Seeing the excellent movie made from this book (directed by Michael Crichton) reminded me that I'd never read the book, so I sought out a library copy. After reading it, I decided I wanted to own it and was able to find a very satisfactory used copy and read it again.
In the director's commentary on the film DVD, Crichton says that he wanted it to be something between a documentary and just a caper flick. I'm not sure how well he succeeds in that in the film; the set decorators and costume designers did a great job, but this "show, don't tell" approach can do only so much. The book, on the other hand, includes numerous essays on life in Victorian times: about the growth of railroads and the importance of trains and why the train robbery was so shocking, about safes and locks and the security of the times, about the position of women and the difficulty of being an old maid, about "ratting sports," about the activities of Rotten Row, about the Crystal Palace, about Victorian horror of premature burial, and about all manner of crimes and deceptions, with details that are only hinted at in the film.
But this very factual historical background makes it very tempting to believe that the entire story is true--which it is not. Not that it isn't very convincing. As you read the book, you have to firmly remind yourself of this because Crichton confidently quotes verbatim from invented newspaper stories and includes extended excerpts from entirely fictitious books. The best example of this is detailed at http://hnn.us/article/153726 ("A Tale Worthy of Poe: The Myth of George Bateson and his Belfry").
The cultural history is just lagniappe, though. The distinctive characters and meticulously plotted story are what make this book worth rereading. On rereading, I was impressed and pleased again by the design of the book--not just the typography and graphics but the way Crichton has divided the story into discrete parts and chapters almost like acts and scenes. Most of the chapters are quite short, and each is a little jewel that advances just one aspect of the plot.
Having become more knowledgeable about the actual Great Train Robbery of 1855, and having listened to Crichton's director's commentary on the movie DVD, I was even more impressed with this book the second time through. When I first read it, I was impressed with the amount of research Crichton had done and the way he made it read like fiction. The second time I knew that it was almost entirely fiction, so I was equally impressed with his creativity and imagination. As he says on the DVD, "the original episode...was considerably more seedy," and "the real details are sordid and grubby and lacking in drama." Although Crichton did not base his story on the trial transcripts (which he didn't know existed) or on actual newspaper stories (though the book includes several such that he invented), it is clear that he must have done at least some research on the original crime, as the story he tells does match the historical event at some points. But, as he says of the film, "I really like this train robbery a lot better. I'm much more pleased with this version."
Indeed. Crichton has made a silk purse out of a sow's ear, and it is well worth reading. For readers who have enjoyed the book, I do also recommend the film, which is equally excellent in its own way, and I especially recommend listening to the director's commentary, which brings out many fascinating aspects of the story.
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What was really so shocking about The Great Train Robbery was that it suggested, to the sober thinker, that the elimination of crime might not be an inevitable consequence of forward-marching progress.Highlighted by 214 Kindle readers- “It is the demeanor which is respected among these people. They know the look of fear, and likewise its absence and any man who is not afraid makes them afraid in turn.”Highlighted by 195 Kindle readers
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Top reviews from other countries
S. McHugh
Pacy Thriller built on the first ever Train Robbery in Victorian England
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2017
