Customer Reviews

Wreck of the Grosvenor

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I enjoyed this book about the British merchant service in the mid-nineteenth century. The book had an effect on public opinion of that time about the conditions sailors were expected to endure.

The writing is excellent but it was written over a century ago in a James F. Cooper / Herman Melville style which may not appeal to some readers. To me, it is much preferable to the comic book simplistic style you sometimes see in adventure/historical novels.

The story concerns an honorable young man who must deal with a cruel captain and then subsequently with the rogue, mutinous members of the crew. A subplot concerns a beautiful young woman who is rescued after a storm and there is the inevitable love story added in, which I could have done without, but it is typical of the time period. The storm scenes are excellent and the descriptions are vivid. Overall, a pleasurable read of an ill fated voyage that, of course, has a happy ending.

Hate to say it, but once you've read The Sea Wolf you might think THAT was the most thrilling sea story ever. You'd be right until the above book came to your attention. Clark Russell just isn't as famous as Jack London - so The Wreck of the Grosvenor seldom comes onto the radar. Trust me, this is a fine and exciting page-turner with a plot you can't out-guess. It IS written in the old style, 140 years ago, and some of the words reflect the era (not so much as Sea Wolf, though). Mind you, Sea Wolf is quality stuff (they made a movie of it, don't you know?). But you won't be disappointed buying this book. It reads fast and keeps your attention. Russell was a sailor; be prepared to help bring a yard to the mast and outthink the crooks. Good luck on that.
My son, the critic, bet me he wouldn't find Wreck of the Grosvenor worth his time. That was two days ago. Tonight he said, "Don't say anything; I'm twenty pages into the thing and I don't want you to spoil it." Yeah, 20 pages - just the tip, just the beginning! Hold on to the weather rail!