What do you think?
Rate this book
شرلوک هولمز و فاجعه� کشتی تایتانیک
در یک شب بارانی در سال ۱۹۱۲ دکتر واتسون پیامی از دوست قدیمی‌اش� شرلوک هولمز، دریافت می‌کن� تا به همراه او مأموریتی مخفیانه را انجام دهند. سفر آن‌ه� با کشتی تایتانیک به سمت آمریکا است و در طول سفر ماجرا و حوادث بسیاری برای‌شا� پیش می‌آی�. ویلیام سِیل در این رمان با قرار دادن شرلوک هولمز در کشتی تایتانیک طرفداران این کارآگاه نامی را به حادثه‌ا� تاریخی می‌بر� که پایانش را تقریباً همه کس می‌دان�. در انتها باید دید آن‌ه� چگونه خود را نجات می‌دهن�.
272 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1996
20 people are currently reading
826 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
July 7, 2018
سرگرم‌کنند� بود. همین!ـ
April 5, 2019
همیشه به داستان های معمایی و کارآگاهی به خصوص شرلوک هولمز علاقه داشتم و این کتاب به نظرم تونسته بود به خوبی شخصیت� پردازی کنه. فقط چندتا مشکل اساسی داشت
اول اینکه حدود نیمی از کتاب به یک سری تعاملات بین شخصیت ها پرداخته بود که تا حدودی به آشنا شدن با شخصیت ها کمک می کرد اما یه مقدار بیش از اندازه بود
دوم اینکه ضرب آهنگ کتاب از نیمه دوم کتاب بسیار زیاد میشه که به دلیل رخ دادن چندتا اتفاق مختلف فرصت لذت بردن کافی رو از مخاطب می گرفت
سوم اینکه به نظرم نویسنده باید سرنخ های بیشتری در مورد مظنونین می داد تا حداقل مخاطب هم بتونه همزمان با شرلوک و دکتر واتسون یه سری حدسیات در مورد مظنونین بزنه اما متأسفانه اینجوری نبود و پایان کتاب خیلی سریع نتیجه گیری و جمع بندی کرد
اما نقطه قوت کتاب توصیف بی نظیر لحظات غرق شدن تایتانیک بود که بسیار زیبا و دلنشین اتفاقات اون لحظات رو توصیف کرده بود و مخاطب رو به خوبی در فضای پر از ترس و دلهره و همراه با یاس و ناامیدی مسافران همراه می کرد
در مجموع خوندن این کتاب رو به علاقه مندان داستان های کارآگاهی و به خصوص شرلوک هولمز توصیه می کنم. هرچند هیچی قلم آرتور کانن دویل نمیشه
اول اینکه حدود نیمی از کتاب به یک سری تعاملات بین شخصیت ها پرداخته بود که تا حدودی به آشنا شدن با شخصیت ها کمک می کرد اما یه مقدار بیش از اندازه بود
دوم اینکه ضرب آهنگ کتاب از نیمه دوم کتاب بسیار زیاد میشه که به دلیل رخ دادن چندتا اتفاق مختلف فرصت لذت بردن کافی رو از مخاطب می گرفت
سوم اینکه به نظرم نویسنده باید سرنخ های بیشتری در مورد مظنونین می داد تا حداقل مخاطب هم بتونه همزمان با شرلوک و دکتر واتسون یه سری حدسیات در مورد مظنونین بزنه اما متأسفانه اینجوری نبود و پایان کتاب خیلی سریع نتیجه گیری و جمع بندی کرد
اما نقطه قوت کتاب توصیف بی نظیر لحظات غرق شدن تایتانیک بود که بسیار زیبا و دلنشین اتفاقات اون لحظات رو توصیف کرده بود و مخاطب رو به خوبی در فضای پر از ترس و دلهره و همراه با یاس و ناامیدی مسافران همراه می کرد
در مجموع خوندن این کتاب رو به علاقه مندان داستان های کارآگاهی و به خصوص شرلوک هولمز توصیه می کنم. هرچند هیچی قلم آرتور کانن دویل نمیشه
February 22, 2021
This book, this book. Where do I begin?
I don't know if it was because I got distracted reading the story or what, but I thought the whole plot was outlandish. And HOW many villains/ruffians did they have to deal with?? Let's tally:
-Baron
-Baroness
-Brandon
-Swede with Brandon plus a few extra cohorts
-Stickler
-Bishop
-Col. James Moriarty
I can understand one or two, but Good Lord! People were getting murdered left and right and yet no one really cottoned on to the fact. This I didn't believe, especially whenever people quickly became abreast to the fact that Watson's room had been rummaged through, or that there was a fight in the smoking room. If news travels that quickly with such MINOR things, wouldn't it travel all the more quickly when there has been MURDER? EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE DIED AT SOME POINT IN THE NOVEL.
And the whole plot with Swede and Brandon seemed 100% unnecessary. Anarchist plot to destroy the ship?? Had nothing to do with the plans, really, it just wanted to demoralise capitalist sentiments and the countries involved in capitalism/the Titanic. Psh. If Swede and Brandon had just waited a night they would have had their desired sinking without the loss of them and their entire crew. Or maybe they would have died. Who the hell knows? It's the Titanic, where survival is a crapshoot at best.
And, again, I might have just read really quickly and missed it, but what about the Baron/Baroness and the Baroness's blackmail notes? And what were they even doing? Were they just German spies? It was all so quickly thrown together at the end it left me grumbling.
The Moriarty bit, too! Would he really be that interested in submarine plans? I suppose so! Him luring Holmes away so they could grapple? Pure foolishness. If I was on a sinking ship and someone was like "if you don't meet me I'll do something to cause the deaths of many" I'd just be like "Hey, buddy, take a look around you." I understand that author really, REALLY, *REALLY* wanted to parallel the Holmes/Moriarty fight at Reichenbach, but *seriously*. I think he could have done it in a better fashion and lent a bit more credibility/drama to it.
I found the whole mystery to be a bit blah. I guess I don't go in much for spy things, and I suppose all the different threads just annoyed me. I was hoping the end would have a bit more drama, too. It's the TITANIC, for Christ's sake. If you don't have a bit more tragedy with people sloshing about in the water, facing people perishing in the ocean, or finding corpses when your characters thought they might be of some help, then what the devil are you doing with it?!
It just sort of went lickety-split fast, with Watson being conked over the head and dumped into a lifeboat. I understand that he would probably have stayed behind, being chivalrous to the end and it being incredibly difficult for men (even in first class where it was far more likely) to find their way into a lifeboat. And then it was going down. We didn't get much description of it starting to tilt or any of the real madness of the final minutes, which I was really looking for in this story. It would have given it quite a punch.
Even with the Holmes element, it was a little lacking. He fights and overcomes Moriarty, as he has to, and then he dives out into the water and swims for the lifeboat. There could have been so much more delved into in this. He could have dealt with people trying to stay afloat and thus using him as a preserver. Or he could have seen the corpses. Or he could have described what it was like as people started dropping off the overturned collapsible. He did, in fact, describe the water a bit, but it was only to quote Lightoller and then it was just more in passing.
I would give this a sort of below-par mystery element, which is sad because I think the man was really aiming at it being stellar, him being a Sherlock Holmes fan and all. I would actually rate the Titanic portion more highly. The detail and description was there, and I was being a bit eagle-eyed, I admit. Turns out I have two passions: Titanic and Sherlock Holmes, and I have been a fan of the Titanic FAR LONGER (since I was a child) than I have been of Sherlock Holmes. I've even met Robert D. Ballard, who discovered the ship's wreckage in 1985, and obtained his autograph on a few books when I was in elementary school. I admit that the man did his research well on that front, and I was suitably pleased.
I was also pleased to find a number of characters, both minor and more major, that were actual people who had sailed on the Titanic. I always love to see that sort of thing.
If the Titanic information had been on level with the mystery portion of this book, I would have had to give it a two at best. It was the detail that lifted my rating up to three stars.
Added note: I don't know if it was just my edition (which is one of the newer ones released in the "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" series) or something else, but I noted a few mistakes with spelling and the like. For example: I think a character meant to say "dressed" but instead the word said "Doctoressed". I wouldn't say that it was enough to detract completely from the story but just something I noticed.
I don't know if it was because I got distracted reading the story or what, but I thought the whole plot was outlandish. And HOW many villains/ruffians did they have to deal with?? Let's tally:
-Baron
-Baroness
-Brandon
-Swede with Brandon plus a few extra cohorts
-Stickler
-Bishop
-Col. James Moriarty
I can understand one or two, but Good Lord! People were getting murdered left and right and yet no one really cottoned on to the fact. This I didn't believe, especially whenever people quickly became abreast to the fact that Watson's room had been rummaged through, or that there was a fight in the smoking room. If news travels that quickly with such MINOR things, wouldn't it travel all the more quickly when there has been MURDER? EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE DIED AT SOME POINT IN THE NOVEL.
And the whole plot with Swede and Brandon seemed 100% unnecessary. Anarchist plot to destroy the ship?? Had nothing to do with the plans, really, it just wanted to demoralise capitalist sentiments and the countries involved in capitalism/the Titanic. Psh. If Swede and Brandon had just waited a night they would have had their desired sinking without the loss of them and their entire crew. Or maybe they would have died. Who the hell knows? It's the Titanic, where survival is a crapshoot at best.
And, again, I might have just read really quickly and missed it, but what about the Baron/Baroness and the Baroness's blackmail notes? And what were they even doing? Were they just German spies? It was all so quickly thrown together at the end it left me grumbling.
The Moriarty bit, too! Would he really be that interested in submarine plans? I suppose so! Him luring Holmes away so they could grapple? Pure foolishness. If I was on a sinking ship and someone was like "if you don't meet me I'll do something to cause the deaths of many" I'd just be like "Hey, buddy, take a look around you." I understand that author really, REALLY, *REALLY* wanted to parallel the Holmes/Moriarty fight at Reichenbach, but *seriously*. I think he could have done it in a better fashion and lent a bit more credibility/drama to it.
I found the whole mystery to be a bit blah. I guess I don't go in much for spy things, and I suppose all the different threads just annoyed me. I was hoping the end would have a bit more drama, too. It's the TITANIC, for Christ's sake. If you don't have a bit more tragedy with people sloshing about in the water, facing people perishing in the ocean, or finding corpses when your characters thought they might be of some help, then what the devil are you doing with it?!
It just sort of went lickety-split fast, with Watson being conked over the head and dumped into a lifeboat. I understand that he would probably have stayed behind, being chivalrous to the end and it being incredibly difficult for men (even in first class where it was far more likely) to find their way into a lifeboat. And then it was going down. We didn't get much description of it starting to tilt or any of the real madness of the final minutes, which I was really looking for in this story. It would have given it quite a punch.
Even with the Holmes element, it was a little lacking. He fights and overcomes Moriarty, as he has to, and then he dives out into the water and swims for the lifeboat. There could have been so much more delved into in this. He could have dealt with people trying to stay afloat and thus using him as a preserver. Or he could have seen the corpses. Or he could have described what it was like as people started dropping off the overturned collapsible. He did, in fact, describe the water a bit, but it was only to quote Lightoller and then it was just more in passing.
I would give this a sort of below-par mystery element, which is sad because I think the man was really aiming at it being stellar, him being a Sherlock Holmes fan and all. I would actually rate the Titanic portion more highly. The detail and description was there, and I was being a bit eagle-eyed, I admit. Turns out I have two passions: Titanic and Sherlock Holmes, and I have been a fan of the Titanic FAR LONGER (since I was a child) than I have been of Sherlock Holmes. I've even met Robert D. Ballard, who discovered the ship's wreckage in 1985, and obtained his autograph on a few books when I was in elementary school. I admit that the man did his research well on that front, and I was suitably pleased.
I was also pleased to find a number of characters, both minor and more major, that were actual people who had sailed on the Titanic. I always love to see that sort of thing.
If the Titanic information had been on level with the mystery portion of this book, I would have had to give it a two at best. It was the detail that lifted my rating up to three stars.
Added note: I don't know if it was just my edition (which is one of the newer ones released in the "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" series) or something else, but I noted a few mistakes with spelling and the like. For example: I think a character meant to say "dressed" but instead the word said "Doctoressed". I wouldn't say that it was enough to detract completely from the story but just something I noticed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2024
خیلی حوصله سربر بود. واقعا هیچ چیز جالبی توش نبود.
April 23, 2024
Really enjoyed this story. The atmosphere of being on ship (knowing what is to come though characters didn't obviously) was both delightful and ominous. There seemed to be more than one mystery in this story, all centering around the reason Holmes was there in the first place.
The detective skills were still sharp with both Watson and Holmes and the added interaction between some real life people made the tale all the more enjoyable. Recommend.
The detective skills were still sharp with both Watson and Holmes and the added interaction between some real life people made the tale all the more enjoyable. Recommend.
June 28, 2016
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Homes series put out by Titan Books is a rather hit or miss affair. There are several very strong entries in the series and then there are those that would need a great deal of suspension of disbelief to accept them as part of Holmes lore (The Veiled Detective, I'm looking at you--and, to a lesser extent, The War of the Worlds). The series reprints older pastiches such as The Ectoplasmic Man by Daniel Stashower, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Holmes by Loren D. Estleman, and The Giant Rat of Sumatra by Richard L. Boyer as well as presenting newer works like The Man from Hell by Barrie Roberts and The White Worm by Sam Siciliano. The Titanic Tragedy by William Seil, first published in 1996, falls somewhat in the middle--both in terms of printing date and excellence.
Two things attracted me to this title initially. One: I love looking for good new stories about Sherlock Holmes. Two: The Titanic story has fascinated me for years (well before the movie ever came out...). The combination seemed to promise a real winner.
[Brief pause for a commercial break. You know--it occurred to me while I was letting this review percolate that if all the fictional people who have sailed on the Titanic and lived to tell the tale had actually been there and done that....well, none of the real, live people who survived the tragedy could actually have made it. There wouldn't be room on the survivor roll call. Just a thought. And now back to your regularly scheduled review.]
Seil takes Holmes and Watson, who have retired to Sussex and bees and to Piccadilly and historical novels respectively, and sends them on another adventure. Holmes is called upon to render one more service to the Crown in the form of making sure a set of secret submarine plans make it safely across the Atlantic to the U.S. Navy. He naturally request the companionship of his faithful friend Dr. Watson. The two accompany Miss Christine Norton, government agent and daughter of The Woman, aboard the fateful voyage of the luxurious ocean liner, the Titanic. Joining the travelers are, of course, the historical figures known to be on the doomed ship--Captain Smith and various crewmen, Jacques Futrelle, the detective fiction writer; Mr. Andrews, the ship's designer; and Mr. Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line--but the company also includes the brother of Professor Moriarty, who has an agenda of revenge and mayhem of his own, as well as various anarchists and foreign spies. Some of these villains are after the plans and some are out to sink the great liner. Holmes and Watson will have their hands full fending off various attacks, discovering a murderer, and tracking down the plans after they go missing. And they have to do it before the Titanic encounters an iceberg and fulfills her infamous destiny.
This is an interesting and fairly well-done Holmes story. A bit of the punch is taken from it because we know the ultimate ending--and we're fully confident that our heroes will not go down with the ship. Seil does a very good job adopting Doyle's style and voice and the main characters, for the most part, behave and sound as we expect. He manages to capture the friendship between the two men and he even allows Watson to see through the main disguise which Holmes employs. There is a bit of doubt about the reactions of the ship's crew--but I think we can reasonably suspend our disbelief on a few counts. Seil also introduces us to a rather charming young boy named Tommy who idolizes Holmes and manages to have a brief scene with the Great Detective before boarding a lifeboat. I did find myself wishing that Holmes had taken Tommy somewhat into his confidence and employed him as an onboard Baker Street Irregular. That would have been grand. In genera, an entertaining story and one of the better entries from the mid- to later pastiches included in this series. ★★� and 1/2.
First posted on my blog . Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
Two things attracted me to this title initially. One: I love looking for good new stories about Sherlock Holmes. Two: The Titanic story has fascinated me for years (well before the movie ever came out...). The combination seemed to promise a real winner.
[Brief pause for a commercial break. You know--it occurred to me while I was letting this review percolate that if all the fictional people who have sailed on the Titanic and lived to tell the tale had actually been there and done that....well, none of the real, live people who survived the tragedy could actually have made it. There wouldn't be room on the survivor roll call. Just a thought. And now back to your regularly scheduled review.]
Seil takes Holmes and Watson, who have retired to Sussex and bees and to Piccadilly and historical novels respectively, and sends them on another adventure. Holmes is called upon to render one more service to the Crown in the form of making sure a set of secret submarine plans make it safely across the Atlantic to the U.S. Navy. He naturally request the companionship of his faithful friend Dr. Watson. The two accompany Miss Christine Norton, government agent and daughter of The Woman, aboard the fateful voyage of the luxurious ocean liner, the Titanic. Joining the travelers are, of course, the historical figures known to be on the doomed ship--Captain Smith and various crewmen, Jacques Futrelle, the detective fiction writer; Mr. Andrews, the ship's designer; and Mr. Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line--but the company also includes the brother of Professor Moriarty, who has an agenda of revenge and mayhem of his own, as well as various anarchists and foreign spies. Some of these villains are after the plans and some are out to sink the great liner. Holmes and Watson will have their hands full fending off various attacks, discovering a murderer, and tracking down the plans after they go missing. And they have to do it before the Titanic encounters an iceberg and fulfills her infamous destiny.
This is an interesting and fairly well-done Holmes story. A bit of the punch is taken from it because we know the ultimate ending--and we're fully confident that our heroes will not go down with the ship. Seil does a very good job adopting Doyle's style and voice and the main characters, for the most part, behave and sound as we expect. He manages to capture the friendship between the two men and he even allows Watson to see through the main disguise which Holmes employs. There is a bit of doubt about the reactions of the ship's crew--but I think we can reasonably suspend our disbelief on a few counts. Seil also introduces us to a rather charming young boy named Tommy who idolizes Holmes and manages to have a brief scene with the Great Detective before boarding a lifeboat. I did find myself wishing that Holmes had taken Tommy somewhat into his confidence and employed him as an onboard Baker Street Irregular. That would have been grand. In genera, an entertaining story and one of the better entries from the mid- to later pastiches included in this series. ★★� and 1/2.
First posted on my blog . Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
June 9, 2012
It was okay. Okay, maybe that is stretching it but the author got fan fiction published and is getting paid for it... he gets one additional star for pulling that off.
But all in all? It was BAD fan fiction. I've read better, and I've read FAR better Sherlock Holmes (based on Doyle's books, not any of the series) fan fiction that is not published and the authors are not getting royalty checks for.
Will I read more of this series? Oh probably. There are times you want to curl up with a bad book only to be able to mock it.
But all in all? It was BAD fan fiction. I've read better, and I've read FAR better Sherlock Holmes (based on Doyle's books, not any of the series) fan fiction that is not published and the authors are not getting royalty checks for.
Will I read more of this series? Oh probably. There are times you want to curl up with a bad book only to be able to mock it.
December 11, 2018
The Titanic Tragedy by William Seil is one of a series of “Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes� published by Titan Books. As Gentle Reader is probably aware, I find it hard to resist books that purports to offer us more of the doings of the Great Detective, so happening upon this volume was sufficient reason to acquire it.
This adventure places Watson, and Holmes in disguise as a senior naval officer, on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. They are there to assist a young British agent, Miss Norton, who is carrying secret documents to be delivered to the Empire’s American allies. Miss Norton is the daughter of Holmes� old friend, Irene Adler.
There are, of course, a number if suspicious characters on board, including the vengeful brother of James Moriarty, an inquisitive young American woman that Watson takes a bit if a fancy to, a German baron and his wife who seek Watson’s help with a series of curious blackmail notes, a professional gambler, and some oddly behaved crewmen.
Naturally, the documents are stolen, and Holmes, Watson and Norton must find them before the ship arrives in America - only, of course, the reader knows that the deadline is somewhat sooner, before the ship sinks.
Woven into the search for the documents is a detailed, and to the best of my knowledge, accurate, description of the ship, its construction, and the reasons it was thought to be unsinkable. The various officers Holmes and Watson rely on for assistance bear the names of the real men who held those positions on the Titanic, and some of the passengers they encounter were real passengers who lived, or died, much as they do in the novel. Our heroes, of course, survived the tragedy, being picked up by the nearby liner Carpathia, as were most of the survivors of that night.
I found the actual Holmes plotline a little bit overly convoluted, with multiple sideplots and red herrings, but nonetheless I enjoyed it quite a bit.
This adventure places Watson, and Holmes in disguise as a senior naval officer, on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. They are there to assist a young British agent, Miss Norton, who is carrying secret documents to be delivered to the Empire’s American allies. Miss Norton is the daughter of Holmes� old friend, Irene Adler.
There are, of course, a number if suspicious characters on board, including the vengeful brother of James Moriarty, an inquisitive young American woman that Watson takes a bit if a fancy to, a German baron and his wife who seek Watson’s help with a series of curious blackmail notes, a professional gambler, and some oddly behaved crewmen.
Naturally, the documents are stolen, and Holmes, Watson and Norton must find them before the ship arrives in America - only, of course, the reader knows that the deadline is somewhat sooner, before the ship sinks.
Woven into the search for the documents is a detailed, and to the best of my knowledge, accurate, description of the ship, its construction, and the reasons it was thought to be unsinkable. The various officers Holmes and Watson rely on for assistance bear the names of the real men who held those positions on the Titanic, and some of the passengers they encounter were real passengers who lived, or died, much as they do in the novel. Our heroes, of course, survived the tragedy, being picked up by the nearby liner Carpathia, as were most of the survivors of that night.
I found the actual Holmes plotline a little bit overly convoluted, with multiple sideplots and red herrings, but nonetheless I enjoyed it quite a bit.
November 27, 2017
An amazing retelling of the tragic story of the Titanic in the style of Holmes and Watson.
Sherlock Holmes is on a secret mission from the government to deliver some papers of high importance. He is aboard the maiden voyage of the Titanic to do so along with his ever faithful companion Watson. As expected, the Titanic lives up to its name of being a luxurious pleasure ship with it's elegant furnishings and facilities. But amidst, all this luxury there are sinister plans involving fanatic Socialist groups and the papers also get stolen. Time is running out and Holmes and Watson take up the challenge to do what they do best: solve the mystery as quick as they can.
Sherlock Holmes is on a secret mission from the government to deliver some papers of high importance. He is aboard the maiden voyage of the Titanic to do so along with his ever faithful companion Watson. As expected, the Titanic lives up to its name of being a luxurious pleasure ship with it's elegant furnishings and facilities. But amidst, all this luxury there are sinister plans involving fanatic Socialist groups and the papers also get stolen. Time is running out and Holmes and Watson take up the challenge to do what they do best: solve the mystery as quick as they can.
June 6, 2020
A secret trans Atlantic mission reunites Holmes and Watson as they board the 'Titanic' to ensure the delivery of important military plans to allies in the United States. When the papers are stolen, Holmes must use all his skills to recover them.
A well written novel, which contains many call backs to the Doyle originals, which also has an intriguing mystery for readers to grapple with.
A well written novel, which contains many call backs to the Doyle originals, which also has an intriguing mystery for readers to grapple with.
July 26, 2024
Not a bad continuance of Doyle’s stories. I thought the Dr. Watson character was faithfully represented as was the Holmes character - but a little too mild on the action as well as the deduction side.
January 18, 2025
I’m a Sherlock groupie and I must admit that I found it to be very enjoyable.
Who ever “thunk� that Holmes and Watson were on the Titanic on this horrific voyage. They were responsible for the safety of significant plans for a very important submarine and alas they are stolen one night when their state room was found in a mess and the very important plans are gone!! The game is on for the Doctor and Sherlock.
Who ever “thunk� that Holmes and Watson were on the Titanic on this horrific voyage. They were responsible for the safety of significant plans for a very important submarine and alas they are stolen one night when their state room was found in a mess and the very important plans are gone!! The game is on for the Doctor and Sherlock.
August 23, 2019
Re-read August 2019:
"Mr. Holmes certainly believed in the power of reason, but there was far more to him than that. His character and unswerving devotion to justice were unmatched. And the clarity of his values gave him the courage to recognize the villains of the world. I say courage, because once he recognized an injustice, he felt duty bound to challenge it. And he did this with an energy and confidence that set an example to everyone else."
* * * * *
Original review:
This is one of those curious books wherein I spot the title in a bookstore, stop to stare at the cover for a few moments, and then stand there in high amazement, thinking, "My Gawd, somebody's written a book *specifically for me*." By which I mean: a book has been presented to me with a premise so perfectly matching up to several of my key interest points that I have no choice BUT to conclude that the Universe has somehow specifically created this story just for me.
I have no great love of James Cameron's 1996 film, but historically-speaking, I've been fascinated by the story of the 'Titanic' for some years now. And I'm pretty sure we all know how I feel about Sherlock Holmes by now -- so placing Holmes and Dr. Watson on board the 'Titanic' (a perfectly plausible premise as Holmes and Watson were still meant to be alive and kicking in 1912) is pretty much as awesome as a pastiche can get for me.
I like "ship stories" anyway, so any nautical tale featuring Sherlock Holmes is already a treat. (I particularly love the Rathbone/Bruce film "Pursuit to Algiers" mostly for precisely this reason.) But put him on the 'Titanic,' and suddenly we've scaled up the epicness to a 10. My only slight worry when diving into this read was if the actual novel would be unable to live up to a premise so perfect.
I needn't have worried. This was one of those rare things: a book I not only highly enjoyed, but which I actually struggled to set aside each time I had to stop reading. A top-secret mission -- involving murder, espionage, and the impending world war -- made for an entirely compelling plot; it was a relief to find that the chapters weren't simply marking time until the iceberg struck. And speaking of icebergs: the plot is so cleverly written that I did find myself briefly wondering if, perhaps, an iceberg wasn't going to be involved after all. (Well, this IS fiction; anything was technically possible.) The original characters are compelling, Holmes and Watson are written neatly in-character, and the entire story was as engaging as one could ask for.
Seil makes plenty of references to the original Canon, but -- perhaps because of the similarly watery nature of Holmes's supposed fate at the end of that particular tale -- it's "The Final Problem" that is most clearly referenced throughout "The Titanic Tragedy." It was an entirely fitting reference, and if it made me get a bit misty-eyed during certain moments of the ending, I can't see how anyone could blame me.
If you like Holmes, the 'Titanic,' or simply mystery stories on the high seas, give this one a try. But I recommend it most highly to Holmes fan. The author's affection for Conan Doyle's characters is evident on every page, and that makes it rather irresistible to Holmes fans -- or at least to this Holmes fan. Quite a read!
"Mr. Holmes certainly believed in the power of reason, but there was far more to him than that. His character and unswerving devotion to justice were unmatched. And the clarity of his values gave him the courage to recognize the villains of the world. I say courage, because once he recognized an injustice, he felt duty bound to challenge it. And he did this with an energy and confidence that set an example to everyone else."
* * * * *
Original review:
This is one of those curious books wherein I spot the title in a bookstore, stop to stare at the cover for a few moments, and then stand there in high amazement, thinking, "My Gawd, somebody's written a book *specifically for me*." By which I mean: a book has been presented to me with a premise so perfectly matching up to several of my key interest points that I have no choice BUT to conclude that the Universe has somehow specifically created this story just for me.
I have no great love of James Cameron's 1996 film, but historically-speaking, I've been fascinated by the story of the 'Titanic' for some years now. And I'm pretty sure we all know how I feel about Sherlock Holmes by now -- so placing Holmes and Dr. Watson on board the 'Titanic' (a perfectly plausible premise as Holmes and Watson were still meant to be alive and kicking in 1912) is pretty much as awesome as a pastiche can get for me.
I like "ship stories" anyway, so any nautical tale featuring Sherlock Holmes is already a treat. (I particularly love the Rathbone/Bruce film "Pursuit to Algiers" mostly for precisely this reason.) But put him on the 'Titanic,' and suddenly we've scaled up the epicness to a 10. My only slight worry when diving into this read was if the actual novel would be unable to live up to a premise so perfect.
I needn't have worried. This was one of those rare things: a book I not only highly enjoyed, but which I actually struggled to set aside each time I had to stop reading. A top-secret mission -- involving murder, espionage, and the impending world war -- made for an entirely compelling plot; it was a relief to find that the chapters weren't simply marking time until the iceberg struck. And speaking of icebergs: the plot is so cleverly written that I did find myself briefly wondering if, perhaps, an iceberg wasn't going to be involved after all. (Well, this IS fiction; anything was technically possible.) The original characters are compelling, Holmes and Watson are written neatly in-character, and the entire story was as engaging as one could ask for.
Seil makes plenty of references to the original Canon, but -- perhaps because of the similarly watery nature of Holmes's supposed fate at the end of that particular tale -- it's "The Final Problem" that is most clearly referenced throughout "The Titanic Tragedy." It was an entirely fitting reference, and if it made me get a bit misty-eyed during certain moments of the ending, I can't see how anyone could blame me.
If you like Holmes, the 'Titanic,' or simply mystery stories on the high seas, give this one a try. But I recommend it most highly to Holmes fan. The author's affection for Conan Doyle's characters is evident on every page, and that makes it rather irresistible to Holmes fans -- or at least to this Holmes fan. Quite a read!
April 1, 2012
The year is 1912 and Dr. Watson is living alone in rooms in Piccadilly, writing historical novels, while Sherlock Holmes has retired to the South Downs where he keeps bees and conducts scientific experiments. For both men, the time of mysteries and adventures seems very firmly a thing of the past.
On the 9th of April though, Dr. Watson admits an unexpected visitor who turns out to be government official with a message from Holmes.
The retired investigator has been convinced to travel to America on a secret government mission, and asks Watson to join him for the journey. They will be travelling on the maiden voyage of The Titanic, accompanied by Miss Christine Norton, a young spy who will be transporting top secret documents to America. Miss Norton is also the daughter of Irene Adler, the only woman who ever managed to better Sherlock Holmes.
On board the Titanic, Holmes is incognito, pretending to be Giles Winter, a Royal Navy Commodore but Watson, travelling under his own name attracts a lot of attention as the author of the books about the famous detective.
It isn’t long before trouble starts for the trio travelling to New York. Miss Norton’s room gets broken into and the secret plans stolen. There is no shortage of suspects on board, one of whom is Colonel James Moriarty, brother of Holmes infamous nemesis the Professor.
With national security at stake Holmes and his associates know they only have a few days to unravel the mystery of who stole the plans since once the Titanic arrives in America both the thief and the plans will just disappear. Little do they know that they have even less time than they feared.
While the Titanic sails towards her date with destiny, a frantic search for the plans is conducted while other and apparently unrelated mysteries also ask for investigations.
This was, once again, an enjoyable addition to the original Sherlock Holmes series of books and stories. The Further Adventures that I have read so far have all been of a high quality; close enough to the originals to make both the stories and the characters easily recognisable yet original enough to make them separate entities rather than poor carbon copies of Conan Doyle’s creations.
William Seil has, in this book, offered the reader another fascinating mystery. He makes good use of the original back stories and characters by introducing relatives of former opponents of Holmes as both friend and foe, while also adding a number of fresh characters that could easily have been coming from those originals.
Setting the story on board of The Titanic is of course very timely now that we’re only days away from the sinking of that great ship and I like the way the author dealt with their trip as well as the aftermath of the sinking.
I also like the way Seil dealt with the sinking tragedy. It would have been so easy to centre the story around that event, but the author didn’t fall into that particular trap. Instead he has given the reader an honest mystery in which the sinking plays only a relatively small part.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book, find myself very grateful to have discovered these Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and hope that the series will continue for a long time yet.
On the 9th of April though, Dr. Watson admits an unexpected visitor who turns out to be government official with a message from Holmes.
The retired investigator has been convinced to travel to America on a secret government mission, and asks Watson to join him for the journey. They will be travelling on the maiden voyage of The Titanic, accompanied by Miss Christine Norton, a young spy who will be transporting top secret documents to America. Miss Norton is also the daughter of Irene Adler, the only woman who ever managed to better Sherlock Holmes.
On board the Titanic, Holmes is incognito, pretending to be Giles Winter, a Royal Navy Commodore but Watson, travelling under his own name attracts a lot of attention as the author of the books about the famous detective.
It isn’t long before trouble starts for the trio travelling to New York. Miss Norton’s room gets broken into and the secret plans stolen. There is no shortage of suspects on board, one of whom is Colonel James Moriarty, brother of Holmes infamous nemesis the Professor.
With national security at stake Holmes and his associates know they only have a few days to unravel the mystery of who stole the plans since once the Titanic arrives in America both the thief and the plans will just disappear. Little do they know that they have even less time than they feared.
While the Titanic sails towards her date with destiny, a frantic search for the plans is conducted while other and apparently unrelated mysteries also ask for investigations.
This was, once again, an enjoyable addition to the original Sherlock Holmes series of books and stories. The Further Adventures that I have read so far have all been of a high quality; close enough to the originals to make both the stories and the characters easily recognisable yet original enough to make them separate entities rather than poor carbon copies of Conan Doyle’s creations.
William Seil has, in this book, offered the reader another fascinating mystery. He makes good use of the original back stories and characters by introducing relatives of former opponents of Holmes as both friend and foe, while also adding a number of fresh characters that could easily have been coming from those originals.
Setting the story on board of The Titanic is of course very timely now that we’re only days away from the sinking of that great ship and I like the way the author dealt with their trip as well as the aftermath of the sinking.
I also like the way Seil dealt with the sinking tragedy. It would have been so easy to centre the story around that event, but the author didn’t fall into that particular trap. Instead he has given the reader an honest mystery in which the sinking plays only a relatively small part.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book, find myself very grateful to have discovered these Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and hope that the series will continue for a long time yet.
March 29, 2012
To a lifelong Sherlock Holmes fan, the new series, The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes put out by , is a match made in heaven. The author, William Sell, takes on Dr. Watson's role and does such a masterful job at capturing the voice of the original that, when I read an excerpt to my husband (also a Holmes fan), his comment? "I thought I had read all the Sherlock Holmes books."
This volume finds Holmes and Dr. Watson on the Titanic, carrying out a secret government mission. I enjoyed the story, although I was disappointed in the fact that Holmes himself didn't play as large a part in the story as one might have hoped. Also, there were a lot of descriptions of the Titanic--so much that I found myself skipping over parts of the text to get back to the storyline. Part of that problem might be that I have read extensively about the Titanic, so was familiar already with the grandeur she displayed. To someone new to the Titanic story, the descriptions may not seem so draggy.
There are other books in this series, and they are now on my TBR list.
This volume finds Holmes and Dr. Watson on the Titanic, carrying out a secret government mission. I enjoyed the story, although I was disappointed in the fact that Holmes himself didn't play as large a part in the story as one might have hoped. Also, there were a lot of descriptions of the Titanic--so much that I found myself skipping over parts of the text to get back to the storyline. Part of that problem might be that I have read extensively about the Titanic, so was familiar already with the grandeur she displayed. To someone new to the Titanic story, the descriptions may not seem so draggy.
There are other books in this series, and they are now on my TBR list.
October 3, 2015
Having a hard time keeping up with this- it is (by requirement) SO contrived that it's tough going. So far they are still in the set up, and the set up must be hurried and inexact because we all know what's going to happen... ::sigh:: Not sure if I will finish this one cause I went and found AWESOME Holmes (Laurie R King) which makes this one even more ridiculous.
Update (three years later):
I can't. I just can't. It's SO terrible and SO non Holmes that I am finished. Not as in having read it through to the end, just finished in that I don't intend to read anymore.
Update (three years later):
I can't. I just can't. It's SO terrible and SO non Holmes that I am finished. Not as in having read it through to the end, just finished in that I don't intend to read anymore.
October 29, 2013
Oh God! I am ashamed to have spent five hours on this book. Its a disgrace to be called a sherlock holmes story. If it wasnt for my habit for finishing every book i take up, i would have long since thrown it out. There is absolutely no suspense, no intrigue, nothing which tries to hold the readers interest. Half the story is compeltely unrelated and its boring boring boring. I could probably spin a better story if i tried. Sheesh.
April 6, 2012
I was bored for first 50 pages or so. Then it got exiting.
April 5, 2020
This is another pastiche that should have been excellent but fell short. It was too long for the story that was told. However the length should have allowed the author to tell a much clearer mystery.
The backdrop of the Titanic was quite interesting and the author focused on this quite a bit, but this also detracted from the mystery. The setting, given it is a real event with a specific timeline, meant that the author was bound by this to ensure his mystery would last at least 5 days. Because of this, bits of the story drug on as the author didn't take full advantage of this time to give readers a clear view of the various parts of the mystery.
There were simply too many characters (some with very similar names, so it was difficult to keep them separate) and the author didn't spend enough time on the various characters. You would be introduced to a character, there would be a bit of intrigue surrounding the character and then it would be chapters before the character would be mentioned/appear again. Specifically with Colonel Moriarty, the author missed out by not bringing him into the story more. Honestly by the end of the book, I am still unclear as to full extent of each characters' involvement.
Also there was a lack of communication between the characters. Watson would witness something and would note how odd/suspicious it was, but then it was either never recorded that he passed this information along or it would be much later that he shared his findings.
The author is American and therefore found himself using American terminology that would not have been used by most of his characters, namely Watson. Also the editor needed to do his/her job, as the quotation marks were awful.
The resolution to the story wasn't very satisfactory as there were quite a few storylines that were either never explained or the author was expecting you to assume what happened.
I will say there were a few points that made this pastiche stand out from others: One was Holmes and Watson's friendship. While they didn't spend as much time together as in other tales, there were a few moments that were wonderfully written. One in particular was their first meeting of the story. Watson finally one-upping Holmes made me grin from ear-to-ear.
Another one was the portrayal of Watson. One of my main complaints with pastiches is the awful portrayal of Watson. I honestly have never understood the apparent hatred of his character among pastiche writers. But Seil did the character justice.
And lastly, once the Titanic struck the iceberg, that was when the story really shined. Those final chapters were wonderfully written, capturing the horror of the event and also the guilt survivors were sure to have felt. Those final chapters were excellent!
(As a side note, I feel it necessary to state that this is so far the only pastiche where I did not mind the inclusion of Adler. The author did not try to indicate that she was Holmes' love interest unlike most pastiche writers, and while I still find it highly unlikely that Holmes and Adler became pen pals, her small connection was handled very well.)
Overall it's not a bad story. I found it interesting and it was a quick read. However I don't see this as being a story I would ever come back to. It could have been a lot better than it was, but if you like me enjoy Holmes and the Titanic, I'd say absolutely give it a try. You may enjoy it more than I did.
The backdrop of the Titanic was quite interesting and the author focused on this quite a bit, but this also detracted from the mystery. The setting, given it is a real event with a specific timeline, meant that the author was bound by this to ensure his mystery would last at least 5 days. Because of this, bits of the story drug on as the author didn't take full advantage of this time to give readers a clear view of the various parts of the mystery.
There were simply too many characters (some with very similar names, so it was difficult to keep them separate) and the author didn't spend enough time on the various characters. You would be introduced to a character, there would be a bit of intrigue surrounding the character and then it would be chapters before the character would be mentioned/appear again. Specifically with Colonel Moriarty, the author missed out by not bringing him into the story more. Honestly by the end of the book, I am still unclear as to full extent of each characters' involvement.
Also there was a lack of communication between the characters. Watson would witness something and would note how odd/suspicious it was, but then it was either never recorded that he passed this information along or it would be much later that he shared his findings.
The author is American and therefore found himself using American terminology that would not have been used by most of his characters, namely Watson. Also the editor needed to do his/her job, as the quotation marks were awful.
The resolution to the story wasn't very satisfactory as there were quite a few storylines that were either never explained or the author was expecting you to assume what happened.
I will say there were a few points that made this pastiche stand out from others: One was Holmes and Watson's friendship. While they didn't spend as much time together as in other tales, there were a few moments that were wonderfully written. One in particular was their first meeting of the story. Watson finally one-upping Holmes made me grin from ear-to-ear.
Another one was the portrayal of Watson. One of my main complaints with pastiches is the awful portrayal of Watson. I honestly have never understood the apparent hatred of his character among pastiche writers. But Seil did the character justice.
And lastly, once the Titanic struck the iceberg, that was when the story really shined. Those final chapters were wonderfully written, capturing the horror of the event and also the guilt survivors were sure to have felt. Those final chapters were excellent!
(As a side note, I feel it necessary to state that this is so far the only pastiche where I did not mind the inclusion of Adler. The author did not try to indicate that she was Holmes' love interest unlike most pastiche writers, and while I still find it highly unlikely that Holmes and Adler became pen pals, her small connection was handled very well.)
Overall it's not a bad story. I found it interesting and it was a quick read. However I don't see this as being a story I would ever come back to. It could have been a lot better than it was, but if you like me enjoy Holmes and the Titanic, I'd say absolutely give it a try. You may enjoy it more than I did.
November 10, 2019
It was ok. Fine. Maybe 2.5 stars. There is a mystery and the Titanic sinks (oops, spoiler!). I didn’t feel the same thrill of following the clues as I feel when reading the original short stories. Still, as much as I adore Sherlock Holmes as a character, I see myself reading at least one of two other books in this series, all written by different authors and in varying time periods, which I think is awesome. Published (decent) fan fiction!
December 26, 2017
This is the second book in the Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes that I have read and unfortunately is the worst of the 2. The plot was painfully slow moving with so much going on I didn't feel that anything was explored in enough depth. I couldn't find any character development of either Sherlock or Watson, or any of the secondary characters. Very disappointing.
January 16, 2018
"Ritengo che l'umanità si sia fatta troppo arrogante, convinta com'è di aver superato una volta per tutte la forza della natura. Abbiamo dimenticato l'umiltà. Penso che, se non altro, il Titanic ci ricorderà di affrontare il futuro com maggiore umiltà."
Al di là del giallo, questo pensiero è molto molto attuale, purtroppo.
Al di là del giallo, questo pensiero è molto molto attuale, purtroppo.
July 5, 2024
December was the month of pro-fic, I guess; this one’s a credible outing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, who is entrusted to deliver top secret naval plans to New York on behalf of his brother, and transports them via, well, a doomed ship. I enjoyed this as a light read; not quite serious, and not at all brain candy.
June 7, 2017
This was an enjoyable story. An interesting interweaving of a real life tragedy and an iconic fictional character. Holmes and Watson felt in character and it is a worthy addition to the Further Adventures.
July 1, 2017
An enjoyable series, continuing the adventures of Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson. In this one Holmes & Watson travel on the Titanic, trying to protect submarine plans being delivered to Americans from the British. Fun, quick read! (Own)
November 3, 2024
Drivel. I still can't fathom why someone would write yet another sinking of the Titanic tale then to have the nerve to conceive of working Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson and the daughter of Irene Adler into the tale other than to create yet another pastiche in the race to make money.
December 25, 2017
Sherlock Holmes titanic tragedy
Very well written. It the first time I have read a Sherlock Holmes story. Looking forward to another chapter in the adventure of Sherlock Holmes
Very well written. It the first time I have read a Sherlock Holmes story. Looking forward to another chapter in the adventure of Sherlock Holmes
July 6, 2018
I’m obsessed with Sherlock stories and this was a really good one. Very similar to the originals...Good job to the writer👍🏻
November 5, 2018
این کتاب از آن جهت که دنباله رو و ادامه دهنده سبک نگارش آرتور کانن دویل بود ، قابل ملاحظه و برای علاقه‌مندا� به شخصیت شرلوک هولمز سرگرم کننده است.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.