Esta novela de acción es una auténtica obra maestra del género. Ambientada en la època victoriana, el brumoso Londres finisecular sirve de telón de fondo para el robo más espectacular del siglo. Una vez al mes sale de Londres con destino a París un tren que transporta la paga del ejército británico que lucha en Crimea. Las dos cajas fuertes que la contienen son inviolables, y para abrirlas, se necesitan cuatro llaves distintas que están en poder de cuatro personas. Sin embargo, las cajas llegan vacias a París....

It is like a real life Ocean's Eleven. It was a bit slow to start, but when we got to the actual heist it was crazy and impressive. ( )

9-10

This was fun. A "highly fictionalized" (according to the wiki gods) account of the planning and execution of the theft of gold bullion (worth approximately 1.2 million dollars in today's money) from a train in motion on the London to Folkestone run in 1855. The word "novel" is prominent on the cover, so no one should be misled, but it reads very much like good narrative non-fiction. For sheer 19th century hi-jinks, though, this is right up there with The Wild, Wild, West, and almost as preposterous. Liberties are taken with the facts, but it did happen, and almost caused an international incident as the gold was bound for France. As usual, Crichton's story-telling is irresistible. ( )

It was MAGIC! A fortune in gold was placed in two safes mounted in a special railroad car, under the watchful eyes of government and railway officials. The safes were locked. The doors to the carriage were locked. The car had been designed and constructed to be impenetrable. The train left the station. When it arrived at its destination, the car was unlocked, the safes opened, and—PRESTO CHANGO—the gold had been transmogrified into hundreds of steel balls.

The year was 1854. It would be two years before three men were brought to trial. The court record is voluminous, as is the journalistic record. Michael Crichton used these sources to assemble his narrative. But let us not overlook Crichton's mastery of storytelling here. He brings the characters, whether low-lifes or "respectable" citizens, to life through skillfully staged actions and conversations, the telling details, the timely revelations.

The mastermind was Edward Pierce, a man of unknown background but evidently of some means. Crichton wrote:

Edward Pierce…was positively exuberant in his approach to crime. Whatever his sources of income, whatever the truth of his background, one thing is certain: he was a master cracksman, or burglar, who over the years had accumulated sufficient capital to finance large-scale criminal operations, thus becoming what was called "a putter-up."

Initially, the pace is measured. Pierce has outlined his plan. He needs specialists for certain tasks. Discretion is as important as fast, efficient hands. Early in the story, Crichton described (based on court testimony) a meeting of Pierce with Robert Agar, a specialist.

The meeting was unplanned, Agar said, but he was not surprised when Pierce arrived. Agar had heard some talk about Pierce lately, and it sounded as though he might be putting up. Agar recalled that the conversation began without greetings or preliminaries.
  Agar said, "I heard that Spring Heel Jack's left Westminster."
  "I heard that," Pierce agreed, rapping with his silver-headed cane to draw the attention of the barman. Pierce ordered two glasses of the best whiskey, which Agar took as proof that this was to be a business discussion…
  "I also heard," Agar continued, "that he took the train."
  "He might have done…"
  "I…heard," Agar said with a sudden grin, "that you are putting up."
  "I may," Pierce said. He sipped his whiskey, and stared at the glass. "It used to be better here," he said reflectively. "Neddy must be watering his stock. What have you heard I am putting up for?"
  "A robbery," Agar said. "For a ream flash pull, if truth be told."
  "If truth be told," Pierce repeated. He seemed to find the phrase amusing. He turned away from the bar and looked at the women in the room. Several returned his glances warmly. "Everybody hears the pull bigger than life," he said finally.
  "Aye, that's so," Agar admitted, and sighed. (In his testimony, Agar was very clear about the histrionics involved. "Now I goes and gives a big sigh, you see, like to say my patience is wearing thin, because he's a cautious one, Pierce is, but I want to get down to it, so I gives a big sigh.")
  There was a brief silence. Finally Agar said, "It's two years gone since I saw you. Been busy?"
  "Traveling," Pierce said.
  …He looked at the glass of whiskey in Agar's hands, and the half-finished glass of gin and water Agar had been drinking before Pierce arrived. "How's the touch?"
  "Ever so nice," Agar said. To demonstrate, he held out his hands, palms flat, fingers wide: there was no tremor.
  "I may have one or two little things," Pierce said…
  "These one or two little things, could they be crib jobs?"
  "They could."
  "Dicey, are they?"
  "Very dicey," Pierce said.
  "Inside or outside?"
  "I don't know. You may need a canary or two when the time comes. And you will want a tight lip. If the first lay goes right enough, there will be more."
  Agar downed the rest of his whiskey, and waited. Pierce ordered him another.
  "Is it keys, then?" Agar asked.
  "It is."
  "Wax, or straightaway haul?"
  "Wax."
  "On the fly, or is there time?"
  "On the fly."
  "Right, then," Agar said. "I'm your man. I can do a wax on the fly faster than you can light your cigar."
  "I know that," Pierce said, striking a match on the counter top and holding it to the tip of his cigar…
  [Agar] watched Pierce puff on the cigar until it caught. "What's the lay to be, then?"
  Pierce looked at him coldly. "You'll know when the time comes."
  "You're a tight one."
  "That," Pierce said, "is why I have never been in," meaning that he had no prison record.

The book is as animated as a train. Not a runaway, mind you, always under Crichton's control, whether patiently panting beside the train platform or racing at breakneck speed. [The Great Train Robbery] is an engaging, entertaining read. I recommend it highly.