TITANIC, A LOVE STORY [Paperback]

Shannon OCork (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Mira Ontario, Canada 1988 (1988)
• ASIN: B000R4WZLG
• Average Customer Review: 1.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The "lust boat", December 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Titanic: A Love Story (Paperback)

I've learned in reading this book that there's a line not to be crossed when fictionalizing heroes. There's nothing I've seen or read about Captain E.J. Smith to support the sexually preoccupied "interior life" the author proposes for him, or that he'd externalize it by cheating on his wife. I don't see the man being a rule breaker at all. I picture him a genuine gentleman, rather conservative, and deeply attached to his wife and daughter. I COULD see E.J. meeting someone aboard whom he became close to during his final voyage -- only to learn at the awful end to his surprise that he cares alot more for this lady than he'd ever thought possible -- but I DON'T see him actually cheating.

This is a strange book, running several plotlines with characters all involved in romantic entanglements of one sort or another. For example, there are two upper-class young ladies, twins named Smoke and Swan (is it my imagination, or does anyone else picture hookers with names like that?) who both fall in love with the same man -- a ficticious, very young third violinist from TITANIC's band. At one point, this young man is actually down in the band's bunk room "in amours" with one of the girls (which one escapes me at the moment)and he does eventually get caught out and fired -- cutting him loose from performing with the Magnificent Eight during their Immortal Last Gig so he can play out his preoccupation with Smoke/Swan. (which ever.)

I think what turned me off about the book in the main was the lack of genuine emotional connection. This struck me as far more a "lust" story than a "love" story, and I guess I don't see TITANIC as a forum for that sort of thing. I think it would have played out much better aboard a totally fictional ship with a totally fictional crew. (names similar, but different.) To be fair, the writing style is engaging, but the interpretations of the historical characters continually jarred me. I recommend this book to all those out there who are thinking about writing fiction about TITANIC's real passengers and crew: it's a good example of what NOT to do -- at least if you want to be taken seriously!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Titanic sinks again.......to new lows, April 8, 2000

By 

Jennifer Turner - See all my reviews

This review is from: Titanic: A Love Story (Paperback)

I am a Titanic buff and read everything I can find about it, then I saw this book and once I was done I realized the horrible truth. I was tricked into reading a romance novel! This "book" was originally titled Icefall, but was changed in order to jump on the Titanic bandwagon. rs. O'Cork wants us to beleive that Bruce Ishmay was gay and that Captain Smith was too busy making out with a divorcee to go on the ship. The ending is a travesty and the main characters are atrocious, there are actually twins named Smoke and Swan. If any body gets a copy of this book just throw in the bottom of a lake, it'll serve it's purpose better there than in your hands

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I give it no stars, October 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Titanic: A Love Story (Paperback)

This book, in a word, sucked. She paints Captain Smith as being a man who couldn't think about anything but sex, Bruce Ismay as being homosexual (maybe he was but I don't want to know about it!!!) and why on earth did she name those two girls SWAN and SMOKE!!??

I just couldn't get past that...