5385. The Wreck of the Grosvenor, by W. Clark Russell (read 19 June 2016) I have wanted to read this book for years and when I came across a copy I was glad.. The book was first published in 1877. apparently by Dodd, Mead & Company.. The copy I read was published by Grosset and Dunlap but no year of publication is shown in the book. It starts out very excitingly and event is piled on event, including a rescue of a beautiful woman and her aged father and a murderous mutiny. There is a fierce storm, but after the mutineers leave the ship the story becomes didactic and overly sentimental and its very predictable conclusion made the book less satisfactory. , There is a lot of sailing ship language which certainly suggests the author knew a lot about sailing ships but adds nothing to the enjoyment of the story. ( )

"Clark Eussell deserves a whole shelf for himself, but anyhow you could not miss out " The Wreck of the
Grosvenor." " --Through the Magic Door, p. 241

The Wreck of the "Grosvenor" (1877) was "the most popular mid-Victorian melodrama of heroism and adventure at sea", according to John Sutherland. Russell was admired by Joseph Conrad and the similarities are striking. Russell wrote dozens of solid genre nautical fiction novels while Conrad took it to the level of literature, for better and worse. But if your looking for an easy to read 19th century sea tale with heroic deeds, evil captains, epic storms, salty old seamen who would stick ya, this is probably one of the best. It's not high literature but the action is non-stop, it feels authentic and it's a gripping plot. All around good light fun with forgotten semi-classic navel lit of the 19th century.

--Review by Stephen Balbach, via CoolReading (c) 2008 cc-by-nd ( )