Not as interesting as one might suppose. A pretty straightforward tale of the planning, execution and aftermath of the titular heist. Crichton takes the basic facts of the case, substitutes the characters for some right out of Central Casting and tacks on a few movie-friendly moments (the daring key robbery that has to be carried out in 64 seconds, the walk on top of the train). Through it all, the characters use "authentic british criminal slang" for authenticity, a gag that gets tiresome quickly.

Good for a couple of days light reading, but seeing as it was written to be made into a movie (starring Sean Connery, no less) there's no reason not to watch that instead and be done in two hours.

n  Reasons why I implore you to check out this bookn



The Setting: The 1850's, Victorian England. Rich, colourful and detailed, this is one of the most dynamic periods of English history, forever loved by readers both young and old. It was a world of contradictions: beneath the aforementioned richness, lay the pall of poverty, sickness, prostitution and death, harboured by the ongoing Industrial Revolution. The author, Michael Chrichton flits so seamlessly between the two, that it creates a wonderfully vivid picture!


The Plot: Like another fellow reviewer so correctly said (I could not have put it better), imagine "Oceans Eleven" in Victorian England, and you will get the plot! Edward Pierce, a charismatic 'cracksman', or master thief, plans a heist to steal a shipment of twelve thousand pounds being transported on a train from London for the Crimean War. The novel, written mainly with the help of court proceedings ( It is based on a TRUE incident) talks about how he brought his plans into execution.


The Protagonist: The (anti)hero is so drool worthy that I actually fell in love with him! Yes, he's your typical bad-boy. He uses people for his needs, pretends to be in love with a rich lady with an ulterior motive, and even engages in stealing the government gold. But inspite of all that, he has a spark. His unabashed love for the thrill of flirting with danger makes him quite a thinking woman's sex symbol.


The Structure: The book is divided into 5 parts:
* Preparations
* The Keys
* Delays and Difficulties
* The Great Train Robbery
* Arrest and Trial

With short chapters(which is great as you can leave at any time, though you'd never feel like; instead, they'd make you feel like reading just one more before you go, which will end up making you read the full thing in a couple of sittings), Crichton does a marvelous job of describing the incidents along with providing a very interesting social and criminal commentary on the Victorian Age. Fast paced, and very gripping, this book is a perfect read for those long train journeys.

The Ending: I have hardly ever come across such a stylish book ending. I only wish that the heist had taken place a good 40 years later, so that Dr. Watson might have been able to chronicle Mr. Holmes' reactions to the matter. I would love to see a battle of brains between the enigmatic detective (who I'm sure Scotland Yard would have approached, with the case) and the smartest criminal of the Victorian Era.

Wait. Am I actually blurring the line between facts and fiction? Never mind, that's what stories are for anyway.

Off I go, for another great read. You my dear reader, by the way, do give this book a chance and experience the thrill for yourself!

Very good detective mystery. Chricton always researches his material well and this book has an excellent background on the Victorian era during the coming of the Trains and their effect on English society. Full of interesting historical minutae and a very good story as well. Highly recommend this superb read and its a short book.

★3.3/5★

Writing--4
Plot--3.5
Logic--3
Characters--3.5
Ending--3
Enjoyment--3

I enjoyed this quite a bit. I'd say it was one part history of the train robbery to two parts history of life in Victorian England, but that was actually its appeal. I learnt a lot of anecdotes and tidbits that will no doubt be useful later.

A thinking man's adventure-thriller -- even more so than any of his other works, this is easily Crichton's second-best novel over the course of his career. In almost every other effort he relentlessly covered contemporary or near-future territory and the theme of scary, or potentially dystopia-invoking technology. Here, 'Train Robbery' is where he really wrote something out of his usual comfort zone. Something really unique both for him and for the thriller genre.

It has quite a lot going for it. Historical setting, Anglophilia, some racy sexual peccadilloes; atmosphere; detailed settings and observations about the Victorian era; and fun characters. A mixture of history and embroidery; all with an engaging theme of larceny.

The story of the robbery itself, was unknown to most Americans at the time of the book's release--and perhaps still is. But the novel wowed those with a love for intelligent escapism; and stunned even those who thought they knew everything Crichton could do. They didn't. This concept --and the research needed to be carried out in order to tell the tale--landed with a very satisfying splash.

There's almost no complaint which can be leveled at it. Crichton was a superbly adroit, confident, polished storyteller. This strange crime yarn rollicks along with truly jolly, brisk, pacing and for once--in a work of Crichton's--there is no doom or gloom.

Crichton must have been a secret train enthusiast, can be the only deduction one can make: the book is obviously a labor of love. He coined some charming sequences in knitting together the threads of the story: the train sequence naturally happens at the end.

What you absorb long before you get there is a cornucopia of information about the Victorian underworld. The protagonist, strolling through a dark alley, about to be waylaid by cutpurses--suddenly extends a sword-cane. A harlot and a bobby have a confrontation. A wealthy merchant visits a brothel to get rid of a venereal disease. Another merchant has his pocket picked and the wallet replaced before he knows it was gone. Information about Londoner's paranoid fears of premature burial. Factoids about the dangers of 'railway sway' upon early carriage trains. The whole thing is just fascinating: data interwoven with light bits of dialog and repartee as four mysterious safe-keys must be obtained to open the safes aboard a moving train. So it is the tale of four separate individual Victorian heists, rather than just one.

Best and most monumental scene in the book: the details of how a veteran cat burglar cracks a safe in less than a minute, inbetween rounds of a passing sentry, in the dark, in stockinged feet. This scene was lost in the movie version; perhaps it is un-filmable. But you can hardly ask for a more riveting treat of a book.

A fun and exciting heist novel. The author gives plenty of detail into the daily life and culture of Victorian England. Michael Crichton takes you from the high ranking social classes, all the way down to the lowest of criminals, recounting the differing types of lifestyles and their unique trades. As always, he is a pleasure to read, and leaves you with a high paced page turner as well as in-depth knowledge.

This is a meticulously written and exciting reading adventure! The author is exceptionally skilled in relating the details of a complicated train robbery in such clear and engaging detail. Based on the author's intense research, the characters involved come back to vivid life after 165 years. Discussion of the contemporary Victorian social and economic conditions provide some valuable context to this riveting story. This was a most enjoyable read and I recommend it highly.

Likte veldig de små historiske dryppene gjennom hele boka, og den sakte, gode oppbygginga av selve plot'et. Godt språk og fint skrevet - en vinner for mitt vedkommende.

RTC

I like short books

Velká vlaková loupež je bravurně a pečlivě napsaná kniha. Autor si na knize dal doopravdy záležet. Je tam spousta informací, z nichž se jen tak bokem dozvíte o Anglii i o Londýně. Je to hodně zajímavá kniha. I když nebyla pro mě vždy úplně super čtivá, ale rozhodně byla pro mne v mnoha ohledech přínosná.

Mno ... je vidět, že už mi včera bylo blbě a byla jsem mimo. Protože ta moje stylistik... há byt češtin... jj. Omlouvám se.