What do you think?
Rate this book
Приключения Эраста Фандорина #3
Левиафан
On 15th March 1878 Lord Littleby, an English eccentric and collector, is found murdered in his Paris house together with nine members of his staff. A gold whale in the victim's hand leads Erast Fandorin to board the Leviathan, the world's largest steamship, as the murderer is one of the 142 first class passengers.
Commissioner Gauche of the French police has narrowed down the suspects to ten, and they are forced to eat together at every meal time in the ship's Windsor Suite until 'the Crime of the Century' is solved. But is the murderer really at the table, and can Erast Fandorin discover his or her identity before Gauche? As more passengers are murdered and the Leviathan heads towards Calcutta, Fandorin needs all his investigative skills to find the truth.
Commissioner Gauche of the French police has narrowed down the suspects to ten, and they are forced to eat together at every meal time in the ship's Windsor Suite until 'the Crime of the Century' is solved. But is the murderer really at the table, and can Erast Fandorin discover his or her identity before Gauche? As more passengers are murdered and the Leviathan heads towards Calcutta, Fandorin needs all his investigative skills to find the truth.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1998
116 people are currently reading
2092 people want to read
About the author
Boris Akunin
297 books1,640 followersReal name - Grigory Shalvovich Chkhartishvili (Russian: Борис Акунин; Georgian: გრიგორი შალვას ძე ჩხარტიშვილი; Аlso see Grigory Chkhartishvili, Григорий Чхартишвили), born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1956. Since 1958 he lives in Moscow. Writer and translator from Japanese. Author of crime stories set in tsarist Russia. In 1998 he made his debut with novel Azazel (to English readers known as The Winter Queen), where he created Erast Pietrovich Fandorin.
B. Akunin refers to Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin and Akuna, home name of Anna Akhmatova, Russian poet.
In September of 2000, Akunin was named Russian Writer of the Year and won the "Antibooker" prize in 2000 for his Erast Fandorin novel Coronation, or the last of the Romanovs.
Akunin also created crime-solving Orthodox nun, sister Pelagia, and literary genres.
His pseudonyms are Анатолий Брусникин and Анна Борисова. In some Dutch editions he is also known as Boris Akoenin.
B. Akunin refers to Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin and Akuna, home name of Anna Akhmatova, Russian poet.
In September of 2000, Akunin was named Russian Writer of the Year and won the "Antibooker" prize in 2000 for his Erast Fandorin novel Coronation, or the last of the Romanovs.
Akunin also created crime-solving Orthodox nun, sister Pelagia, and literary genres.
His pseudonyms are Анатолий Брусникин and Анна Борисова. In some Dutch editions he is also known as Boris Akoenin.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 439 reviews
February 6, 2018
This is a classic cozy-mystery, in the style of Agatha Christie. Fandorin is on board a ship to Japan, the set of suspects and location is fixed, and we're treated to whodunnit style plot twists. A great mix of Christie and Russian culture.
Note that this is one of those books where the ebook really misses out on typographical wizardry. The sections written from the POV of the Japanese character are printed sideways, to mimic Japanese print.
What to Expect
Each novel is written as a different type of mystery. Akunin set out to rectify the low-brow reputation of the mystery genre in post-USSR Russia by writing worthy literature and exploring the wide gamut of sub-genres. Each novel is therefore excellently written as a different type of detective case. While there is continuity in the protagonist's life between the novels, each is very different in themes and tones.
I've written a condensed review of the whole series on my website.
What I liked
I like the writing style. The prose is intelligent and flowing, the mysteries are complex, and the cast is varied (though those that make repeat appearances tend to die). Fandorin himself is a great character, even though as a main character he still remains an enigma - a tantalising mystery in itself that keeps readers engaged and clamouring to know more.
I love the historical background. Akunin has done his research into Russian culture, mannerisms, environment, personalities, etc. of the late 19th century / early 20th century. Most of the stories take place around Moscow, and Fandorin gets to meet and associate with the people of the times (from the low-life criminals of Khitrovka, to the grand-dukes of the imperial family). In a few cases, Akunin also has Fandorin active around notable events of the era, at times filling in details where history has left us stumped.
Akunin is also a Japanophile, and has Fandorin spend a few years in Japan. While details are sketchy (and we want more! More!), it is clear that he has a great love and deep knowledge of that culture and times.
What to be aware of
Be aware that each of the novel is told in a different style. Besides the obvious (something new and different in each volume), one keyword is 'told'. They are almost all in 3rd person perspective, and quite often not from the point of view of Erast Fandorin (which is both tantalising and frustrating at times). It's this distance that keeps Fandorin an enigma, and keeps us coming back to learn more.
Fandorin has a Sherlockian intellect and impressive physical prowess. He is not without his faults (most notably hubris), but as a hero he is certainly a cut above the rest. He also tends to get involved with a different femme fatale in each book. This suits the detective genre perfectly, regardless of modern sensibilities.
While the books are not really related and have few continuing characters, I'd still strongly recommend to read them in order.
Lastly, and this has nothing to do with Fandorin, since these are professional translations (amazingly done by Andrew Bromfield) via a traditional publisher, the price of ebooks and hardcovers is almost the same. The ebooks are also missing some of the illustrations and other typographical effects that are present in the print. I'd definitely recommend reading the print edition, where possible.
Summary
Should you read these novels? Yes! By all means, if you love historical mysteries these novels are a must read. It is an intelligent, engaging, and just different enough series to be in a class of its own. It's not surprising that in his home country of Russia, Akunin out-sells JK Rowling. In fact, since it's been a few years since I've read them, I think I'll go back and re-read my favourites (Winter Queen, State Counsellor, and The Coronation).
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
Note that this is one of those books where the ebook really misses out on typographical wizardry. The sections written from the POV of the Japanese character are printed sideways, to mimic Japanese print.
What to Expect
Each novel is written as a different type of mystery. Akunin set out to rectify the low-brow reputation of the mystery genre in post-USSR Russia by writing worthy literature and exploring the wide gamut of sub-genres. Each novel is therefore excellently written as a different type of detective case. While there is continuity in the protagonist's life between the novels, each is very different in themes and tones.
I've written a condensed review of the whole series on my website.
What I liked
I like the writing style. The prose is intelligent and flowing, the mysteries are complex, and the cast is varied (though those that make repeat appearances tend to die). Fandorin himself is a great character, even though as a main character he still remains an enigma - a tantalising mystery in itself that keeps readers engaged and clamouring to know more.
I love the historical background. Akunin has done his research into Russian culture, mannerisms, environment, personalities, etc. of the late 19th century / early 20th century. Most of the stories take place around Moscow, and Fandorin gets to meet and associate with the people of the times (from the low-life criminals of Khitrovka, to the grand-dukes of the imperial family). In a few cases, Akunin also has Fandorin active around notable events of the era, at times filling in details where history has left us stumped.
Akunin is also a Japanophile, and has Fandorin spend a few years in Japan. While details are sketchy (and we want more! More!), it is clear that he has a great love and deep knowledge of that culture and times.
What to be aware of
Be aware that each of the novel is told in a different style. Besides the obvious (something new and different in each volume), one keyword is 'told'. They are almost all in 3rd person perspective, and quite often not from the point of view of Erast Fandorin (which is both tantalising and frustrating at times). It's this distance that keeps Fandorin an enigma, and keeps us coming back to learn more.
Fandorin has a Sherlockian intellect and impressive physical prowess. He is not without his faults (most notably hubris), but as a hero he is certainly a cut above the rest. He also tends to get involved with a different femme fatale in each book. This suits the detective genre perfectly, regardless of modern sensibilities.
While the books are not really related and have few continuing characters, I'd still strongly recommend to read them in order.
Lastly, and this has nothing to do with Fandorin, since these are professional translations (amazingly done by Andrew Bromfield) via a traditional publisher, the price of ebooks and hardcovers is almost the same. The ebooks are also missing some of the illustrations and other typographical effects that are present in the print. I'd definitely recommend reading the print edition, where possible.
Summary
Should you read these novels? Yes! By all means, if you love historical mysteries these novels are a must read. It is an intelligent, engaging, and just different enough series to be in a class of its own. It's not surprising that in his home country of Russia, Akunin out-sells JK Rowling. In fact, since it's been a few years since I've read them, I think I'll go back and re-read my favourites (Winter Queen, State Counsellor, and The Coronation).
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
January 29, 2008
I am a slow, really slow, reader but this book took me a day and a half. For someone faster, it may be a matter of hours. I suppose that's all recommending you need, but here is some more. Akunin -- recommended to me as "the best Russian novelist today" (except that he's Georgian) -- writes a really hilarious parody of Agatha Christie-type murder mysteries, notably a novel like "Murder on the Orient Express." What he "takes" from Christie is a confined luxurious setting (in his case, it's a large steamer), an international cast (they are all sorts of Europeans, one Japanese, one Indian, one African), and meticulous Hercule Poirot logic. However, Akunin deals with gross national stereotypes with magnificent irony and much of the humor comes from pitting the French against the English, everyone against the Japanese, with the Russian elegantly above them all. In the end, you get a very funny retro-contemporary image of the European Union and its debates (Germans excluded), various colonial stereotypes and all sorts of erroneous readings of "national character." The novel is set in 1870s, on a large steam ship sailing from Europe to India. Two detectives are competing for clues and solutions: one is Gustave Gauche, a clumsy ambitious Frenchmen, the other is Erast Fandorin, Akunin's steady sleuth, a handsome Russian who stammers, but wins almost all the ladies' hearts! What is absolutely brilliant about this murder mystery is the fact that: 1) you have all the clues to solve it yourself (unlike in Agatha Christie or Conan Doyle where new information suddenly pours in at the end, and oh, if you had only known...), 2) interpretations offered by the "expert" (Gauche) and the passengers are clearly wrong since they follow clues based on phrenology or physiognomy or national type. Not only is it a great detective novel but also a hilarious critique of the genre!
October 5, 2022
לסקירה מפורטת בעברית קישור לבלוג שלי -
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/לווי...
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/לווי...
June 29, 2019
ספר מושלם. כתיבה מצוינת. תענוג. נהניתי מכל רגע.
הספר הוא תעלומת מתח בלשית במחווה ברורה לספריה של אגתה קריסטי ולספרים בלשיים אחרים. דמותו של פנדורין בספר זה שואבת בצורה ברורה ובולטת משרלוק הולמס. הסופר עובר בין נקודות המבט של הדמויות בצורה פשוט מושלמת, והעלילה מרתקת. קשה לי לתאר עד כמה נהניתי מהספר הזה. שוב - פשוט ספר מושלם.
הספר הוא תעלומת מתח בלשית במחווה ברורה לספריה של אגתה קריסטי ולספרים בלשיים אחרים. דמותו של פנדורין בספר זה שואבת בצורה ברורה ובולטת משרלוק הולמס. הסופר עובר בין נקודות המבט של הדמויות בצורה פשוט מושלמת, והעלילה מרתקת. קשה לי לתאר עד כמה נהניתי מהספר הזה. שוב - פשוט ספר מושלם.
December 2, 2013
A couple of years ago I read Akunin's Sister Pelagia & the White Bulldog, and rather enjoyed it -- enough, anyway, to give him another try. I really had no idea of the treat I had in store: this is a splendid piece, by turns poignant, mystifying and (often gloriously) funny.
In 1878 there's a ghastly mass murder in a Paris home, and a sacred gold statue and a shawl, both treasures from British-conquered India, are stolen. The statue is dredged up from the bottom of the Seine not long after. The only clue the cops have is that the murderer left behind a distinctive golden badge; shaped like a whale, this is one of a limited edition made specially for the maiden voyage of a new cruise liner, the Leviathan, due soon to make the run from London to Calcutta. Accordingly, a senior Parisian detective, the pompous Inspecteur Gauche, is put aboard the vessel to see if he can sniff out the killer. When the ship reaches Port Said a new passenger boards; he proves to be Akunin's series detective, the stammering young Russian diplomat Erast Fandorin.
The route to the revelation of more than a single murderer is tortuous, and I'll not detail it here. The viewpoint character changes from one chapter to the next (two of those characters are first-person narrators, one being a diarist and the other a letter-writer), a device that could have been off-putting but here works with a lovely ease. And the personalities of the various central characters are beautifully unfolded, in all their humor and horror. The tale is a very tall one, but then so are many of those told by Akunin's precursors in this particular style of detective story: Wilkie Collins, Margery Allingham, Ellery Queen, John Dickson Carr . . .
And now, dammit, I have to go find myself some more of Akunin's novels.
In 1878 there's a ghastly mass murder in a Paris home, and a sacred gold statue and a shawl, both treasures from British-conquered India, are stolen. The statue is dredged up from the bottom of the Seine not long after. The only clue the cops have is that the murderer left behind a distinctive golden badge; shaped like a whale, this is one of a limited edition made specially for the maiden voyage of a new cruise liner, the Leviathan, due soon to make the run from London to Calcutta. Accordingly, a senior Parisian detective, the pompous Inspecteur Gauche, is put aboard the vessel to see if he can sniff out the killer. When the ship reaches Port Said a new passenger boards; he proves to be Akunin's series detective, the stammering young Russian diplomat Erast Fandorin.
The route to the revelation of more than a single murderer is tortuous, and I'll not detail it here. The viewpoint character changes from one chapter to the next (two of those characters are first-person narrators, one being a diarist and the other a letter-writer), a device that could have been off-putting but here works with a lovely ease. And the personalities of the various central characters are beautifully unfolded, in all their humor and horror. The tale is a very tall one, but then so are many of those told by Akunin's precursors in this particular style of detective story: Wilkie Collins, Margery Allingham, Ellery Queen, John Dickson Carr . . .
And now, dammit, I have to go find myself some more of Akunin's novels.
September 27, 2019
На борда на “Левиатан” дебне смъртта: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/l...
През първите месеци на 1878 г. в Париж е извършено чудовищно престъпление в къщата на прочут колекционер – убит е не само той, но и всичките му слуги, дори деца. Разследването е централна тема във всички медии, а начело му е прочутият комисар Гюстав Гош, който има основания да подозира, че извършителят бяга на борда на огромния кораб “Левиатан”, поел на дълго пътуване. Още по-важно – на борда се качва и Ераст Фандорин, изпратен към Япония след края на Руско-турската война. В камерната обстановка на кораба кръгът на заподозрените бързо се стеснява, а и поредица от зловещи събития превръщат идиличното пътуване в арена на силни страсти.
Storytel
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/l...
През първите месеци на 1878 г. в Париж е извършено чудовищно престъпление в къщата на прочут колекционер – убит е не само той, но и всичките му слуги, дори деца. Разследването е централна тема във всички медии, а начело му е прочутият комисар Гюстав Гош, който има основания да подозира, че извършителят бяга на борда на огромния кораб “Левиатан”, поел на дълго пътуване. Още по-важно – на борда се качва и Ераст Фандорин, изпратен към Япония след края на Руско-турската война. В камерната обстановка на кораба кръгът на заподозрените бързо се стеснява, а и поредица от зловещи събития превръщат идиличното пътуване в арена на силни страсти.
Storytel
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/l...
March 2, 2021
רוצח מסוכן נמצא יחד עם פנדורין על אוניית הפאר לווייתן והוא צריך לגלות מיהו מתוך הנוסעים. הרוצח לא יהסס לרצוח שוב.
ספר שהוא מחוה לספרי הבלשים הקלסיים בסגנון אגתה כריסטי. כבר קראתי בעבר אבל לא זכרתי את הפתרון ונהניתי שוב. ההערות בסוף (בשתי צורות שונות) מוסיפות אבל קוטעות מאוד את שטף הקריאה. אני יודע שהן חלק מהסדרה של פנדורין אבל חבל שההוצאה לא השכילה לשלב אותן בצורה שוטפת יותר.
ספר שהוא מחוה לספרי הבלשים הקלסיים בסגנון אגתה כריסטי. כבר קראתי בעבר אבל לא זכרתי את הפתרון ונהניתי שוב. ההערות בסוף (בשתי צורות שונות) מוסיפות אבל קוטעות מאוד את שטף הקריאה. אני יודע שהן חלק מהסדרה של פנדורין אבל חבל שההוצאה לא השכילה לשלב אותן בצורה שוטפת יותר.
October 28, 2023
Das hat mir wirklich Spaß gemacht.
Setting ist 1878 auf einem Schiff Richtung Kalkutta und er zitiert Christie und auch Conan Doyle. Es ist intelligent und witzig.
Setting ist 1878 auf einem Schiff Richtung Kalkutta und er zitiert Christie und auch Conan Doyle. Es ist intelligent und witzig.
April 6, 2018
הספרים "עזאזל" ו"גמביט טורקי", שהם הראשון והשני בסדרת המסתורין "תיבת פנדורין", היו טובים מאד ועשו חשק להמשיך לחלק השלישי בסדרה שהוא ספר זה. בספר זה אקונין מתעלה על עצמו ומעמיד בפני הקורא ספר מרתק מאין כמוהו, כתוב בסגנון שמזכיר את אגתה כריסטי ומלא בהפתעות ותהפוכות כמיטב המסורת בז'אנר. ספר זה מציב רף מאד גבוה לספרים הבאים, רף שמסקרן אותי להיווכח אם הצליח לשחזר או אף לעבור בהמשך הסדרה...
April 27, 2019
DNF. This is the second time I’ve tried this author’s series and it’s really not for me. The plots are complex but hang together even more on coincidence than usual for a mystery. But what really kills it for me is the casual misogyny and racism just sprinkled through the books. Every woman is shrill, foolish, clutching, greedy, obnoxious, sexually fascinated by the main character. Every non-European character is described in the broadest possible strokes, falling fully into racist descriptions and character traits.
Having read many, many mysteries from the Golden Age of fiction I can say with authority that even when those books fall prey to generalized racism and misogyny there are OFTEN individual characters who are more than just their cookie-cutter stereotypes. It’s not that characters can’t or don’t exhibit cultural attitudes that would be frowned upon today, because I understand that. It’s the sloppy, unexamined characterization and as a result the poor writing that this kind of generalization represents which ruins the books for me.
I’ll go back to other historical fiction writers who use a more subtle, thoughtful and layered approach to the varieties of humanity.
In its favor: interesting time period and many possible suspects. Fast-moving, complex plot.
Having read many, many mysteries from the Golden Age of fiction I can say with authority that even when those books fall prey to generalized racism and misogyny there are OFTEN individual characters who are more than just their cookie-cutter stereotypes. It’s not that characters can’t or don’t exhibit cultural attitudes that would be frowned upon today, because I understand that. It’s the sloppy, unexamined characterization and as a result the poor writing that this kind of generalization represents which ruins the books for me.
I’ll go back to other historical fiction writers who use a more subtle, thoughtful and layered approach to the varieties of humanity.
In its favor: interesting time period and many possible suspects. Fast-moving, complex plot.
February 2, 2011
Diverting entry in an ongoing series. Erast Fandorin is a charming, nineteenth-century Russian James Bond-if-he-was-fathered-by-Nero-Wolfe sleuth trapped on board a huge new luxury liner with a greedy, murderous genius who is after the world's greatest hoard of gemstones.
People die right and left as the sleuth, ineptly assisted by seemingly every passenger assigned to eat in his dining room, closes in on the inevitable identification of the killer/fortune hunter. Much entertaining diversion available, though the novice to the series can pick this volume up and start right here with no fear of missing a step. Akunin is a master of the enriching aside, the grace note that adds a little something to the series' fans' pleasure, but isn't required for the newcomer to understand to get the full impact of the story or the characters.
Genially recommended.
People die right and left as the sleuth, ineptly assisted by seemingly every passenger assigned to eat in his dining room, closes in on the inevitable identification of the killer/fortune hunter. Much entertaining diversion available, though the novice to the series can pick this volume up and start right here with no fear of missing a step. Akunin is a master of the enriching aside, the grace note that adds a little something to the series' fans' pleasure, but isn't required for the newcomer to understand to get the full impact of the story or the characters.
Genially recommended.
July 15, 2014
Да, да....точно така, това са 5 звезди! Безупречен, интересен, интригуващ...дори забавих четенето, за да удължа удоволствието.
Акунин отново показва безупречния си стил. А Ераст Фандорин е...ех. Образът му на невероятно логичен и интелигентен мъж се развива все повече, а романтичния ореол около героя засия още по-силно. Нищо общо с влюбения наивен младок от "Азазель".
В "Левиатан" мистерията е пълна, повестта започва с гръм и трясък, мигновена интрига и загадка и грабва още от първата страница...буквално! И не пуска до края. Повеста се развива и от постоянната смяна на гледните точки, които са интересни и заради разнообразието от герои ( полово и културно). Чудесно, чудесно произведение!
Акунин отново показва безупречния си стил. А Ераст Фандорин е...ех. Образът му на невероятно логичен и интелигентен мъж се развива все повече, а романтичния ореол около героя засия още по-силно. Нищо общо с влюбения наивен младок от "Азазель".
В "Левиатан" мистерията е пълна, повестта започва с гръм и трясък, мигновена интрига и загадка и грабва още от първата страница...буквално! И не пуска до края. Повеста се развива и от постоянната смяна на гледните точки, които са интересни и заради разнообразието от герои ( полово и културно). Чудесно, чудесно произведение!
October 14, 2020
Kaut kad stipri sen biju jau lasījusi, bet pietiekami veiksmīgi atrisinājumu aizmirsusi. Ļoti rekomendējams darbs klasiska detektīva cienītājiem - briesmīgs noziegums, indiešu radžu dārgakmeņi, slēgta vide (kuģis "Leviatāns"), ierobežots aizdomās turamo skaits, mazliet aprobežots, bet visumā lādzīgs policists (šajā gadījumā franču izmeklētājs), kāds pavisam aizdomīgs ārzemnieks (japāņu samuraju pēctecis), dažādu vecumu dāmas, mazliet nojucis angļu džentlmenis un, protams, harizmātisks izmeklētājs - mazliet stostīgais, bet lieliskais Erasts Fandorins.
Es teiktu - īsta vasaras lasāmviela. Vai šajā gadījumā - klausāmviela.
Es teiktu - īsta vasaras lasāmviela. Vai šajā gadījumā - klausāmviela.
March 12, 2019
The 3rd book of the Erast Fandorin detective series and one of the best. First of all, you do not need to read books 1 or 2 in order to enjoy this book and what is going on. Not a lot of backstory used in the book. Here we have a horrendous mass murder in Paris, along with the robbery of two items from the house, a total of 10 people were killed as part of this robbery. The trail of the criminal now takes us to the inaugural sailing of the giant and extremely plush cruise ship - the Leviathan. It is upon that ship that the criminal must be found, and enjoying this sailing is Erast Fandorin. We have a wonderful set up of a Paris Investigator vs. Fandorin, each of whom is trying to find out who is the killer. And, to make matters worse, people are now being murdered on the boat! It's a race against time to find a master criminal and we are fortunate to be tagging along as a passenger on this cruise!
September 3, 2024
Я тут про себя узнала, что мне (оказывается) безумно нравится жанр "закрытого детектива". Оказывается, я чрезмерно люблю всех подозревать, искать улики, логические объяснения. Оказывается, что произведение Левиафан - как раз такого вида птица!
Да, уважаемый читатель, порой мне тяжко писать на русском, поэтому свои мысли высказываю по мере своих возможностей) В детстве, на мой взгляд, я писала гораздо лучше. Чего только стоит стихотворение семилетней Наташи (вашей покорной слуги), которое гласит, что жукам холодно зимой =) Что-то я слишком увлеклась. Back to the book review.
Изумительно описанная, трагическая история, которую по мере раскрывания сюжета пытаются решить практически ВСЕ главные герои. Корабль Левиафан - замкнутое пространство, которое (хоть на чуть-чуть) ограничивает список подозреваемых. Блестяще описанные разносортные персонажи не дают соскучиться, а мудро мыслящий Эраст Фандорин - как всегда на высоте. Но в то же время он показан как абсолютно нормальный человек, который тоже имеет право на ошибки.
5 звёзд и записываю себе в список книг для повторного прочтения в следующем году)
2024 update: отличная книга для прочтения в путешествиях. Перечитывая её спустя два года, уже и позабыла, кто был убийца и во время прочтения пыталась активно это вспомнить)
Да, уважаемый читатель, порой мне тяжко писать на русском, поэтому свои мысли высказываю по мере своих возможностей) В детстве, на мой взгляд, я писала гораздо лучше. Чего только стоит стихотворение семилетней Наташи (вашей покорной слуги), которое гласит, что жукам холодно зимой =) Что-то я слишком увлеклась. Back to the book review.
Изумительно описанная, трагическая история, которую по мере раскрывания сюжета пытаются решить практически ВСЕ главные герои. Корабль Левиафан - замкнутое пространство, которое (хоть на чуть-чуть) ограничивает список подозреваемых. Блестяще описанные разносортные персонажи не дают соскучиться, а мудро мыслящий Эраст Фандорин - как всегда на высоте. Но в то же время он показан как абсолютно нормальный человек, который тоже имеет право на ошибки.
5 звёзд и записываю себе в список книг для повторного прочтения в следующем году)
2024 update: отличная книга для прочтения в путешествиях. Перечитывая её спустя два года, уже и позабыла, кто был убийца и во время прочтения пыталась активно это вспомнить)
February 9, 2017
Самый великолепный детектив, который я когда-либо читала. Тайна - кто убийца? - держалась до самого конца. Во время прочтения я подозревала то одного персонажа, то другого. Мне казалось, что каждый из них мог бы быть виновником.
Необычна и манера написания. Мы знаем, что Фандорин — главное лицо в серии Бориса Акунина. Однако здесь он одновременно и главный, и второстепенный герой.
Очень сложно, наверное, понять, как такое возможно. Нужно прочитать самому. Кстати, читать советую всем. Вне зависимости от того, читали ли вы уже какие-то книги из серии или нет.
5 звёзд заслужены, фаворит. Борису Акунину "респект и уважуха".
Необычна и манера написания. Мы знаем, что Фандорин — главное лицо в серии Бориса Акунина. Однако здесь он одновременно и главный, и второстепенный герой.
Очень сложно, наверное, понять, как такое возможно. Нужно прочитать самому. Кстати, читать советую всем. Вне зависимости от того, читали ли вы уже какие-то книги из серии или нет.
5 звёзд заслужены, фаворит. Борису Акунину "респект и уважуха".
May 31, 2018
Before the Leviathan leaves France on its maiden voyage, a wealthy man and his ten servants die at the hands of a murderer who leaves behind his ticket for passage on the steamship. Police commissioner Gauche boards the vessel, identifying ten suspects whom he manages to get assigned to the same salon. Will he or the stuttering Russian detective Erast Fandorin be the one to solve the mystery? Additional murders occur aboard.
I listened to the audiobook and the stutter nearly drove me crazy at points. I wish I had chosen the ebook or print book instead. The mystery pays homage to Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express with the venue being an 1878 steamship rather than a passenger train. I won't spoil the plot by revealing too much, but Akunin carefully crafts the mystery, keeping readers second guessing themselves almost to the end with lots of twists and turns.
I listened to the audiobook and the stutter nearly drove me crazy at points. I wish I had chosen the ebook or print book instead. The mystery pays homage to Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express with the venue being an 1878 steamship rather than a passenger train. I won't spoil the plot by revealing too much, but Akunin carefully crafts the mystery, keeping readers second guessing themselves almost to the end with lots of twists and turns.
February 26, 2012
I knew when I read The Winter Queen that Boris Akunin was an author of rare talent. I raved about his ability to transport the reader to the Russia of the Czars in a wonderfully florid style. The Winter Queen was the first of the Erast Fandorin series of mysteries. Akunin has decided that there are 16 different genres of mysteries, and 16 different personality types according to an interview he gave the San Diego Reader. The Winter Queen was the international conspiracy novel. The second book in the series, but for some reason the third published in the US, was the Turkish Gambit, a spy novel. The third book was Murder on the Leviathan, a good old-fashioned cozy mystery. Not only is the structure of Murder on the Leviathan different from the Winter Queen, but the prose is as well.
The 1878 Paris murder of English Lord Littleby was particularly heinous, resulting in not only his death, but also the strange deaths of seven members of his household staff, and two children related to them. There was no sign of violence on the bodies of the staff members, and most of them were found sitting around a table in the kitchen, but Lord Littleby had been beaten around the head with a blunt instrument.
Although he possessed a large collection of valuable antiquities, only a single statue of Shiva was stolen, along with a silk scarf perhaps used to conceal it. But the statue was fished out of the Seine almost immediately, leaving Gustave Gauche, the Investigator for Especially Important Cases with few clues to follow.
Gauche is well named, and reminded me of Agatha Christie's description of her own character, Hercule Poirot as a "bombastic, tiresome, ego-centric little creep." Having found a whale shaped golden pin in Littleby's clenched fist, presumably ripped from the murderer's clothing, Gauche determined that is was used to identify the first class passengers and officers of the Leviathan's maiden voyage from Southampton to Bombay. Detecting the single passenger or senior officer lacking this golden bauble seemed an easy task to Gauche and so he boarded the ship at Southampton, sure he would have his criminal by the the time the ship reached LeHarve.
And so we begin our cruise on the largest ship of the day, offering first class accommodations so lavish and comfort so great that passengers would have no need to bring their own valets and/or maids. Nor would they be expected to take meals in a large dining hall, but in small salons of about ten people. It was in the Windsor salon that Gauche, with the assistance of the ship's Captain, was able to assemble his most likely suspects.
They included the Englishman, Sir Reginald Midford-Stokes, an erratic baronet, scion of a wealthy family, travelling to some "god forsaken Oceania," Mme. Renate Kleber, a young, pregnant wife of a Swiss banker traveling to join her husband in Calcutta, M. Gintaro Aono, a Japanese nobleman who claimed to be an officer in the Imperial Army of Japan, a Mlle. Clarissa Stamp, a "typical Englishwoman, no longer young, with dull colorless hair and rather sedate manners," a specialist in Indian archeology, Anthony F. Sweetchild and the ship's chief physician, the Italian M. Truffo and his English wife of two weeks. Also at the table was the first officer of the Leviathan, M. Charles Renier.
When the Leviathan reached Port Said, a Russian diplomat, with a shock of white hair and a slight stammer joined the party, eventually informing Gauche in response to his unsubtle questioning about the absence of his whale emblem, "I do not wear it because I do not wish to resemble a janitor with a name tag, not even a golden one."
Soon items turn up missing, and then passengers turn up dead. It is clear that the murderer is among our party in the Windsor salon. But who? And how many will die before the murderer is uncovered?
The story is told in the alternating voices of the passengers, through their diaries, letters and private thoughts as each chapter is written from a different point of view. None of them from the perspective of our intrepid Russian diplomat, Erast Fandorin; we only see him through the lenses of the other travelers. But he is essential to the solution of the mystery.
Clearly written in the style of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, Murder on the Leviathan is a cozy mystery reminiscent of Death on the Nile or Murder on the Orient Express. But it is ingeniously updated, as Akunin exposes the national and racial bigotry of that era and those writers and handily refutes it. It is the kind of book I had to occasionally put down, just to marvel at how well he was handling this genre and how much he was improving it all while poking gentle fun at its conventions.
The characters are beautifully drawn, the plotting is almost perfect and although it seems to slow a little in the middle, the mystery is resolved just when one can no longer stand the suspense. For we all know that there is another shoe to drop somewhere, we just aren't sure whose shoe it will be and how far it will fall.
If you enjoy an intelligently written, complex, cozy mystery, Murder on the Leviathan is one you should not miss. Whether you consider it a parody of the genre or a simple cozy, it is a pleasurable read.
The 1878 Paris murder of English Lord Littleby was particularly heinous, resulting in not only his death, but also the strange deaths of seven members of his household staff, and two children related to them. There was no sign of violence on the bodies of the staff members, and most of them were found sitting around a table in the kitchen, but Lord Littleby had been beaten around the head with a blunt instrument.
Although he possessed a large collection of valuable antiquities, only a single statue of Shiva was stolen, along with a silk scarf perhaps used to conceal it. But the statue was fished out of the Seine almost immediately, leaving Gustave Gauche, the Investigator for Especially Important Cases with few clues to follow.
Gauche is well named, and reminded me of Agatha Christie's description of her own character, Hercule Poirot as a "bombastic, tiresome, ego-centric little creep." Having found a whale shaped golden pin in Littleby's clenched fist, presumably ripped from the murderer's clothing, Gauche determined that is was used to identify the first class passengers and officers of the Leviathan's maiden voyage from Southampton to Bombay. Detecting the single passenger or senior officer lacking this golden bauble seemed an easy task to Gauche and so he boarded the ship at Southampton, sure he would have his criminal by the the time the ship reached LeHarve.
And so we begin our cruise on the largest ship of the day, offering first class accommodations so lavish and comfort so great that passengers would have no need to bring their own valets and/or maids. Nor would they be expected to take meals in a large dining hall, but in small salons of about ten people. It was in the Windsor salon that Gauche, with the assistance of the ship's Captain, was able to assemble his most likely suspects.
They included the Englishman, Sir Reginald Midford-Stokes, an erratic baronet, scion of a wealthy family, travelling to some "god forsaken Oceania," Mme. Renate Kleber, a young, pregnant wife of a Swiss banker traveling to join her husband in Calcutta, M. Gintaro Aono, a Japanese nobleman who claimed to be an officer in the Imperial Army of Japan, a Mlle. Clarissa Stamp, a "typical Englishwoman, no longer young, with dull colorless hair and rather sedate manners," a specialist in Indian archeology, Anthony F. Sweetchild and the ship's chief physician, the Italian M. Truffo and his English wife of two weeks. Also at the table was the first officer of the Leviathan, M. Charles Renier.
When the Leviathan reached Port Said, a Russian diplomat, with a shock of white hair and a slight stammer joined the party, eventually informing Gauche in response to his unsubtle questioning about the absence of his whale emblem, "I do not wear it because I do not wish to resemble a janitor with a name tag, not even a golden one."
Soon items turn up missing, and then passengers turn up dead. It is clear that the murderer is among our party in the Windsor salon. But who? And how many will die before the murderer is uncovered?
The story is told in the alternating voices of the passengers, through their diaries, letters and private thoughts as each chapter is written from a different point of view. None of them from the perspective of our intrepid Russian diplomat, Erast Fandorin; we only see him through the lenses of the other travelers. But he is essential to the solution of the mystery.
Clearly written in the style of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, Murder on the Leviathan is a cozy mystery reminiscent of Death on the Nile or Murder on the Orient Express. But it is ingeniously updated, as Akunin exposes the national and racial bigotry of that era and those writers and handily refutes it. It is the kind of book I had to occasionally put down, just to marvel at how well he was handling this genre and how much he was improving it all while poking gentle fun at its conventions.
The characters are beautifully drawn, the plotting is almost perfect and although it seems to slow a little in the middle, the mystery is resolved just when one can no longer stand the suspense. For we all know that there is another shoe to drop somewhere, we just aren't sure whose shoe it will be and how far it will fall.
If you enjoy an intelligently written, complex, cozy mystery, Murder on the Leviathan is one you should not miss. Whether you consider it a parody of the genre or a simple cozy, it is a pleasurable read.
February 27, 2022
Am citit varianta in romana, aparuta in colectia thriller & mystery de la Humanitas, sub titlul Leviatan. Mi-a placut foarte mult. L-am citit pe nerasuflate. Ideal pentru vacante.
August 9, 2018
A horrific crime occurs in Paris, and the criminals are traced to a cruise ship, The Leviathan, headed for Calcutta, where the perpetrators are sure to disappear in the teeming hordes of people. Passengers of various nationalities are suspects, just like an old fashioned PJ Marquand story. A French detective is aboard, trying to figure out who the criminals are. Fortunately for him, Erast Fandorin comes aboard at Cairo, and takes an interest.
Extremely well done pastiche of a cruise ship mystery of that time. Highly recommended.
Extremely well done pastiche of a cruise ship mystery of that time. Highly recommended.
June 24, 2021
6 out of 10
I've been reading this book for too long to love it in the end. Not sure whether it's my overwork fault or the story wasn't that compelling. Also, the multi-layered final twist got old.
September 4, 2016
A pretty good multiple murder mystery with an interesting array of characters...
September 2, 2012
Много интересна и на моменти комична, детективска книга!
Всеки един герой беше интересен по свой начин, а края беше доста динамичен! Определено ме заинтригува като поредица.
Всеки един герой беше интересен по свой начин, а края беше доста динамичен! Определено ме заинтригува като поредица.
February 26, 2025
This mystery, the third in the Erast Fandorin mysteries, is reminiscent of the Golden Age tales of Christie etc. The setting is a ship, The Leviathan , where police commissioner M. Gauche is pursuing the suspects in a murder and robbery that took place back in Paris. A collector of Indian antiquities has been murdered along with his servants and a precious artefact is missing. As the ship proceeds towards India, various characters recount the events on board as the investigation proceeds.
This was great fun with a collection of eccentric characters and a rather intriguing plot. As the narrative switches between characters, the reader gets a different perspective on certain events and also gets to know the characters better. There is an amount of gentle mockery of the stereotypical national traits and ambitions of the countries involved - Britain, France, Japan, and Fandorin’s Russia - as well as a dramatic denouement and a rather sad final chapter.
Entertaining and enjoyable, this was a clever take on the mystery with an enigmatic protagonist.
This was great fun with a collection of eccentric characters and a rather intriguing plot. As the narrative switches between characters, the reader gets a different perspective on certain events and also gets to know the characters better. There is an amount of gentle mockery of the stereotypical national traits and ambitions of the countries involved - Britain, France, Japan, and Fandorin’s Russia - as well as a dramatic denouement and a rather sad final chapter.
Entertaining and enjoyable, this was a clever take on the mystery with an enigmatic protagonist.
September 6, 2022
Допада ми поредицата, харесвам Ераст Фандорин, неговият ум, интелигентност и проницателност.
Тази трета част ми беше забавна, понеже френският инспектор беше представен комично, а хората, пречупени през неговия поглед, изглеждаха ужасни. Имаме няколко гледни точки, а действието се развива на модерния кораб "Левиатан". Всеки си имаше тайни, но един ужасен престъпник, който не се спира пред нищо, е на кораба сред тях. В преследване на многомилионно съкровище, престъпникът е готов дори да потопи кораба. И, докато френският инспектор се самоизтъкваше, Фандорин прозря истината, но не успя да елиминира изцяло престъпника.
Историята не е само криминална, но имаше и легенди за големи съкровища, притчи, японска философия и начин на живот, исторически препратки и е показано много ясно омразата и надпреварата между французи и англичани. Допада ми стилът на автора и скоро ще продължа с четвъртата книга.
Тази трета част ми беше забавна, понеже френският инспектор беше представен комично, а хората, пречупени през неговия поглед, изглеждаха ужасни. Имаме няколко гледни точки, а действието се развива на модерния кораб "Левиатан". Всеки си имаше тайни, но един ужасен престъпник, който не се спира пред нищо, е на кораба сред тях. В преследване на многомилионно съкровище, престъпникът е готов дори да потопи кораба. И, докато френският инспектор се самоизтъкваше, Фандорин прозря истината, но не успя да елиминира изцяло престъпника.
Историята не е само криминална, но имаше и легенди за големи съкровища, притчи, японска философия и начин на живот, исторически препратки и е показано много ясно омразата и надпреварата между французи и англичани. Допада ми стилът на автора и скоро ще продължа с четвъртата книга.
November 14, 2020
Tot mai mult ma îndrăgostesc de Akunin.
Suspans la tot pasul, detalii, peisaje, personaje - toate minunate ❤️
Suspans la tot pasul, detalii, peisaje, personaje - toate minunate ❤️
February 6, 2022
Одновременно удовлетворение и разочарование. Я по ходу рассказа вспоминал основные сюжетные повороты и кто кого убил, но Акунин все-таки не Дойль и Агата Кристи, читать снова - удовольствие разве что чисто из ностальгии, не так, как Убийство роджера Экройда, например.
July 6, 2025
Excellent book to take some time off from realities of life.
This was such a satisfactory read. As the esteemed writer Ursula Le Guin used to say when answering questions about stories “inspired” by her books, to graciously conceal her disgust of the level of cheekiness: “writers steal from each other… but…”.
She had a point of course, that writers do take pointers, ideas and what not from other writers all the time. I think this book is an example of how it is done in a right way.
Without giving any spoilers, Dame Christie was indeed present in this novel, but about halfway, story became Akunin’s own.
I also appreciated Akunin’s representation of cultures -within the limits of a detective novel of course.
I like Erast Fandorin a lot and despite too many twists and turns, political jabs etc., I like Akunin’s style. Long Russians nights or something.
This was such a satisfactory read. As the esteemed writer Ursula Le Guin used to say when answering questions about stories “inspired” by her books, to graciously conceal her disgust of the level of cheekiness: “writers steal from each other… but…”.
She had a point of course, that writers do take pointers, ideas and what not from other writers all the time. I think this book is an example of how it is done in a right way.
Without giving any spoilers, Dame Christie was indeed present in this novel, but about halfway, story became Akunin’s own.
I also appreciated Akunin’s representation of cultures -within the limits of a detective novel of course.
I like Erast Fandorin a lot and despite too many twists and turns, political jabs etc., I like Akunin’s style. Long Russians nights or something.
April 16, 2018
Bolji od Šerloka. :)
September 20, 2017
Parigi, 1878. Un ricco collezionista inglese viene trovato morto in circostanze misteriose insieme a nove suoi domestici. Il colpevole, prima di allontanarsi indisturbato, è riuscito a sottrarre una preziosa statuina d’oro, rinvenuta successivamente nella Senna. Il caso vuole, però, che si lasci alle spalle un indizio che lo indica come passeggero del colossale Leviatano, permettendo al commissario Gauche di mettersi sulle sue tracce. La lista dei sospetti è subito ridotta a quattro nomi (una giovane svizzera incinta, un giapponese che si appresta a rientrare in patria, un baronetto inglese apparentemente folle e una suddita britannica non più giovanissima), ma a trovare la soluzione del mistero non sarà Gauche, bensì un altro passeggero, nonché vecchia conoscenza, casualmente coinvolto nelle indagini: Erast Fandorin, in procinto di raggiungere il Giappone per iniziare la sua carriera diplomatica.
Leviathan non rientra tra i miei libri preferiti della serie, ma non si aggiudica neanche il premio come peggiore, che è invece riservato agli ultimi due. In ogni romanzo, Akunin affronta un diverso tipo di giallo e in questo si rifà ad Agatha Christie, per cui non ho mai provato particolare interesse. Fossi stata un’amante del giallo classico, probabilmente, avrei apprezzato di più, ma per come stanno le cose queste ambientazioni esotiche, i personaggi che celano misteri vari, strani omicidi che avvengono anche in corso d’opera, verità che vengono a galla dopo una serie infinita di colpi di scena, beh, non è esattamente il mio ideale di romanzo. Il lettore, in teoria, dovrebbe rimanere col fiato sospeso e farebbe fatica a scollarsi dalle pagine pur di arrivare alla soluzione dei misteri. Io, col fiato sospeso, non sono rimasta né la prima volta che l’ho letto né durante questa rilettura, ma, ripeto, è un mio problema con questo tipo di gialli.
Altra cosa che un po’ mi pesa è trovare Fandorin di nuovo messo da parte dal caso di turno e dai personaggi attraverso cui Akunin racconta la storia. In questo, non c’era un solo punto di vista, ma ben cinque: i quattro sospettati più il commissario francese che qualche volta parla di sé in terza persona e si chiama Papa Gauche (alzo gli occhi al cielo anche mentre lo scrivo). Capisco che Akunin non voglia mettere completamente a nudo il personaggio e i suoi tormenti davanti al lettore, è una scelta comprensibile, come lo è aspettarsi qualcosina in più dopo il finale de La regina di inverno e la ricomparsa di Fandorin in Bulgaria in Gambetto turco. Per fortuna anche questo romanzo è breve e si può passare al seguito abbastanza in fretta, non senza dare l'impressione che sia un semplice, ma perdibile, divertissement.
Piccola nota a questa edizione. La Phoenix aveva deciso di pubblicare Murder on the Leviathan prima di Turkish Gambit, segnanando il primo come secondo romanzo della serie e l'altro come terzo. Una scelta senza senso, a mio avviso, ma se potete comprate le Phoenix più recenti, che hanno anche delle copertine più belle e ci risparmiano il povero omino che subisce cambi di look e ci supplica con lo sguardo di salvarlo da queste grafiche imbarazzanti.
Leviathan non rientra tra i miei libri preferiti della serie, ma non si aggiudica neanche il premio come peggiore, che è invece riservato agli ultimi due. In ogni romanzo, Akunin affronta un diverso tipo di giallo e in questo si rifà ad Agatha Christie, per cui non ho mai provato particolare interesse. Fossi stata un’amante del giallo classico, probabilmente, avrei apprezzato di più, ma per come stanno le cose queste ambientazioni esotiche, i personaggi che celano misteri vari, strani omicidi che avvengono anche in corso d’opera, verità che vengono a galla dopo una serie infinita di colpi di scena, beh, non è esattamente il mio ideale di romanzo. Il lettore, in teoria, dovrebbe rimanere col fiato sospeso e farebbe fatica a scollarsi dalle pagine pur di arrivare alla soluzione dei misteri. Io, col fiato sospeso, non sono rimasta né la prima volta che l’ho letto né durante questa rilettura, ma, ripeto, è un mio problema con questo tipo di gialli.
Altra cosa che un po’ mi pesa è trovare Fandorin di nuovo messo da parte dal caso di turno e dai personaggi attraverso cui Akunin racconta la storia. In questo, non c’era un solo punto di vista, ma ben cinque: i quattro sospettati più il commissario francese che qualche volta parla di sé in terza persona e si chiama Papa Gauche (alzo gli occhi al cielo anche mentre lo scrivo). Capisco che Akunin non voglia mettere completamente a nudo il personaggio e i suoi tormenti davanti al lettore, è una scelta comprensibile, come lo è aspettarsi qualcosina in più dopo il finale de La regina di inverno e la ricomparsa di Fandorin in Bulgaria in Gambetto turco. Per fortuna anche questo romanzo è breve e si può passare al seguito abbastanza in fretta, non senza dare l'impressione che sia un semplice, ma perdibile, divertissement.
Piccola nota a questa edizione. La Phoenix aveva deciso di pubblicare Murder on the Leviathan prima di Turkish Gambit, segnanando il primo come secondo romanzo della serie e l'altro come terzo. Una scelta senza senso, a mio avviso, ma se potete comprate le Phoenix più recenti, che hanno anche delle copertine più belle e ci risparmiano il povero omino che subisce cambi di look e ci supplica con lo sguardo di salvarlo da queste grafiche imbarazzanti.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 439 reviews