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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
http://girlsinthestacks.com/reviews/2012/01/audiobook-review-the-watch-that-ends-the-night/
Quite good! This is such a tragic story, I can't say this is a fun read, but its an interesting way to illustrate the humanity of the story. A must read for Titanic buffs, and others will get a lot from the history.
i love everything about the titanic, and i really found this really good, u never know what the people who lost their lives that day were thinking. and maybe they were thinking what was written and maybe not. but its something to look at and wonder.
Absolutely fabulous! When I saw that this audio version won the Audie award for best achievement in production, I decided to try it. I would recommend that you check out both the book and the audio version. What a masterpiece to put this in a poetic form that does not seem at all forced, to include all of the painstaking research, and to make us care about all of the individuals involved. I was so glad that Wolf included the many notes that he did at the end of the book. I often found myself wondering how much was true and how much was improvised. To me, one measure of a good book is that when it is over, you still want to know more. Wolf provided more than enough resources for that!
I know this may not seem possible, but I actually have never seen the movie "Titanic". So, other people may have taken some of the things in this book for granted that really made me stop and reflect. The careful work and point of view of the undertaker made me look at his job differently; the cacophony of voices when people were struggling in the water was truly painful to listen to. At first, I thought the inclusion of the rat and the iceberg as characters was a stretch, but, ultimately, it worked.
I learned quite a bit about the Titanic, such as the fact that they figured to make quite a bit of money from the sheer number of third class passengers they would transport, and also from carrying mail. The use of so many different characters provided so many interesting contrasts, whether it's Margaret Brown as opposed to children, Astor compared to the less wealthy, Frankie compared to Elias. I have to admit that the one time I finally cried was at the end when Frankie still thought he would see his father, and that he now understood that his mother could still love him while missing Bertie. I would like to follow up by reading some of his works relating to the Titanic.
I really don't know why Wolf felt he had to adjust some of the facts; the book packed plenty of punch without Jamila losing her money belt, her fleeting meetings with Alfred, and some of the other fabrications.
Some of the audio episodes are truly outstanding, and I am so thankful that I got to hear them. For instance, the poem "The First-Class and Third-Class Promenade" found on page 225 of the book, is wonderful. I would not have appreciated all of the nuances simply reading it to myself. But, the formatting of the book was very well done, so I'm glad I had to book to refer to as well.
I know this may not seem possible, but I actually have never seen the movie "Titanic". So, other people may have taken some of the things in this book for granted that really made me stop and reflect. The careful work and point of view of the undertaker made me look at his job differently; the cacophony of voices when people were struggling in the water was truly painful to listen to. At first, I thought the inclusion of the rat and the iceberg as characters was a stretch, but, ultimately, it worked.
I learned quite a bit about the Titanic, such as the fact that they figured to make quite a bit of money from the sheer number of third class passengers they would transport, and also from carrying mail. The use of so many different characters provided so many interesting contrasts, whether it's Margaret Brown as opposed to children, Astor compared to the less wealthy, Frankie compared to Elias. I have to admit that the one time I finally cried was at the end when Frankie still thought he would see his father, and that he now understood that his mother could still love him while missing Bertie. I would like to follow up by reading some of his works relating to the Titanic.
I really don't know why Wolf felt he had to adjust some of the facts; the book packed plenty of punch without Jamila losing her money belt, her fleeting meetings with Alfred, and some of the other fabrications.
Some of the audio episodes are truly outstanding, and I am so thankful that I got to hear them. For instance, the poem "The First-Class and Third-Class Promenade" found on page 225 of the book, is wonderful. I would not have appreciated all of the nuances simply reading it to myself. But, the formatting of the book was very well done, so I'm glad I had to book to refer to as well.
"Maybe there will be dragons in the sea."
Ask any of my friends- if there is one historical event I loathe learning about, reading about- or watching documentaries about- it's the infamous sinking of the Titanic. I don't know why- maybe it's because I have family members who make a living on ships or it's because it was an avoidable tragedy- I just have never, never liked it.
But The Watch That Ends The Night takes the tragedy of the Titanic and made it real for me. It allowed me to bear witness to this horrific event in human history. The novel is told in prose and covers 21 different perspectives- from cooks to shiprats, promenades to stokers, and officers to immigrants. If you spend enough time with Wold's rhythmic monologues-in-verse, the lives of these men, women, and children come to life. I was shocked at how sad I was at the end; I felt a tremendous sense of loss for people I had never met.
"Watch how the water licks Titanic's hull.
Hear how the water makes her rivers creak.
See how, before her trip even begins,
The water is obsessed with getting in.
Books written in free verse are usually a hit or miss and I find that the writing style usually succeeds when combined with historical fiction (I suggest the fantastic Witness by Karen Hesse if you are interested in more free-verse historical fiction), so The Watch That Ends The Night had a few points before I even picked up the book. On the other hand, the novel is very similar to Anthony Doerr's pulitzer-prize winning All The Light We Cannot See: the plot is not important in neither novels; a poetic tale of humanity- in all it's cruelty, beauty, and terror- takes precedence.
"Old money figured out long ago that the rich are just as miserable as the poor."
Wolf's novel covers many, many themes- classism, racism, feminism, and xenophobia all across the novel. I also loved how Wolf does not preach in this book: he let's characters give in to their ignorance, their greed, and at times, their instinct to love. I do not know why this book is classified as Young Adult- since I think all these themes should not be confined to just one audience- this novel would be enjoyed by readers of all ages. I can definitely see this book used in history lessons about the Titanic, drama exercises, in addition to recreational reading.
"Thank God Eleanor and I were both born poor
so the concept of fidelity was allowed to take root in us.
Marriage without struggle is like an unfired clay pot.
It is easily made but will not stand the test of time."
Of course, there were things in this book that were not good- it was a bit long, I'll say- but there are 21 perspectives so this can be excused. I also did not prefer some of the perspectives- the words of the Stoker and the Gambler were so boring I felt myself skimming through their parts. Also, I feel like the iceberg should have had a little bit more empathy, but the again, it is an iceberg.
"I know you do not trust steamships.
But will you trust me?"
I can promise you there is 99% chance I will never see the movie Titanic- and its not because I hate to see love stories end tragically or that I would hate to see Leonardo Di Caprio drown in the deep- but because I have already had my fill of the Titanic with The Watch That Ends The Night. Thank you, Allan Wolf, for writing such a beautiful book.
slow-paced
Magnificent. The story of the Titanic, told from the point of view of 24 characters through poetry. Beautifully written. I would like to enjoy this again in audio form. This is a must read.
Fascinating historical fiction told in verse through the eyes of several people who were aboard the Titanic. As intriguing and heart-wrenching as the subject matter suggests.
As always, Wolf’s work feels well-researched and unbiased. At the end of the book, he details his extensive studies and notes any discrepancies debated or liberties taken, which I always appreciate. Wolf chose narrators that provide many different angles to that fateful night- both passengers and crew, survivors as well as those lost. He does a brilliant job bringing so much life and personality to these many unknown names. I especially enjoyed reading the accounts of what happened to many of the survivors after their rescue.
The structure of the novel and the poetry was a little hit or miss for me. I tended to enjoy the poetry with a clear structure or rhyme scheme more than I did the others. Some of the poetry that provided parallel narratives were really cool as well. Choosing to narrate a portion of the story from the perspective of the iceberg was a really interesting choice which added a surprising amount of value to the story.
My only real complaint concerns the pacing. This book feels way longer than it needs to be and the story did lag at times. Readers spend about 2/3 of the book getting to know characters and exploring life aboard the ship before we get into the more historically relevant bits. I feel like those beginning sections could have been severely edited down without losing anything majorly impactful to the overall story.
All in all, really cool read that explores little known individuals who were part of a tragic historical event through poetry and first-person narration. Especially great for readers who might want to know more about what it was like on the ship before the tragedy or what happened directly after.
As always, Wolf’s work feels well-researched and unbiased. At the end of the book, he details his extensive studies and notes any discrepancies debated or liberties taken, which I always appreciate. Wolf chose narrators that provide many different angles to that fateful night- both passengers and crew, survivors as well as those lost. He does a brilliant job bringing so much life and personality to these many unknown names. I especially enjoyed reading the accounts of what happened to many of the survivors after their rescue.
The structure of the novel and the poetry was a little hit or miss for me. I tended to enjoy the poetry with a clear structure or rhyme scheme more than I did the others. Some of the poetry that provided parallel narratives were really cool as well. Choosing to narrate a portion of the story from the perspective of the iceberg was a really interesting choice which added a surprising amount of value to the story.
My only real complaint concerns the pacing. This book feels way longer than it needs to be and the story did lag at times. Readers spend about 2/3 of the book getting to know characters and exploring life aboard the ship before we get into the more historically relevant bits. I feel like those beginning sections could have been severely edited down without losing anything majorly impactful to the overall story.
All in all, really cool read that explores little known individuals who were part of a tragic historical event through poetry and first-person narration. Especially great for readers who might want to know more about what it was like on the ship before the tragedy or what happened directly after.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense