world. Lieutenant John Rowland is a mess of anti-god man logic who deserves his own movie.
I read the 1912 ‘Autograph Edition’ of Morgan Robertson’s short stories/novellas collection. It was quite good considering its age. I enjoyed the entire 4 story collection (some more than others), but will focus on the longest and namesake novella here (from 1898)-
In The Wreck of the Titan: Lieutenant John Rowland is on a several year bender after being rejected by a maiden, wanting nothing of him. After learning he is an Athiest, she feared his ‘evil blood’ and sent him packing. Rowland crews several boats and drinks his pay from port to port.
Rowland drunkenly stands aboard the ‘unsinkable’ Titan, watching for any object ahead which could decrease structural integrity of the ship if plowed through at full velocity.
After the Titan carves through a small craft murdering all aboard, Rowland begins to mentally sober up. When provoked and bribed, he stands his ground, sees fit to put the Titan’s Captain in a paupers prison. The Captain has a different plan, drugging Rowland on the job to discredit him and ruin him.
I was brought to this public domain book by an internet meme. I was presented with a picture of a boat and a ‘creepy fact’ that this fiction book ‘predicted’ the sinking of the Titanic, 14 years before its fatal accident. Speculation of coincidences lead to a bunch of nonsense. The only real coincidence is the name ‘Titan’.
People should read this for what it is. A time capsule from a time when distance and time kept drunken sailors searching for an improved mousetrap and financial glory. Unsinkable boats and the risk/reward they brought were likely a hot topic for seafaring entrepanuers as a form of near-future scifi. Robertson, being son of a captain and a 33 year merchant marine had as much time as any to dream up an infallible monolith, only one of many which were dreamed up and forgotten in a drunken fog.
The unsinkable ship was a pipe dream. The iceberg was a boogeyman in a pre-radar world. Lieutenant John Rowland is a mess of anti-god man logic who deserves his own movie.
todomal's review
4.0
Fora da sua curiosidade como surpreendente precedente da tragédia do Titanic — e nom só nas qualidades "infundíveis" dos paquebotes, mas na irresponsabilidade dos armadores, as asseguradoras, etc — é umha novela que serve como exemplo perfeito da literatura de finais do XIX. Suficientemente bem escrita como para que a força da tensom narrativa nom caia sobre o próprio acidente do barco, mas na negociaçom com as companhias asseguradoras e que isso nom signifique um demérito para o leitor. Escrita numha época na que a "literatura de aventuras" era já um tópico conhecido — por isso a absoluta "normalidade" no tratamento do ataque do urso — e onde a propaganda do "sonho americano" de reconstruçom vital nom tem que ser dissimulada nem perfilada com muita precisom; é umha ferramenta narrativa mais.
Na figura do derrotado marinho a navegar no iceberg atlântico e nos despachos londinenses vemos um herói inusual polo seu ateísmo, mas nom nos é desconhecida a sua trajetória vital. É por isso que nom se deve desbotar a novela como umha "curiosidade histórica" e desfrutá-la como um resumo, umha sublimaçom para público entendido, da evoluçom da novela do século XIX cara a literatura do XX. Mas umha pequena joia escolhida pola editorial para surpreender as leituras fieis. :D
Na figura do derrotado marinho a navegar no iceberg atlântico e nos despachos londinenses vemos um herói inusual polo seu ateísmo, mas nom nos é desconhecida a sua trajetória vital. É por isso que nom se deve desbotar a novela como umha "curiosidade histórica" e desfrutá-la como um resumo, umha sublimaçom para público entendido, da evoluçom da novela do século XIX cara a literatura do XX. Mas umha pequena joia escolhida pola editorial para surpreender as leituras fieis. :D