Customer Reviews

Titanic: A Love Story

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1 star:		(7)

 

 

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!

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

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...

I enjoyed the romance of the book, but the author wrote as if all the characters, especially Captain Smith, ever thought about was sex. I think her description of Smith is disgraceful.. not to mention the other real characters she disgraced. If you are a true Titanic buff and care anything for the actual events of the tragedy, I do not recommend this book.

Miss O'Cork's novel is advertised as a romance. That much is true. There is so much romance going on that it's no wonder the Titanic ran into an iceberg. If you are a collector of books about the Titanic, pass on this one. If the typical romance novel interests you, then Titanic will probably fit the bill.

Ms. O'Cork does a real disservice to the actual people on board the Titanic and to any reader who has genuine interest in the historical facts. She could just as easily have written a completely fictional book with all characters and the ship itself being only similar to the actual event and not extrapolated from the real thing.

I believe, that when a person writes a work of fiction that involves historical characters, they should at least try to make the actions of those characters at least somewhat consistent with their known actions. This is not the case with this novel. If you care about the story of the Titanic, you will probably find this treatment of the tragedy disturbing for it inaccuracy and innuendo. If you don't care about the disaster, the romance might be interesting, but please don't believe anything about any of the characters.

I didn't have the option of giving this mess no star so I had to give it one...I don't honestly think it even rates that, though.This is absolutely the WORST Titanic novel in history!!

It's a shame that Captain Smith doesn't have descendents because if he did, they should sue Ms. O'Corke for defamation of character. Smith is portrayed as a satyr with a decided taste for kinky sex. To be honest, it is a disgraceful portrayal of the man. I am no apologist for Smith, but his sins have to do with the way in which TITANIC was navigated and NOT with what he allegedly did or did not do in the privacy of his cabi-- or anyone else's.

Then there is the hack job done on J. Bruce Ismay --his family should definitely consider a day in court!I don't know if the guy was gay or not and I don't frankly care! There is plenty of interesting historical materiel about the man which could have been used to good effect in this novel rather than having him supposedly take advantage of a man who is not only drunk out of his skull but obviously distraught over some news which he has received. I know everyone seems to want to "diss" Ismay but this is really a bit much!

For the rest of it: two girls named Smoke and Swan? Did this woman have ANY idea of the age she is writing about? Trust me on this one, folks--a family as uppercrust as the Brockhursts would NOT be likely to give their daughters such names. There would also be little chance of musicians and nubile first class passengers dallying together, no matter how good a plot it might seem at first.

The next time that Ms O'Cork undertakes to write a historical novel, I suggest that she undertakes research before writing it or it will end up as big a turkey as "Titanic--A Love Story". I rarely give novels a bad review as I actually enjoy reading good historical fiction. Unfortunately, I cannot include this book in that category. This book isn't worth the paper it is written on!