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The Ocean Liner
As war engulfs Europe, 1,500 passengers risk everything to find a brighter future.
Cousins Masha and Rachel Morgenstern board the luxury liner the SS Manhattan bound for New York, desperate to escape the concentration camps that claimed the rest of their family. America offers a safe haven, but to reach it they must survive a hazardous Atlantic crossing.
Among their fellow passengers fleeing the war, each with their own conflicts, secrets and surprises, are the composer Igor Stravinsky, making a new start after a decade of tragedy, and Rose Kennedy, determined to keep her four children from harm. Particularly worrying to Rose is her daughter Rosemary, a vivacious but troubled woman whose love for a Californian musician may derail her family’s political ambitions. And then there’s young Thomas, a Nazi with a secret…
But, under the waves, the Manhattan is being stalked by a German U-boat. Will any of those aboard the ocean liner ever achieve their dream of a new life in America?
Cousins Masha and Rachel Morgenstern board the luxury liner the SS Manhattan bound for New York, desperate to escape the concentration camps that claimed the rest of their family. America offers a safe haven, but to reach it they must survive a hazardous Atlantic crossing.
Among their fellow passengers fleeing the war, each with their own conflicts, secrets and surprises, are the composer Igor Stravinsky, making a new start after a decade of tragedy, and Rose Kennedy, determined to keep her four children from harm. Particularly worrying to Rose is her daughter Rosemary, a vivacious but troubled woman whose love for a Californian musician may derail her family’s political ambitions. And then there’s young Thomas, a Nazi with a secret…
But, under the waves, the Manhattan is being stalked by a German U-boat. Will any of those aboard the ocean liner ever achieve their dream of a new life in America?
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 20, 2018
3823 people are currently reading
2930 people want to read
About the author
Marius Gabriel
41 books559 followersMarius Gabriel is an international thriller and mystery writer.
Under the pseudonym Madeleine Ker, he wrote over 30 romance novels in the 1980s.
As Marius Gabriel he has written several mystery best-sellers, some of them historical novels.
He has three grown-up children and currently lives in Cairo and London. He is 59.
Under the pseudonym Madeleine Ker, he wrote over 30 romance novels in the 1980s.
As Marius Gabriel he has written several mystery best-sellers, some of them historical novels.
He has three grown-up children and currently lives in Cairo and London. He is 59.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews
March 27, 2018
I loved the setting of this novel. The luxury ocean liner, the USS Manhattan was headed to New York and was packed with 1,500 passengers, including some famous ones (Rose Kennedy and her daughter).
It is 1939 and cousins Masha and Rachel Morgenstern were among the passengers who were desperate to escape the concentration camps that their families were forced into to. Thomas is a young Nazi boy who is also traveling with them and his secrets will be revealed along the way.
While I enjoyed this story, it was too slow for me. It was emotional and I was nervous and wanted the passengers to survive the trip. My favorite story was the two cousins and had compassion for them. The pace just did not progress and seemed to stall too many times. I would lose interest and just want to get to the parts that interested me.
Well written and has some interesting characters, but in the end fell short. Too slow paced and not "enough" happening (for this reader). Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.
July 8, 2019
It's not long ago that I read THE DESIGNER by Marius Gabriel, a book that I came to enjoy quite a lot. So, when I saw this book for the first time, I was intrigued, especially since there was no attached blurb at the moment. All I knew is that I wanted to read it. And, I'm happy to say that THE OCEAN LINER is just as good as THE DESIGNER.
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
February 3, 2018
I have always had a soft spot for novels set on ships, so this had obvious appeal for me. It is 1939 and Europe is in flux, with everyone trying to flee in different directions. Over 1500 passengers are aboard the liner, ‘Manhattan,’ with the overcrowded ship heading for America. Those on board include Jewish cousins, Rachel and Masha, who are hoping to find safety, a young Nazi with a secret and some ‘real’ characters, including Arturo Toscanini, Igor Stravinsky and Mrs Joseph Kennedy and three of her children; Rosemary, Patricia and six year old, Teddy.
Although just getting on board the ship was a challenge for many of the characters, there are more dangers ahead. Ships have been torpedoed and these include passenger ships – shadowing the liner is a U-boat, U-113, led by Kapitan-leutnant Jurgen Todt.
This is an interesting novel, with a good cast of characters. By far the most interesting story to me was that of twenty one year old Rosemary Kennedy, described by her family as ‘vulnerable.’ Although he is warned off by the Kennedy clan, a musician, with the implausible name of Cubby Hubbard, wants to marry her and their story is a moving one. Overall, though, this is a fairly standard historical novel. I received a copy of the this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review. Rated 3.5.
Although just getting on board the ship was a challenge for many of the characters, there are more dangers ahead. Ships have been torpedoed and these include passenger ships – shadowing the liner is a U-boat, U-113, led by Kapitan-leutnant Jurgen Todt.
This is an interesting novel, with a good cast of characters. By far the most interesting story to me was that of twenty one year old Rosemary Kennedy, described by her family as ‘vulnerable.’ Although he is warned off by the Kennedy clan, a musician, with the implausible name of Cubby Hubbard, wants to marry her and their story is a moving one. Overall, though, this is a fairly standard historical novel. I received a copy of the this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review. Rated 3.5.
May 31, 2022
The Ocean Liner mostly comes across as a retelling of Katherine Anne Porter’s Ship of Fools. The story is filled with cameo characters that all have their own personal problems and we get to hear about each of them throughout the book. Marius Gabriel attempts to generate interest in these problems by giving them to well known figures of the time. Igor Stravinsky, Arturo Toscanini, and the Kennedy’s, to name a few, are all crammed together on board the SS Manhattan.
For good measure, Gabriel attempts to add excitement to the mix. He depicts his imaginary voyage as a “last plane out” situation. There are countless refugees wanting to flee Europe before being overrun by Germany at the start of WWII. Fears are stoked through visions of the Holocost and the brutalities of fascism. Aslo included is a bit of U-boat terror in the North Atlantic.
The voyage ends before the book‘s ending, which sets up the last quarter of its pages as follow up chapters. These last chapters are far more interesting mostly because the focus switches from people’s problems to people’s destinies. Unfortunately, there are far too many gaps in the story during these final chapters, which makes for a choppy ending.
Overall, Porter’s Ship of Fools has been remade with fire and brimstone, and we get glimpses of the characters after their voyage ends. Had I never read Ship of Fools this book might have been received with mediocrity. But given that Porter’s book already captured that level of praise, The Ocean Liner comes in a notch lower than that.
For good measure, Gabriel attempts to add excitement to the mix. He depicts his imaginary voyage as a “last plane out” situation. There are countless refugees wanting to flee Europe before being overrun by Germany at the start of WWII. Fears are stoked through visions of the Holocost and the brutalities of fascism. Aslo included is a bit of U-boat terror in the North Atlantic.
The voyage ends before the book‘s ending, which sets up the last quarter of its pages as follow up chapters. These last chapters are far more interesting mostly because the focus switches from people’s problems to people’s destinies. Unfortunately, there are far too many gaps in the story during these final chapters, which makes for a choppy ending.
Overall, Porter’s Ship of Fools has been remade with fire and brimstone, and we get glimpses of the characters after their voyage ends. Had I never read Ship of Fools this book might have been received with mediocrity. But given that Porter’s book already captured that level of praise, The Ocean Liner comes in a notch lower than that.
February 27, 2024
What a disappointment. Is this his first book? Historical information inaccurate and not vetted by the publisher. For example, Some Kennedy information inaccurate. A book that tries to be something it isn't. Not a historical novel, not a romantic novel, not a message/political novel. Enough said.
March 7, 2019
It took me quite a lot of time to get through this book. It was slow. When I saw the book offered on NetGalley, it appealed to me with the cover and the title. And it started out perfectly. I loved the activity on the liner and the characters there. But it failed once they arrived in New York. The story unraveled for me from that time until close to the end. Great premise, though.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.
September 18, 2020
The Ocean Liner Manhattan is waiting at the docks of Le Havre. The Germans are massing at the border for an invasion. So many in France (and Europe) want to leave and Manhattan might be the last ship to leave Europe for NY.
The passengers are both fictional and real.
Two sisters, Masha and Rachel, are fleeing Bremen. They are Jewish and their parents have arranged for them to leave.
They are accompanied by Igor Stravinsky, Arturo Toscanini and Rose Kennedy and three of her children.
The story not only describes the voyage but also delves into the personalities of the musicians and Mrs. Kennedy. Rosemary Kennedy's story is chronicled and is especially poignant. Her relationship to her father, Joe Kennedy, is also described. Joe's feelings about Hitler are included.
The boat arrives in NYC unscathed (but, yes, there was an incident) and the rest of the story includes what happened to the main characters after they arrived.
I love books such as these, that imagine how the lives of real people played out. The fictional people's stories were very compelling as well.
I give this book 5 stars and plan to read a lot more of Gabriel's works. This is my second Gabriel, having read and loved The Parisians. More Gabriel to come.
5 stars
The passengers are both fictional and real.
Two sisters, Masha and Rachel, are fleeing Bremen. They are Jewish and their parents have arranged for them to leave.
They are accompanied by Igor Stravinsky, Arturo Toscanini and Rose Kennedy and three of her children.
The story not only describes the voyage but also delves into the personalities of the musicians and Mrs. Kennedy. Rosemary Kennedy's story is chronicled and is especially poignant. Her relationship to her father, Joe Kennedy, is also described. Joe's feelings about Hitler are included.
The boat arrives in NYC unscathed (but, yes, there was an incident) and the rest of the story includes what happened to the main characters after they arrived.
I love books such as these, that imagine how the lives of real people played out. The fictional people's stories were very compelling as well.
I give this book 5 stars and plan to read a lot more of Gabriel's works. This is my second Gabriel, having read and loved The Parisians. More Gabriel to come.
5 stars
June 11, 2018
Added 6/7/18. (Published March 20th 2018 by Lake Union Publishing)
The title sounded interesting. I'm currently reading Gabriel's _The Designer_.
This week, June 7, 2018, I started reading this book.
I paid $5.99 to Amazon for the e-book and $1.99 to Audible for the Audible version.
So I'm reading the book in 4 ways:
1. Reading on my Fire Tablet
2. Reading on my "Kindle for PC"
3. Reading on my "Kindle Cloud Reader"
and
4. Listening on my Fire Tablet.
Like _The Designer_, the book seems very drawn out, with many different characters, fictional and historical.
There's a lot of dialogue. Some of it is interesting. Some of it is boring.
However, the book is keeping my attention.
The title sounded interesting. I'm currently reading Gabriel's _The Designer_.
This week, June 7, 2018, I started reading this book.
I paid $5.99 to Amazon for the e-book and $1.99 to Audible for the Audible version.
So I'm reading the book in 4 ways:
1. Reading on my Fire Tablet
2. Reading on my "Kindle for PC"
3. Reading on my "Kindle Cloud Reader"
and
4. Listening on my Fire Tablet.
Like _The Designer_, the book seems very drawn out, with many different characters, fictional and historical.
There's a lot of dialogue. Some of it is interesting. Some of it is boring.
However, the book is keeping my attention.
April 15, 2018
A voyage to a new life in AMERICA
As WW2 breaks out in Europe, the SS Manhattan is preparing to set sail for New York. Chock full of passengers who are trying to escape the mayhem that is rapidly unfolding. The ship leaves Bremen, and picks up passengers in Le Havre and Southampton – before heading to Cobh in Ireland and out into the Atlantic. Many are Jews fleeing in front of the Nazis, many others simply fear for their lives if the stay in Europe. And they are a pretty disparate collection. The lead protagonists are cousins, Masha and Rachel Morgenstern, leaving everything behind them to start a new life. Masha has abandoned her family (at their instigation) to a concentration camp in order to make her escape, Rachel has been abandoned by hers following a stain on her character. The ship is full of famous persons – the composer Igor Stravinsky, the conductor Arturo Toscanini, Rose Kennedy taking her children back to safety in the States leaving her ambassador husband to follow, and Fanny Ward the indestructible (and aging) igénue and film star. And then there is 18 year-old Thomas König – obliged to share a cabin with Stravinsky because of the overcrowding on the ship. Perhaps there is more to him than appears apparent?
The American (and clearly labelled as such) ship is stalked by a U-Boat as she heads out to The Western Approaches. Will the German captain choose to attack her, or will his own crew point out the folly and ‘dissuade’ him? What will happen to both vessels? A dramatic mid Ocean clash.
The last part of the book is set in the States (OK, the SS Manhattan did make it through safely…) and traces the history of the passengers well into the last decades of the 20th Century. It is in equal measure both touching and fascinating as their stories develop.
The Ocean Liner is not a true story, but it is based on an amalgam of true stories – greatly embellished by the author. Stravinsky, Toscanini, Rose Kennedy, and Fanny Ward all made it to America by sea as the war in Europe began. There are details in Marius Gabriel’s portraits of each that ring very true. Hard to tell sometimes where fiction takes over from fact. For example the story of Rose Kennedy’s eldest daughter, Rosemary’s, battle with mental health and the cruel treatment she received is true – but Rosemary’s passionate affair with Cubby Hubbard is imagined. The truth is woven in alongside perfectly possible embellishments. The relationship between Stravinsky and Thomas König is believable as is Thomas’ infatuation with Masha Morgenstern. It is a device that I thought might be really difficult to pull off – but Marius Gabriel certainly makes it work. But it is always worth remembering that The Ocean Liner is a work of fiction rather than a history text book…!
Highly recommended.
As WW2 breaks out in Europe, the SS Manhattan is preparing to set sail for New York. Chock full of passengers who are trying to escape the mayhem that is rapidly unfolding. The ship leaves Bremen, and picks up passengers in Le Havre and Southampton – before heading to Cobh in Ireland and out into the Atlantic. Many are Jews fleeing in front of the Nazis, many others simply fear for their lives if the stay in Europe. And they are a pretty disparate collection. The lead protagonists are cousins, Masha and Rachel Morgenstern, leaving everything behind them to start a new life. Masha has abandoned her family (at their instigation) to a concentration camp in order to make her escape, Rachel has been abandoned by hers following a stain on her character. The ship is full of famous persons – the composer Igor Stravinsky, the conductor Arturo Toscanini, Rose Kennedy taking her children back to safety in the States leaving her ambassador husband to follow, and Fanny Ward the indestructible (and aging) igénue and film star. And then there is 18 year-old Thomas König – obliged to share a cabin with Stravinsky because of the overcrowding on the ship. Perhaps there is more to him than appears apparent?
The American (and clearly labelled as such) ship is stalked by a U-Boat as she heads out to The Western Approaches. Will the German captain choose to attack her, or will his own crew point out the folly and ‘dissuade’ him? What will happen to both vessels? A dramatic mid Ocean clash.
The last part of the book is set in the States (OK, the SS Manhattan did make it through safely…) and traces the history of the passengers well into the last decades of the 20th Century. It is in equal measure both touching and fascinating as their stories develop.
The Ocean Liner is not a true story, but it is based on an amalgam of true stories – greatly embellished by the author. Stravinsky, Toscanini, Rose Kennedy, and Fanny Ward all made it to America by sea as the war in Europe began. There are details in Marius Gabriel’s portraits of each that ring very true. Hard to tell sometimes where fiction takes over from fact. For example the story of Rose Kennedy’s eldest daughter, Rosemary’s, battle with mental health and the cruel treatment she received is true – but Rosemary’s passionate affair with Cubby Hubbard is imagined. The truth is woven in alongside perfectly possible embellishments. The relationship between Stravinsky and Thomas König is believable as is Thomas’ infatuation with Masha Morgenstern. It is a device that I thought might be really difficult to pull off – but Marius Gabriel certainly makes it work. But it is always worth remembering that The Ocean Liner is a work of fiction rather than a history text book…!
Highly recommended.
May 9, 2018
This historical novel is a real 2.5-3 stars in terms of literary quality but still manages to be quite compulsively readable and interesting . Especially as you get towards the end (even though it drags for a bit, when you get to the half way point the liner has not left Cobh!) . I think this would be a great holiday read.
It is the tale of varying characters, many famous and wonderful, on an American liner leaving Europe in 1940 and there is all the accompanying tensions of the time : world War 2, refugees, fleeing Europe and the threat of being sunk by a submarine. I was, astonished at the end that the famous characters on the Manhattan really did cross the Atlantic on the same ship. Stravinsky's story was my favourite but the story of Rosemary Kennedy was strikingly sad and intriguing .
I was attracted to this book after seeing a review here and also after seeing the Ocean Liners exhibition at the V&A museum in London. So many details from the exhibition are part of the research for the book and I really enjoyed this element. I may have downloaded The Designer by the author too to read on my holidays. All of his work is available free on Prime at the moment.
It is the tale of varying characters, many famous and wonderful, on an American liner leaving Europe in 1940 and there is all the accompanying tensions of the time : world War 2, refugees, fleeing Europe and the threat of being sunk by a submarine. I was, astonished at the end that the famous characters on the Manhattan really did cross the Atlantic on the same ship. Stravinsky's story was my favourite but the story of Rosemary Kennedy was strikingly sad and intriguing .
I was attracted to this book after seeing a review here and also after seeing the Ocean Liners exhibition at the V&A museum in London. So many details from the exhibition are part of the research for the book and I really enjoyed this element. I may have downloaded The Designer by the author too to read on my holidays. All of his work is available free on Prime at the moment.
May 13, 2021
DNF
I am always in awe of writers who take a little snippet of fact and have the imagination to weave a whole convincing story around it. The author of The Ocean Liner brings a cast of real and fictional characters together on a cruise ship bound for the United States from Europe right before WWII. One of the passengers is a young Rosemary Kennedy. While living in England where her father served as Ambassador, she fell in love with a man named Cubby Hubbard. He truly loved Rosemary in return, and planned to marry her, saving her from the sad life she lived with the demanding Kennedy family. As history shows, this was not Rosemary's fate.
I thought that was such a tragic, romantic part of her story I had never known about before. But then I found out that this wasn't true, and the man never existed! (In fact, I don't think Rosemary was even on the cruise ship with the rest of her family, instead she stayed on in England for awhile with her father, but I'm not sure about that.) Anyway, that kind of killed what little interest I had in the story, so this one is a DNF for me.
I am always in awe of writers who take a little snippet of fact and have the imagination to weave a whole convincing story around it. The author of The Ocean Liner brings a cast of real and fictional characters together on a cruise ship bound for the United States from Europe right before WWII. One of the passengers is a young Rosemary Kennedy. While living in England where her father served as Ambassador, she fell in love with a man named Cubby Hubbard. He truly loved Rosemary in return, and planned to marry her, saving her from the sad life she lived with the demanding Kennedy family. As history shows, this was not Rosemary's fate.
I thought that was such a tragic, romantic part of her story I had never known about before. But then I found out that this wasn't true, and the man never existed! (In fact, I don't think Rosemary was even on the cruise ship with the rest of her family, instead she stayed on in England for awhile with her father, but I'm not sure about that.) Anyway, that kind of killed what little interest I had in the story, so this one is a DNF for me.
March 25, 2018
Many lives intertwine when very different people board the SS Manhattan to escape war torn Europe for a better life. One of my favorite historical fiction settings, I was really excited to delve into this novel. However, I felt the story fell short in many areas.
Over 1500 passengers are aboard the liner, ‘Manhattan,’ with the overcrowded ship heading for America. Those on board include Jewish cousins, Rachel and Masha, who are hoping to find safety, a young Nazi with a secret and some ‘real’ characters, including Arturo Toscanini, Igor Stravinsky and Mrs Joseph Kennedy and three of her children; Rosemary, Patricia and six year old, Teddy.
I enjoyed the factual information out forth in this story. It was told well and with great passion. I also loved the storyline of the two cousins traveling to America to escape capture. Their journey was really emotional and I felt a strong connection to their outcome.
What I didn't enjoy was how long it took the story to get going. I had to keep pushing forward even though I felt the story lagging in many places.
Over 1500 passengers are aboard the liner, ‘Manhattan,’ with the overcrowded ship heading for America. Those on board include Jewish cousins, Rachel and Masha, who are hoping to find safety, a young Nazi with a secret and some ‘real’ characters, including Arturo Toscanini, Igor Stravinsky and Mrs Joseph Kennedy and three of her children; Rosemary, Patricia and six year old, Teddy.
I enjoyed the factual information out forth in this story. It was told well and with great passion. I also loved the storyline of the two cousins traveling to America to escape capture. Their journey was really emotional and I felt a strong connection to their outcome.
What I didn't enjoy was how long it took the story to get going. I had to keep pushing forward even though I felt the story lagging in many places.
March 20, 2018
Le Havre - 1939
Masha (20) and Rachel (23) Morgenstern are German cousins and are aboard the American ship, The Manhattan, headed to the U.S. They realize that the composer, Igor Stravinsky, is boarding the ship, being helped along by Katharine Wolff, an American. Many of the passengers are Jews fleeing the Nazis. Also onboard the ship is Mr. Toscanini, a maestro who has conducted orchestras playing Stravinsky’s works. As the ship is having to accept more than its capacity. many passengers discover that they will have to share their cabins with others. Stravinsky has been paired with a young German man, Thomas Konig, dressed in a Nazi uniform.
Southampton
The Manhattan is taking aboard some members of the American Kennedy family. The father, Joe Kennedy, is the U.S. Ambassador to England and Jack Kennedy has come to talk to and comfort the families of The Athenia, a ship that went down after being torpedoed by a German submarine. Jack’s sister, Rosemary (20) adores her brother and looks to him to protect her from their mother’s constant criticism. Rosemary has spent many years in special schools. She cannot grasp math and has been diagnosed as retarded. The family fears that someone will take advantage of her.
As the ship slowly finishes taking on all the passengers that it possibly can, the voyage to the U.S. begins. We follow Stravinsky who is suffering from tuberculosis but is determined to write more music. Masha and Rachel have both seen their families taken by the Nazis and have also left behind their loves. Thomas is a kind person who is quite taken with Masha but Rachel hates him because he is a Nazi.
The story also focuses on Rosemary Kennedy and a man named Cubby Hubbard with whom she has fallen in love. Her mother is intent that they stay apart because Rosemary is a bit promiscuous and she doesn’t want her to get pregnant.
Oh my what a fabulous book! This is what a historical novel is supposed to be. Real people in history are part of this story and we learn many things about them. The nail-biting encounters with German submarines made me hold my breath to see what would happen. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I loved it and hope many people will read it.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Masha (20) and Rachel (23) Morgenstern are German cousins and are aboard the American ship, The Manhattan, headed to the U.S. They realize that the composer, Igor Stravinsky, is boarding the ship, being helped along by Katharine Wolff, an American. Many of the passengers are Jews fleeing the Nazis. Also onboard the ship is Mr. Toscanini, a maestro who has conducted orchestras playing Stravinsky’s works. As the ship is having to accept more than its capacity. many passengers discover that they will have to share their cabins with others. Stravinsky has been paired with a young German man, Thomas Konig, dressed in a Nazi uniform.
Southampton
The Manhattan is taking aboard some members of the American Kennedy family. The father, Joe Kennedy, is the U.S. Ambassador to England and Jack Kennedy has come to talk to and comfort the families of The Athenia, a ship that went down after being torpedoed by a German submarine. Jack’s sister, Rosemary (20) adores her brother and looks to him to protect her from their mother’s constant criticism. Rosemary has spent many years in special schools. She cannot grasp math and has been diagnosed as retarded. The family fears that someone will take advantage of her.
As the ship slowly finishes taking on all the passengers that it possibly can, the voyage to the U.S. begins. We follow Stravinsky who is suffering from tuberculosis but is determined to write more music. Masha and Rachel have both seen their families taken by the Nazis and have also left behind their loves. Thomas is a kind person who is quite taken with Masha but Rachel hates him because he is a Nazi.
The story also focuses on Rosemary Kennedy and a man named Cubby Hubbard with whom she has fallen in love. Her mother is intent that they stay apart because Rosemary is a bit promiscuous and she doesn’t want her to get pregnant.
Oh my what a fabulous book! This is what a historical novel is supposed to be. Real people in history are part of this story and we learn many things about them. The nail-biting encounters with German submarines made me hold my breath to see what would happen. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I loved it and hope many people will read it.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 31, 2020
The setting of a cruise ship of Europeans trying to escape WWII by going to America was enticing to me. Including characters both fictional as well as those so famous to us -- Kennedys, Igor Stravinsky and others -- was appealing to me.
Unfortunately this book fell short for me. The inclusion of the famous people was a cheap literary technique that distracted from the fictional characters and storylines that were much more interesting. In addition, the graphic details around Rosemary Kennedy were far too disturbing and the liberties taken about her and her family were appalling to me (as someone who has had mental illness in my family with treatments that were not always easy).
The story started out very good, but became increasingly slow and by the end I was pushing myself to get through.
There are far better choices in WWII historical fiction than this book.
Unfortunately this book fell short for me. The inclusion of the famous people was a cheap literary technique that distracted from the fictional characters and storylines that were much more interesting. In addition, the graphic details around Rosemary Kennedy were far too disturbing and the liberties taken about her and her family were appalling to me (as someone who has had mental illness in my family with treatments that were not always easy).
The story started out very good, but became increasingly slow and by the end I was pushing myself to get through.
There are far better choices in WWII historical fiction than this book.
April 11, 2019
I wanted to like this book more than I did. It’s written well enough and evokes the period (1939) well enough as we follow each of the characters through their individual journeys. But the plot ends up being simply episodic and the action doesn’t lead to anything. I also thought that it went on too long after the voyage’s end. So all in all, okay but vaguely dissatisfying.
February 19, 2019
So this story resurrected the part of me that grew up with ensemble cast disaster movies like Airport (Remember Dean Martin as the pilot?), Hotel & The Poseidon Adventure. (Cue Helen Reddy singing, “There’s got to me a a morning after . . .”) . . .
I enjoyed the poignant stories and glimpses into the characters’ lives.
Thank you to Kindle Unlimited for allowing me to enjoy this story. I both listened & read because it was available in both formats.
*I did fast forward through some slightly gratuitous descriptions of men characters’ remembrances of their passionate liasions. This female reader did not enjoy them.
Quotes . . .
“He cupped [the jewels] in his palm, admiring their colour. ‘These look valuable.’ . . . ‘My father was a jeweller . . . They’re rare. They are all we have left.’ . . . ‘And this kid –whom you met on board ship –is worth it to you?’ . . . ‘I have learned the value of a human life.’”
‘When you are old and grey and full of sleep, And nodding by the fire, take down this book, And slowly read, and dream of the soft look your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep; How many loved your moments of glad grace, And loved your beauty with love false or true, But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, And loved the sorrows of your changing face—’
I enjoyed the poignant stories and glimpses into the characters’ lives.
Thank you to Kindle Unlimited for allowing me to enjoy this story. I both listened & read because it was available in both formats.
*I did fast forward through some slightly gratuitous descriptions of men characters’ remembrances of their passionate liasions. This female reader did not enjoy them.
Quotes . . .
“He cupped [the jewels] in his palm, admiring their colour. ‘These look valuable.’ . . . ‘My father was a jeweller . . . They’re rare. They are all we have left.’ . . . ‘And this kid –whom you met on board ship –is worth it to you?’ . . . ‘I have learned the value of a human life.’”
‘When you are old and grey and full of sleep, And nodding by the fire, take down this book, And slowly read, and dream of the soft look your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep; How many loved your moments of glad grace, And loved your beauty with love false or true, But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, And loved the sorrows of your changing face—’
May 26, 2018
This is the fourth novel I’ve read by Marius Gabriel and I have enjoyed all of them. In this story, he takes us on a journey across the ocean on the luxury liner, the SS Manhattan, on its way to America with an interesting cast of characters who are both real and imagined. We meet cousins Masha and Rachel, escaping Nazi Germany, hoping for a better life. There is also a famous conductor, a renowned composer, Rose Kennedy and her children, including young Ted, and an aging film star, plus so many more. They each have a story, and Gabriel manages to weave each character’s tale into one magnificent novel.
Intriguing and beautifully written. You will not want to put this story down.
Intriguing and beautifully written. You will not want to put this story down.
July 2, 2019
This book has been on my wishlist for Audible for quite some time. I went back and forth because of the reviews. I lost interest a few chapters in but I have to say that the book got SO much better at about 30%. It was a "full circle" book for me and I really, truly enjoyed it. The narrator was also amazing; usually I have issues when a single narrator has to narrate so many voices, accents etc..but this woman was just simply amazing in each accent and none made me cringe (bc usually I cringe). Tears at the end. Overall, awesome awesome awesome.
October 15, 2023
Another good holiday read. However this book is one of my pet hates. That is a story that mixes fact and fiction. I need google to help me work out if things written in the story are true or not.
March 28, 2018
I was sucked right into this book from the very beginning. It included such a great cast of characters with great scenes. I really felt like I was riding on that boat and that the people were real.
The name dropping was off the charts in this book. From a composer to a conductor to a child wanna be actress and even a future president's family. It had everything: romance, adventure, action, all set during a world war voyage across the Atlantic. The mutiny on the German sub was especially tense.
For me, the author did a great job making the characters and the story come to life.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
The name dropping was off the charts in this book. From a composer to a conductor to a child wanna be actress and even a future president's family. It had everything: romance, adventure, action, all set during a world war voyage across the Atlantic. The mutiny on the German sub was especially tense.
For me, the author did a great job making the characters and the story come to life.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
November 19, 2018
Historical fiction (so called) about an ocean liner leaving Europe as World War II is about to begin with a passenger list that includes the composer Shostakovich, the conductor Arturo Tosconinni. Rose Kennedy and several of her children and assorted Jewish refugees escaping the Nazis at the last minute
The plot is preposterous. The kind of audio book that puts listeners to sleep. Don't waste your time
The plot is preposterous. The kind of audio book that puts listeners to sleep. Don't waste your time
May 29, 2018
Rather heavy-handed and obvious. Not much in the way of subtlety or even interesting plot twists. Might have been better without the real-life names; the author could have taken plot lines in more interesting directions.
March 24, 2018
The story opens in Le Havre, in 1939, and as war starts to infiltrate into Europe,the luxury liner the SS Manhattan takes on passengers who are bound for New York and a safer way of life. All of them have stories to tell and secrets to keep, some of which are revealed even before the ship heads out into the Atlantic.
The story focuses on several of the passengers, some are famous, as the composer, Igor Stravinsky who is fleeing Europe for reasons of his own, and also Rose Kennedy, the stern matriarch of the American Kennedy clan heads home to the United States, taking her younger children, whilst leaving her husband, Joseph, and many secrets, behind in London. Cousins Masha and Rachel Morgenstern are also bound for New York, they are almost penniless except for a hidden stash of gemstones, which they have smuggled out of Germany when they were forced to flee for their lives.
However, even aboard ship safety cannot be guaranteed as deep in the shadowy depths of the ocean a German U-boat stealthily stalks the Manhattan.
This clever mix of using people known to history, there's even a young Elizabeth Taylor on board with her parents, and putting them alongside fictional characters works well and helps to place the story in a specific time frame. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, particularly Rose Kennedy whose formidable personality intimated everyone she came into contact with on board ship.
The story evolves quite slowly and is perhaps more character focused than dramatic, however, the inclusion of the events on board the German U-boat are rather more daring and the deadly nature of their intent adds some darkness to the story.
The Ocean Liner is a fascinating snap shot of a particular moment in history and the author has done a commendable job of bringing this time alive in the imagination.
The story focuses on several of the passengers, some are famous, as the composer, Igor Stravinsky who is fleeing Europe for reasons of his own, and also Rose Kennedy, the stern matriarch of the American Kennedy clan heads home to the United States, taking her younger children, whilst leaving her husband, Joseph, and many secrets, behind in London. Cousins Masha and Rachel Morgenstern are also bound for New York, they are almost penniless except for a hidden stash of gemstones, which they have smuggled out of Germany when they were forced to flee for their lives.
However, even aboard ship safety cannot be guaranteed as deep in the shadowy depths of the ocean a German U-boat stealthily stalks the Manhattan.
This clever mix of using people known to history, there's even a young Elizabeth Taylor on board with her parents, and putting them alongside fictional characters works well and helps to place the story in a specific time frame. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, particularly Rose Kennedy whose formidable personality intimated everyone she came into contact with on board ship.
The story evolves quite slowly and is perhaps more character focused than dramatic, however, the inclusion of the events on board the German U-boat are rather more daring and the deadly nature of their intent adds some darkness to the story.
The Ocean Liner is a fascinating snap shot of a particular moment in history and the author has done a commendable job of bringing this time alive in the imagination.
Read
April 2, 2022I feel really ambivalent about this novel. Much of the historical content was intriguing, and some of the storytelling was engaging, but I often found that they got in each other’s way. I think I would have preferred reading either a non-fiction account of the Manhattan’s voyage and its many significant passengers, or a fully fictionalised version without the sometimes distracting or gratuitous historical cameos.
I can completely understand how the passenger list for the Manhattan was an enticing prospect for a historical novelist, but on the whole I didn’t find the different story strands to be well-integrated with one another. The most powerful part of the novel, for me, was the Rosemary Kennedy storyline—and she’s not even on the ship! Among the passengers, Fanny Ward in particular feels extraneous to the story. I suppose arguably there are uniting themes throughout most of the subplots about different kinds of imprisonment, whether they be literal or due to some inescapable aspect of a person’s identity, and how or whether freedom is possible. There are also ideas about fantasies of love vs. its reality which resonate throughout a couple of the stories. Still, I’m not sure these echoes are enough to make the novel feel cohesive.
There’s an author’s note which argues that the novel’s use of racial slurs is intended to reflect the bigotry which led to the second world war. I’m not sure I’m entirely convinced that the use of the n-word is justified. I don’t remember any equivalent slurs against Jewish people being used, despite the fact that—obviously—antisemitism was far more pertinent to Nazi Germany than anti-Black racism was; if they had been, there are at least sympathetic Jewish point-of-view characters in the novel. There aren’t really any Black characters at all to counterpoint the use of anti-Black language, and there’s no acknowledgement of Jim Crow laws—America is generally depicted as a place of freedom and egalitarianism (except for Rosemary). There’s another line about the crew of the Challenger being “a cross-section of American society”—perhaps it’s pedantic to quibble about this, but women were still outnumbered by men five to two (as were people of colour by white people), there were no women of colour on board, and white men were still overrepresented. This isn’t to call into question the make-up of the Challenger crew or undermine the tragedy of its loss—it just feels like the sentiment could have been expressed in a way which felt less tokenistic and imprecise.
As far as queer representation goes, there’s an attempt, but it feels quite weak. We spend a lot of time with Masha Morgenstern and her many admirers or love interests, and we get interiority from at least three of them as well as from Masha herself. By contrast, we rarely get any from her lesbian cousin Rachel. We get whole chapters from the point of view of Masha’s former lover, and not even a passage from Rachel’s. We don’t even get to read the letter which Rachel receives from her—it’s just reported to Masha, in a section written from Masha’s point of view. Rachel is also chastised for her attitude to a young man whom she has every reason to believe is sympathetic to Nazism. This seems to be characterised as her being cruel and bitter rather than as a legitimate response to a person who, as far as she knows, subscribes to an ideology which regards her as subhuman and has led to her displacement and the death of her family. The novel employs dramatic irony to emphasise how hard this is for the boy in question, meaning the presumed reader’s sympathy is always with him and not with Rachel. It may have worked better if Thomas’s true identity had been a revelation to the reader as well as the Morgenstern cousins. It might have lent the novel a bit more complexity to play with the reader’s sympathies for the character; as it is, Toscanini is the only character who really feels morally ambiguous. Everybody else is either hero, frothing-at-the-mouth villain or victim. I thought that the ideas around Toscanini’s genius—that the same thing that makes him great also makes him predatory and inconstant—had promise, but his is another storyline that barely intersects with the others and could be removed without much difficulty.
For me, there were also issues with pacing. We spend an awful lot of time in harbour doing what feels like a lot of table-setting; there’s a big action set-piece which spends a lot of time being teased only to be dispensed with fairly quickly. This all feels as if it’s in aid of two characters being reunited, but then that never happens—it’s fine that the novel subverts expectations, but it doesn’t really do anything with that subversion. The storyline just fizzles out. After the Manhattan arrives in New York, the storytelling accelerates until the gap between chapters widens from months to years to decades. I actually enjoyed this stretch of the novel and appreciated the increase in pace, after what had been pretty glacial, but it’s slightly jarring the way it shifts into high gear right at the end.
Again, I found the Rosemary Kennedy storyline the most affecting, but this could have been an entirely separate novel—Rosemary is never on the ship, and the action that does take place on the Manhattan with regards to her storyline is incredibly minor. There’s a kernel here of something with more depth, but the novel is trying to do too much without doing enough to make everything cohere.
I can completely understand how the passenger list for the Manhattan was an enticing prospect for a historical novelist, but on the whole I didn’t find the different story strands to be well-integrated with one another. The most powerful part of the novel, for me, was the Rosemary Kennedy storyline—and she’s not even on the ship! Among the passengers, Fanny Ward in particular feels extraneous to the story. I suppose arguably there are uniting themes throughout most of the subplots about different kinds of imprisonment, whether they be literal or due to some inescapable aspect of a person’s identity, and how or whether freedom is possible. There are also ideas about fantasies of love vs. its reality which resonate throughout a couple of the stories. Still, I’m not sure these echoes are enough to make the novel feel cohesive.
There’s an author’s note which argues that the novel’s use of racial slurs is intended to reflect the bigotry which led to the second world war. I’m not sure I’m entirely convinced that the use of the n-word is justified. I don’t remember any equivalent slurs against Jewish people being used, despite the fact that—obviously—antisemitism was far more pertinent to Nazi Germany than anti-Black racism was; if they had been, there are at least sympathetic Jewish point-of-view characters in the novel. There aren’t really any Black characters at all to counterpoint the use of anti-Black language, and there’s no acknowledgement of Jim Crow laws—America is generally depicted as a place of freedom and egalitarianism (except for Rosemary). There’s another line about the crew of the Challenger being “a cross-section of American society”—perhaps it’s pedantic to quibble about this, but women were still outnumbered by men five to two (as were people of colour by white people), there were no women of colour on board, and white men were still overrepresented. This isn’t to call into question the make-up of the Challenger crew or undermine the tragedy of its loss—it just feels like the sentiment could have been expressed in a way which felt less tokenistic and imprecise.
As far as queer representation goes, there’s an attempt, but it feels quite weak. We spend a lot of time with Masha Morgenstern and her many admirers or love interests, and we get interiority from at least three of them as well as from Masha herself. By contrast, we rarely get any from her lesbian cousin Rachel. We get whole chapters from the point of view of Masha’s former lover, and not even a passage from Rachel’s. We don’t even get to read the letter which Rachel receives from her—it’s just reported to Masha, in a section written from Masha’s point of view. Rachel is also chastised for her attitude to a young man whom she has every reason to believe is sympathetic to Nazism. This seems to be characterised as her being cruel and bitter rather than as a legitimate response to a person who, as far as she knows, subscribes to an ideology which regards her as subhuman and has led to her displacement and the death of her family. The novel employs dramatic irony to emphasise how hard this is for the boy in question, meaning the presumed reader’s sympathy is always with him and not with Rachel. It may have worked better if Thomas’s true identity had been a revelation to the reader as well as the Morgenstern cousins. It might have lent the novel a bit more complexity to play with the reader’s sympathies for the character; as it is, Toscanini is the only character who really feels morally ambiguous. Everybody else is either hero, frothing-at-the-mouth villain or victim. I thought that the ideas around Toscanini’s genius—that the same thing that makes him great also makes him predatory and inconstant—had promise, but his is another storyline that barely intersects with the others and could be removed without much difficulty.
For me, there were also issues with pacing. We spend an awful lot of time in harbour doing what feels like a lot of table-setting; there’s a big action set-piece which spends a lot of time being teased only to be dispensed with fairly quickly. This all feels as if it’s in aid of two characters being reunited, but then that never happens—it’s fine that the novel subverts expectations, but it doesn’t really do anything with that subversion. The storyline just fizzles out. After the Manhattan arrives in New York, the storytelling accelerates until the gap between chapters widens from months to years to decades. I actually enjoyed this stretch of the novel and appreciated the increase in pace, after what had been pretty glacial, but it’s slightly jarring the way it shifts into high gear right at the end.
Again, I found the Rosemary Kennedy storyline the most affecting, but this could have been an entirely separate novel—Rosemary is never on the ship, and the action that does take place on the Manhattan with regards to her storyline is incredibly minor. There’s a kernel here of something with more depth, but the novel is trying to do too much without doing enough to make everything cohere.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2018
Historical fiction set during WWII and takes place on the ocean liner Manhattan as it sails to New York City. I enjoyed the stories of the cousins Masha and Rachel Morgenstern. Their is an interesting cast of characters on board and learning about their stories was intriguing. I would recommend this book to friends and give it a 4 star rating.
April 10, 2018
GNAB Marius Gabriel brings us another excellent historical novel, peopled with a handful of history's most memorial personages and more folks we also would have liked to have known. These pages bring to life the build up to war in Europe in 1939 with all it's angst and sense of impending doom, as travelers rush to reach home, wherever it might be, by whatever means possible.
These characters, whether 'famous' or fiction, all reflect the humanity and humility that is the best of us, and the basic need in all of us to reach that safe port called home. This was a wonderful trip through time and space, a book I could not put down. It is a book I will want to read again in the long, loosely woven days of winter.
I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Marius Gabriel, and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
Pub date March 20, 2018
Rec April 4, 2018
Lake Union Publishing
These characters, whether 'famous' or fiction, all reflect the humanity and humility that is the best of us, and the basic need in all of us to reach that safe port called home. This was a wonderful trip through time and space, a book I could not put down. It is a book I will want to read again in the long, loosely woven days of winter.
I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Marius Gabriel, and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
Pub date March 20, 2018
Rec April 4, 2018
Lake Union Publishing
July 9, 2024
I listened to this book which I don’t know if I’d recommend. The audiobook narrater kind of annoyed me which I think took away from the book. I also struggled with ending as I felt like there were many characters kind of forgotten about and didn’t get their ending of the story
November 25, 2018
This never really captured me. Audible reader was good.
Read
March 2, 2022DNF
August 2, 2019
Phenomenal book. The characters were fabulous. His story line on Rosemary Kennedy made me ticked at her parents. Glad Thomas and Marsha found each other.
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