The Great Train Robbery : A Novel

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Summary: The Great Train Robbery
Review: Antonio

The Great Train Robbery is one of the books that Michael Crichton wrote, and one of the best that I ever read. This fabulous book is about a Robbery on a train. It will be the greatest robbery in all times when Edward robbed a monthly London-to-Paris train, carrying gold bullion for the British Army in Crimea. To pull the trick off, a rich man who calls him-self Edward Pierce. Very little is known about Edward and he will pull the robbery off, not alone, but with 3 other companion, a screwsman called Robert Agar, Mr. Henry Flower and Elizabeth Trent. Robert is a friend of Edward, but has not seen him for 2 years. Screwsman are a specialist in working with keys. Mr. Henry knows Edward for 47 years, he admits that he has little knowledge about Edward... He has a problem, he has the location of 3 of the 4 keys of the safes and needs to find the other key. He dose, find the location of the 4 key and he meets a new helper on the way named Elizabeth Trent. One of the reasons I liked the book, The Great Train Robbery was because it explains the setting very well and in a way ease to understand. You also learn a little about a historical event that happened. The book really caches your attention is in the trials, at the very end after the master criminal Edward is caught. It caught my attention because I found out that Edward was absent of guiltiness after all he did their still was not enough proof that he had done it. I also thought that no one would forget what had happened and they would always talk about it, but it came out to be that every one forgot about every thing. I liked they way that the author changed what you thought would happen to the thing that you would never expect. I recommend this book for the people that have a lot of patient and that understand texts with a lot of details. Try to read it, because you will probably like it.

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Summary: The Great Michael Crichton
Review: This book is a fascinating story based on the true robbery which had the same name. Crichton gives a fascinating look at Victorian London and makes us feel there with period slang and vivid descriptions. An excellent read

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Summary: Detailed and Intriguing
Review: Just enough of the old english to keep me on my toes. This fast moving, very involved and intricate story kept me coming back for more. Ooh, how would they slip up? How could they possibly get caught? They had it all figured out? Knowing that it's based on fact made it even more interesting. A must read for Chrichton fans!

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Summary: A truly great book . . . .
Review: This book is very very good. It details a robbery in depth with many details regarding the participants, the period, and the machinations necessary to pull off a good robbery.

I know that previous paragraph doesn't seem scintillating, but, I promise, this book is very good. By the 50th page, you'll be dying to flip to the end to see how it works out. I haven't devoured a book the way I did this one in a long time. I keep re-reading parts of it again and again because of how well they are written, and how interesting the subject matter is.

If you've read any Crichton, this is among his finest.

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Summary: Read this book for the train ride of your life!
Review: Crichton isn't just a fiction writer, he is a master fiction writer. What is especially oustanding about Crichton's style is that he writes many of his books in documentary style. This leaves the reader almost convinced the story really happened. It is this unique quality that makes Crichton's fiction stand out from most other contemporary fiction.

"The Great Train Robbery" is an excellent example of Crichton's fiction. It is not only entertaining and suspenseful, but the historical setting and fine details will leave you wondering whether or not this really is a work of fiction or non-fiction! When a writer is able to write such a credible story which leaves the reader wondering whether this story really happened, one can have no doubt that the writer has been very successful in his literary craft.

Other recommended Crichton favorites include "Airframe", "Jurassic Park", "The Andromeda Strain", and "Timeline."

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Summary: What happened?
Review: Ugh. This book bored the hell out of me. I'm sorry to have to disagree with all the people who thought this book was great, but YAWN! I LOVE Michael Crichton's books, I've loved every single one he has written...except this one. Of course, this WAS one of the first books he wrote, it was written in the '70s, but man! OK, this is why I didn't like it. I couldn't concentrate on the characters, I didn't LIKE the characters, the beginning of the book was confusing, the plot was confusing, and it just plain didn't hold my interest. If you've never read Crichton before, DO NOT start off with this book. He's much better at science fiction and modern real life. Read "Jurassic Park" or "Sphere" first. I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me about this book, but I just did not like it like I love Crichton's other books.

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Summary: Another Must Read From MC
Review: A change of scenery from Crichton's usual work, but good nonetheless. The plot and characterization are top-notch, and the detail used in the novel is fascinating, as are the facts about Victorian London. Seemingly mundane things like stealing a key or even discussing how to break into a building are made exciting in this book because of the way that Crichton portrays and explains them. The ending is also good, which is somewhat rare for Michael.

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Summary: Thrilling and original
Review: A deviously complex tale told by Michael Crichton, the Great Train Robbery is his ultimate work (tied with Sphere). Told with breakneck pacing and energy, Crichton describes exactly how Edward Pierce planned and commited on of the most audacious crimes of the Victorian Era, the theft of 12,500 pounds worth of gold bullion. Crichton (and the reader) are thouroughly fasinated by the game of chess being played by a lively and original protagonist. Though Crichton provides his usual detailed descriptions and excellent research, his gallery of incredible characters is what makes the story run like clockwork.

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Summary: Just not quite there.
Review: I have read all of Crichton's works, and usually come away well satisfied when I close whatever book I happen to have read. I can't say the same for The Great Train Robbery. Yes, it is very well-written, and portrays Victorian England in a realism I've rarely seen before. Yes, the characters are lively and interesting. But I was so bored! I literally had to force myself to finish, and to be honest, don't remember much of the plot. I feel that this is a departure from the quality of much of Crichton's other work. While most fans are going to read it simply because it's Crichton, I wouldn't recommend it to new readers. Try Time Line or Jurassic Park first.

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Summary: A Good Read...
Review: I read this book for a book report several years ago. It definately kept my attention. It's a tough write, keeping a story going amidst a historical perspective, as this book does. But Crichton does a good job of accurately protraying the entire plot, front to end. A good read. I could have done without some of the sexual content but otherwise it was a recommendable book.