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Titanic #1
Titanic: The Long Night
Two teenagers discover true love aboard the doomed ocean liner
Elizabeth Farr never wanted to return to America. During her family’s vacation abroad, she has fallen in love with England, and is despondent when her father refuses to let her stay. Returning to New York means having her debut into society, and that means a swiftly arranged marriage. Elizabeth will never go to college, never learn to be a reporter—as she sees it, her life is over as soon as the Titanic reaches port. Of course, if she’s unlucky, her life will be over far sooner than that.
As Elizabeth and her family settle into their first-class cabins, Katie Hanrahan, a young Irish girl with dreams of finding fortune in America, makes her way to a steerage berth. Both girls have plans for the future, but love and death are about to intervene.
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Diane Hoh including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.
373 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1998
99 people are currently reading
1733 people want to read
About the author
Diane Hoh
83 books285 followersDiane Hoh is the author of fifty-seven novels for young adults. She grew up in Warren, Pennsylvania but currently resides in Austin, Texas. Reading and writing are her favorite things, alongside gardening and grandchildren.
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September 22, 2024
The maiden voyage and subsequent sinking of the Titanic is perhaps the most fascinating setting for historical fiction in the twentieth century. You have the mixing of social classes, from the wealthy elite (John Jacob Astor, for example) who punch their tickets for first-class accommodations all the way, to the affluent members of second-class, financially secure but not quite up to the level of the Astors on the social scale, down to the third-class passengers, many of whom were in the process of immigrating to the United States when they climbed on board the Titanic. Third-class lodging, though, was no slum on this incredible boat. The accommodations in even the least expensive quarters of the gigantic sailing vessel were magnificent, beyond what most of those traveling third-class had ever seen.
Riding a boat across the vast expanse of an ocean meant that all of the passengers had to stay in one relatively fixed location, without the option of going anywhere very far once the ship's voyage across the Atlantic began; therefore, there was bound to be some contact between the classes despite the mammoth size of their shared maritime hotel. It's not as if the wealthy and less-wealthy passengers onboard necessarily disliked each other; in 1912 Europe and America, though, there was quite a difference in how the rich and the merely "comfortable" were treated. As one might imagine, that could cause some tension. With thousands of individual agendas and personal plans intersecting at this one unique time and place in history, and with plenty of room on the ship for secret trysts and the concealment of dramatic secrets, it's no surprise that the Titanic is such a rich breeding ground for stories of romance and adventure that continue to fascinate us today.
Enter teenaged Elizabeth Farr, daughter of the elite of American society, engaged to marry a wealthy businessman who will have no trouble affording to keep her in the luxurious mode of living that she is accustomed to as a birthright. Elizabeth's parents have, indeed, planned out the direction of her entire life, but she is not content to go along with their plans for her, which seem so dull and tired. Though heavily dependent upon the expensive luxuries of the lifestyle that she has always enjoyed, what Elizabeth really wants is to attend college and decide for herself the man she would want to marry. To wed solely for reasons of decorum and her father's business connections seems to Elizabeth a terrible, confining fate. Her parents, though, don't see anything wrong with going ahead with the arrangement as planned, and they see Elizabeth's desire to supersede their wishes as little more than the petulance of a young girl who obviously still doesn't have the maturity or foresight to make decisions for herself.
Down in steerage (third-class), Katie Mahoney is making her own way from Ireland to New York, where she has hopes to perform professionally as a singer and musician on the big stage. Accompanying her on the journey are two brothers, Paddy and Brian Kelleher, who have their own planned occupations to consider when they arrive in the new country. Uncertainties abound between the three as to the status of their relationships to each other, and it is on this voyage that Katie first begins to realize that she may have deeper feelings for Paddy than she had ever known. A relationship between the two Irish immigrants might be complicated, though; Paddy has plans to go to the midwest, while Katie is certain that her own potential future as an entertainer lies in new York. Of course, in a matter of days all of these issues will seem trivial compared to the tragedy that is bearing down on them all as swiftly as the Titanic gliding through the icy January waters of the Atlantic.
For Elizabeth, her own set of choices as to how much she is willing to defy her parents if that defiance should mean being cut off from the family's wealth grow more complex when she meets a boy her age on the boat, himself also heading back to America. Max Whittaker may have been dressed like a peasant when he first boarded the Titanic, but his pedigree is the same as Elizabeth's; born and raised by wealthy parents, the only reason why he now cannot depend on their money is that he and his parents had differing views of his future, and Max was left to fend for himself. Max's story hits close to home for Elizabeth, who dreads that the same thing may have to happen to her if she is to ever have a chance at happiness attending college or choosing her own husband one day, and the two teenagers slowly begin a friendship that could, under the right circumstances, eventually become something more.
Approximately the last half of this book, which amounts to somewhere in the range of one hundred seventy pages, deals with the fallout from the Titanic's devastating brush with the fatal iceberg, and the panic that gradually sets in over the course of that one nightmarish evening as it dawns on the passengers first that the "unsinkable" ship is truly going down, and then that there aren't enough lifeboats to carry all of the vessel's many inhabitants. The leviathan on which they have entrusted themselves is about to hit the bottom of the ocean, and when that happens, the high society members of bigwig business families who haven't escaped from the hulk will be just as dead as the anonymous immigrants of modest means.
Elizabeth Farr and Katie Mahoney will stare into the open maw of death as it takes its form in the pitiless, freezing black waters stretching in front of them to the distant wintry horizon, knowing that anyone stranded onboard without access to a lifeboat will have no chance of making it out of this emergency alive. Elizabeth and Katie will make impossible choices and see people they know go to their deaths, as fifteen hundred people lose their lives in a single night. The question is, how many of those closest to Elizabeth and Katie will survive the sinking ship and make it to America alive? And will Elizabeth and Katie be able to go on after what they've lost?
I had read a couple of Diane Hoh's suspense books in the past, but I never realized before what a good novelist she can be. Her description of the historical elements surrounding the voyage of the Titanic are interesting (after all, what would a story about the ship's disaster be without at least a passing reference to the "unsinkable" Molly Brown"?), and her ability to create characters with nuanced personalities and emotions that ring true is highly developed. When considering the merits of a contemporary historical tome about the Titanic, I think that one of the biggest factors to be weighed in the success of the book is how well the author has created an intriguing atmosphere out of the available story elements. The historical scenario is rich with plot possibilities, and a good writer should be able to come up with a high-quality story from those possibilities. Diane Hoh does not fail to deliver a thoughtful and adventurous narrative that has action and asks penetrating philosophical questions, carried by its characters and their authentic emotional responses to the tragedy that they must endure.
You won't find any spies or layers of deep secrets in Titanic: The Long Night, but it definitely is a book worth reading, about a terrible incident in history that I'm sure we will continue telling new stories about long past when the final actual survivor of the tragedy has passed away. This is a book of historical fiction that should hold appeal for more than just history fans; interest in the voyage of the Titanic remains significant today, and I know that many readers would enjoy Titanic: The Long Night. I would give it at least two and a half stars.
Riding a boat across the vast expanse of an ocean meant that all of the passengers had to stay in one relatively fixed location, without the option of going anywhere very far once the ship's voyage across the Atlantic began; therefore, there was bound to be some contact between the classes despite the mammoth size of their shared maritime hotel. It's not as if the wealthy and less-wealthy passengers onboard necessarily disliked each other; in 1912 Europe and America, though, there was quite a difference in how the rich and the merely "comfortable" were treated. As one might imagine, that could cause some tension. With thousands of individual agendas and personal plans intersecting at this one unique time and place in history, and with plenty of room on the ship for secret trysts and the concealment of dramatic secrets, it's no surprise that the Titanic is such a rich breeding ground for stories of romance and adventure that continue to fascinate us today.
Enter teenaged Elizabeth Farr, daughter of the elite of American society, engaged to marry a wealthy businessman who will have no trouble affording to keep her in the luxurious mode of living that she is accustomed to as a birthright. Elizabeth's parents have, indeed, planned out the direction of her entire life, but she is not content to go along with their plans for her, which seem so dull and tired. Though heavily dependent upon the expensive luxuries of the lifestyle that she has always enjoyed, what Elizabeth really wants is to attend college and decide for herself the man she would want to marry. To wed solely for reasons of decorum and her father's business connections seems to Elizabeth a terrible, confining fate. Her parents, though, don't see anything wrong with going ahead with the arrangement as planned, and they see Elizabeth's desire to supersede their wishes as little more than the petulance of a young girl who obviously still doesn't have the maturity or foresight to make decisions for herself.
Down in steerage (third-class), Katie Mahoney is making her own way from Ireland to New York, where she has hopes to perform professionally as a singer and musician on the big stage. Accompanying her on the journey are two brothers, Paddy and Brian Kelleher, who have their own planned occupations to consider when they arrive in the new country. Uncertainties abound between the three as to the status of their relationships to each other, and it is on this voyage that Katie first begins to realize that she may have deeper feelings for Paddy than she had ever known. A relationship between the two Irish immigrants might be complicated, though; Paddy has plans to go to the midwest, while Katie is certain that her own potential future as an entertainer lies in new York. Of course, in a matter of days all of these issues will seem trivial compared to the tragedy that is bearing down on them all as swiftly as the Titanic gliding through the icy January waters of the Atlantic.
For Elizabeth, her own set of choices as to how much she is willing to defy her parents if that defiance should mean being cut off from the family's wealth grow more complex when she meets a boy her age on the boat, himself also heading back to America. Max Whittaker may have been dressed like a peasant when he first boarded the Titanic, but his pedigree is the same as Elizabeth's; born and raised by wealthy parents, the only reason why he now cannot depend on their money is that he and his parents had differing views of his future, and Max was left to fend for himself. Max's story hits close to home for Elizabeth, who dreads that the same thing may have to happen to her if she is to ever have a chance at happiness attending college or choosing her own husband one day, and the two teenagers slowly begin a friendship that could, under the right circumstances, eventually become something more.
Approximately the last half of this book, which amounts to somewhere in the range of one hundred seventy pages, deals with the fallout from the Titanic's devastating brush with the fatal iceberg, and the panic that gradually sets in over the course of that one nightmarish evening as it dawns on the passengers first that the "unsinkable" ship is truly going down, and then that there aren't enough lifeboats to carry all of the vessel's many inhabitants. The leviathan on which they have entrusted themselves is about to hit the bottom of the ocean, and when that happens, the high society members of bigwig business families who haven't escaped from the hulk will be just as dead as the anonymous immigrants of modest means.
Elizabeth Farr and Katie Mahoney will stare into the open maw of death as it takes its form in the pitiless, freezing black waters stretching in front of them to the distant wintry horizon, knowing that anyone stranded onboard without access to a lifeboat will have no chance of making it out of this emergency alive. Elizabeth and Katie will make impossible choices and see people they know go to their deaths, as fifteen hundred people lose their lives in a single night. The question is, how many of those closest to Elizabeth and Katie will survive the sinking ship and make it to America alive? And will Elizabeth and Katie be able to go on after what they've lost?
I had read a couple of Diane Hoh's suspense books in the past, but I never realized before what a good novelist she can be. Her description of the historical elements surrounding the voyage of the Titanic are interesting (after all, what would a story about the ship's disaster be without at least a passing reference to the "unsinkable" Molly Brown"?), and her ability to create characters with nuanced personalities and emotions that ring true is highly developed. When considering the merits of a contemporary historical tome about the Titanic, I think that one of the biggest factors to be weighed in the success of the book is how well the author has created an intriguing atmosphere out of the available story elements. The historical scenario is rich with plot possibilities, and a good writer should be able to come up with a high-quality story from those possibilities. Diane Hoh does not fail to deliver a thoughtful and adventurous narrative that has action and asks penetrating philosophical questions, carried by its characters and their authentic emotional responses to the tragedy that they must endure.
You won't find any spies or layers of deep secrets in Titanic: The Long Night, but it definitely is a book worth reading, about a terrible incident in history that I'm sure we will continue telling new stories about long past when the final actual survivor of the tragedy has passed away. This is a book of historical fiction that should hold appeal for more than just history fans; interest in the voyage of the Titanic remains significant today, and I know that many readers would enjoy Titanic: The Long Night. I would give it at least two and a half stars.
October 19, 2022
This was very good, I enjoyed listening to a more in-depth story about other passengers (in particular the Irish romance :-) ) than the Rose and Jack couple that the film portrayed, but I must say that I prefer the latter's plot! It was such a great film I thought.
May 3, 2011
Read this years ago and remember it fondly.
Probably because I was going through a slight Titanic obsession and there are characters in this novel who may as well have been named Jack and Rose, but that of course is besides the point...
Probably because I was going through a slight Titanic obsession and there are characters in this novel who may as well have been named Jack and Rose, but that of course is besides the point...
Read
January 27, 2023Didn't love Elizabeth & Max but I adored Paddy & Katy so much that this gets five stars anyway. I have read this book way too many times because I just can't get over how cute the two of them are!
March 26, 2022
This book has a special place in my heart, an old bruised and battered copy. It was one of the first books I ever read in secondary school, and when they closed down the library it was one of the books I rescued from the bin. And I’m so glad I did.
Titanic: The Long Night is basically a book adaptation based upon the best selling movie, with Elizabeth and Max practically a carbon copy of the romance between Jack and Rose. Where this book differs however, is the introduction of Katie, an Irish woman travelling in third-class with dreams of success in New York, and the brothers Brian and Paddy. I really enjoyed a greater inclusion of passengers from all walks of life, as it really demonstrates what life upon the Titanic was like, since most books and the film mainly focuses on the experience of the wealthiest.
I’ve always been fascinated by the story of the so called “unsinkable” ship, and the endless opulence of the rooms on board as well as the people who inhabited it. The sinking was a horrendous tragedy, an awful event which truly shaped the way we see the world, and has continued to have a lasting impact long after 1912. However, it also teaches incredible life lessons of appreciating what you have and the ones who love you, and the importance in overcoming social barriers for the greater good. Those lessons, while hard to learn, are incredibly important, and thus ensures the lasting legacy of the tragedy of the Titanic.
Titanic: The Long Night is basically a book adaptation based upon the best selling movie, with Elizabeth and Max practically a carbon copy of the romance between Jack and Rose. Where this book differs however, is the introduction of Katie, an Irish woman travelling in third-class with dreams of success in New York, and the brothers Brian and Paddy. I really enjoyed a greater inclusion of passengers from all walks of life, as it really demonstrates what life upon the Titanic was like, since most books and the film mainly focuses on the experience of the wealthiest.
I’ve always been fascinated by the story of the so called “unsinkable” ship, and the endless opulence of the rooms on board as well as the people who inhabited it. The sinking was a horrendous tragedy, an awful event which truly shaped the way we see the world, and has continued to have a lasting impact long after 1912. However, it also teaches incredible life lessons of appreciating what you have and the ones who love you, and the importance in overcoming social barriers for the greater good. Those lessons, while hard to learn, are incredibly important, and thus ensures the lasting legacy of the tragedy of the Titanic.
July 14, 2015
A nice story. I found the chapters focused on the ship hitting the iceberg and the direct aftermath to be the most entertaining.
Elizabeth was a lot more interesting than Katie, couldn't really get into her and Paddy and Brian as much as I would have liked. I'm not a big insta-love person, but I make exceptions for Titanic-based stories, you kind of have to. Elizabeth and Max didn't particularly set my world on fire.
After the ship hit the iceberg and they were loading the lifeboats, I pretty much wanted to kick both Elizabeth and her mother in the butt. Nola, the mother, refused to get in, and tried to talk Elizabeth into staying behind with her and her father. The father was having none of that, thankfully, but it still took entirely too long for them to go ahead and get in one.
I understand not wanting to leave a loved one, and of course you have a personal life or death choice to make, you don't have to do anything, but please do something. Elizabeth seemed far too interested in talking about how scary the dark and lifeboat were.
I'm very interested in reading part two and finding out what happens later on.
Elizabeth was a lot more interesting than Katie, couldn't really get into her and Paddy and Brian as much as I would have liked. I'm not a big insta-love person, but I make exceptions for Titanic-based stories, you kind of have to. Elizabeth and Max didn't particularly set my world on fire.
After the ship hit the iceberg and they were loading the lifeboats, I pretty much wanted to kick both Elizabeth and her mother in the butt. Nola, the mother, refused to get in, and tried to talk Elizabeth into staying behind with her and her father. The father was having none of that, thankfully, but it still took entirely too long for them to go ahead and get in one.
I understand not wanting to leave a loved one, and of course you have a personal life or death choice to make, you don't have to do anything, but please do something. Elizabeth seemed far too interested in talking about how scary the dark and lifeboat were.
I'm very interested in reading part two and finding out what happens later on.
November 27, 2010
3.5 stars.
A good book about the Titanic! I liked the characters, especially Katie with her irish accent, and i even liked Elizabeth after a little while. It got a little long in the end, but i guess it was supposed to, because it's called, "Titanic:The Long Niight." it was very similar to quite a few other Titanic stories. (for example, the actual movie) but it was still enjoyable. It makes me so angry and sad to think about what all those poor souls went through.
A good book about the Titanic! I liked the characters, especially Katie with her irish accent, and i even liked Elizabeth after a little while. It got a little long in the end, but i guess it was supposed to, because it's called, "Titanic:The Long Niight." it was very similar to quite a few other Titanic stories. (for example, the actual movie) but it was still enjoyable. It makes me so angry and sad to think about what all those poor souls went through.
April 8, 2021
I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks
"Titanic: The Long Night" and "Remembering the Titanic" by Diane Hoh follows a group of characters from different walks of life as they board the Titanic and endure the tragic sinking of a ship many claimed was unsinkable. For those who survive they have to face the struggles of surviving when others did not and discover the hopes and possibilities that the future holds.
As a note: "Titanic: The Long Night" and "Remembering the Titanic" are part of my Year of Rereading for 2021. Find out more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM-R0...
I have not read this duology is what feels like forever! Goodreads did not exist the last time I read this series, so I have no documentation how long ago it's been. My best estimate is perhaps 2003. So yeah....a long time ago. I've read this series quite a few times in the past, back when I was a pre-teen and a teenager, so I was definitely curious to see how these books would hold up now that I'm a grown woman in my thirties. Happy to say that I still highly enjoyed this series, thank god! As I've been doing for my Year of Rereading, I'm going to be sharing my five favorite things about these books and whether or not you may like the series.
1. If You Were Part of Leo Mania, These Books Are For You
Let's get this out of the way immediately: this duology was published in 1998. The very popular James Cameron "Titanic" movie was released in December 1997, but didn't even leave theaters until well into 1998. Believe me, I saw the movie a grand total of 15 times over that entire time. I was obsessed! Before the word "shipper" was a term, I was shipping Jack and Rose and I fell hard into Leonardo DiCaprio Mania. This duology was released at the perfect time to satisfy my Titanic obsession. I was browsing through some of the Goodreads reviews for this series and many call it a rip-off of the movie, and it sort of is. The movie and these books do have some pretty eerie similarities, but not to the point that it feels like plagiarism. What you gotta keep in mind is that publishing a book is a process and I highly doubt Diane Hoh saw the movie in December 1997 and published the first book by March 1998. The timeline makes absolutely no sense for any sort of plagiarism or influences to be incorporated. I think it's all just very coincidental that a movie and a duology were published closely together. Either way, to my teenage self back in the day, this duology fueled my all-things-Titanic obsession.
2. This Series Still Held My Interest
As I mentioned, it's been an incredibly long time since I last reread this series, so I had my concerns returning to this series here in 2021. Would it be terrible? Would it be cheesy? Would it be boring? I'm glad to say I still had an incredibly enjoyable time. And the writing surprising held up quite well. I've read a lot of historical fiction about the Titanic, and there's been many highs and lows when it comes to books dealing with the Titanic. And I have to say, I think this duology is still my favorite books when it comes to the Titanic. I don't know if that's just the nostalgia talking, but it's how I honestly feel. There's just a simplicity and honesty when it comes to this duology that I think many other Titanic related books lack.
3. Great Themes and Issues Explored
I'm a grown woman in my thirties now, I have a Bachelor's in English, so when I read books I tend to look for themes and messages and literary devices. But back when I first read this series, I didn't pick up on certain themes. So rereading now, I was pleasantly surprised to see some of the depth of theme Diane Hoh explored that I didn't pick up on as a teenager. Both books explore things like class politics, feminism, and PTSD. Anyone who knows anything about the Titanic knows how the third class passengers were treated and that a small minority even made it off the ship. First class got first go at the lifeboats while third class were locked behind doors. Diane Hoh does a great job exploring those class differences by focusing on Elizabeth, a first class passenger, and Katie, a third class passenger. Elizabeth seemingly has everything, like wealth and comfort in Katie's eyes, but to Elizabeth, Katie has freedom and independence. That also leads to elements of feminism. Both young women crave independence and the ability to go after their dreams and don't want others to control them. It was 1912 after all and it was frowned upon for any woman, no matter the class, to be earning a living, instead when they should be finding a man to marry to take care of them. The class politics also extend to the room furnishings, the special privileges, and one cringe worthy moment when first class passengers take a tour down to third class and stare at those less fortunate like they are zoo animals. Another great moment, a lesson in don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover, is when Elizabeth mistakes a fellow first class passenger as a third class passenger just because he doesn't have a proper outfit or haircut and insults him by escorting him to third class. And then moving on to PTSD really quickly, book two is where this topic is primarily handled. It shouldn't come as a surprise that some characters will live or die, and if you've read Titanic fiction in the past, the deaths are not shocking or surprising because you are expecting them. And the same goes for who lives. One character faces survivor's guilt. One faces claustrophobia. One faces nightmares after being stuck in a cold lifeboat uncertain of rescue. One faces nightmares of nearing drowning and freezing to death. I think Diane Hoh did a great job exploring class politics, feminism, and PTSD. It's all handled delicately and all the themes really add to each character.
4. Great Characters
These characters may not be the most fleshed out of characters, but I still love them all for various different reasons. Diane Hoh gives them all life and stories, no two characters are exactly the same. Each character comes from a unique background. Elizabeth is wealthy, but yearns for independence. Max is also wealthy, but yearns to make his own living rather than living off the money of his parents. Katie is a poor lass from Ireland, but she dreams of becoming a singer in America. Paddy and his brother Brian are traveling with Katie, they too with different dreams of starting fresh in America, Paddy with writing and Brian with farming. And of course there's romance! You can't have a Titanic story without a wee bit of romance. Elizabeth and Max are practically Jack and Rose, so of course I love them. Max who has already been living independently strongly encourages Elizabeth to do the same. They are almost polar opposites at times because of their personalities, but they share that same desire for freedom. Paddy was a ladies man in Ireland, but Katie finds herself falling in love with him after a spur-of-the-moment kiss to shock some first class passengers. Both couples are adorable. Cheesy at times, for sure, but my teenage-self loved it!
5. Book Two Is All About the Aftermath
Book 1 is all about the voyage of the Titanic from April 10th to April 15th 1912, with a bit of the rescue by the Carpathia near the end. The book almost abruptly ends, leaving you wanting to know what happens to these characters after this huge tragedy they just faced. Fortunately, there's a book 2, and this one entirely explores the year later after the ship has sunk and the struggles the survivors are enduring. As much as I love being on the ship and the stories that occur, I also love seeing the aftermath. Not many books explore the aftermath, instead opting for the more interesting story of actually being on the ship. I've always found the aftermath just as interesting. How do characters deal with living when others did not? How do characters struggle with their personal demons? How do characters deal with the press? How do characters deal with their futures? Will this disaster hurt them, or will it only make them more determined? As much as I love book 1, I also love book 2 where we really get a better look inside the headspace of these characters and their strengths and weaknesses.
I had a lot more to say about this duology than I realized. I thoroughly enjoyed my reread and I'm glad I still loved this series as much as I did last time I read it back when I was a teenager. It surprisingly held up and I continued to love these characters. And I grasped many themes and issues that flew over my head when I was a teenager that I now appreciate as an adult. If you love all things Titanic, I highly recommend this series. It's not the world's greatest literature, but it's enjoyable and entertaining, and I think Diane Hoh really grasps the terror and suspense of what it must have been like during the sinking.
"Titanic: The Long Night" and "Remembering the Titanic" by Diane Hoh follows a group of characters from different walks of life as they board the Titanic and endure the tragic sinking of a ship many claimed was unsinkable. For those who survive they have to face the struggles of surviving when others did not and discover the hopes and possibilities that the future holds.
As a note: "Titanic: The Long Night" and "Remembering the Titanic" are part of my Year of Rereading for 2021. Find out more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM-R0...
I have not read this duology is what feels like forever! Goodreads did not exist the last time I read this series, so I have no documentation how long ago it's been. My best estimate is perhaps 2003. So yeah....a long time ago. I've read this series quite a few times in the past, back when I was a pre-teen and a teenager, so I was definitely curious to see how these books would hold up now that I'm a grown woman in my thirties. Happy to say that I still highly enjoyed this series, thank god! As I've been doing for my Year of Rereading, I'm going to be sharing my five favorite things about these books and whether or not you may like the series.
1. If You Were Part of Leo Mania, These Books Are For You
Let's get this out of the way immediately: this duology was published in 1998. The very popular James Cameron "Titanic" movie was released in December 1997, but didn't even leave theaters until well into 1998. Believe me, I saw the movie a grand total of 15 times over that entire time. I was obsessed! Before the word "shipper" was a term, I was shipping Jack and Rose and I fell hard into Leonardo DiCaprio Mania. This duology was released at the perfect time to satisfy my Titanic obsession. I was browsing through some of the Goodreads reviews for this series and many call it a rip-off of the movie, and it sort of is. The movie and these books do have some pretty eerie similarities, but not to the point that it feels like plagiarism. What you gotta keep in mind is that publishing a book is a process and I highly doubt Diane Hoh saw the movie in December 1997 and published the first book by March 1998. The timeline makes absolutely no sense for any sort of plagiarism or influences to be incorporated. I think it's all just very coincidental that a movie and a duology were published closely together. Either way, to my teenage self back in the day, this duology fueled my all-things-Titanic obsession.
2. This Series Still Held My Interest
As I mentioned, it's been an incredibly long time since I last reread this series, so I had my concerns returning to this series here in 2021. Would it be terrible? Would it be cheesy? Would it be boring? I'm glad to say I still had an incredibly enjoyable time. And the writing surprising held up quite well. I've read a lot of historical fiction about the Titanic, and there's been many highs and lows when it comes to books dealing with the Titanic. And I have to say, I think this duology is still my favorite books when it comes to the Titanic. I don't know if that's just the nostalgia talking, but it's how I honestly feel. There's just a simplicity and honesty when it comes to this duology that I think many other Titanic related books lack.
3. Great Themes and Issues Explored
I'm a grown woman in my thirties now, I have a Bachelor's in English, so when I read books I tend to look for themes and messages and literary devices. But back when I first read this series, I didn't pick up on certain themes. So rereading now, I was pleasantly surprised to see some of the depth of theme Diane Hoh explored that I didn't pick up on as a teenager. Both books explore things like class politics, feminism, and PTSD. Anyone who knows anything about the Titanic knows how the third class passengers were treated and that a small minority even made it off the ship. First class got first go at the lifeboats while third class were locked behind doors. Diane Hoh does a great job exploring those class differences by focusing on Elizabeth, a first class passenger, and Katie, a third class passenger. Elizabeth seemingly has everything, like wealth and comfort in Katie's eyes, but to Elizabeth, Katie has freedom and independence. That also leads to elements of feminism. Both young women crave independence and the ability to go after their dreams and don't want others to control them. It was 1912 after all and it was frowned upon for any woman, no matter the class, to be earning a living, instead when they should be finding a man to marry to take care of them. The class politics also extend to the room furnishings, the special privileges, and one cringe worthy moment when first class passengers take a tour down to third class and stare at those less fortunate like they are zoo animals. Another great moment, a lesson in don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover, is when Elizabeth mistakes a fellow first class passenger as a third class passenger just because he doesn't have a proper outfit or haircut and insults him by escorting him to third class. And then moving on to PTSD really quickly, book two is where this topic is primarily handled. It shouldn't come as a surprise that some characters will live or die, and if you've read Titanic fiction in the past, the deaths are not shocking or surprising because you are expecting them. And the same goes for who lives. One character faces survivor's guilt. One faces claustrophobia. One faces nightmares after being stuck in a cold lifeboat uncertain of rescue. One faces nightmares of nearing drowning and freezing to death. I think Diane Hoh did a great job exploring class politics, feminism, and PTSD. It's all handled delicately and all the themes really add to each character.
4. Great Characters
These characters may not be the most fleshed out of characters, but I still love them all for various different reasons. Diane Hoh gives them all life and stories, no two characters are exactly the same. Each character comes from a unique background. Elizabeth is wealthy, but yearns for independence. Max is also wealthy, but yearns to make his own living rather than living off the money of his parents. Katie is a poor lass from Ireland, but she dreams of becoming a singer in America. Paddy and his brother Brian are traveling with Katie, they too with different dreams of starting fresh in America, Paddy with writing and Brian with farming. And of course there's romance! You can't have a Titanic story without a wee bit of romance. Elizabeth and Max are practically Jack and Rose, so of course I love them. Max who has already been living independently strongly encourages Elizabeth to do the same. They are almost polar opposites at times because of their personalities, but they share that same desire for freedom. Paddy was a ladies man in Ireland, but Katie finds herself falling in love with him after a spur-of-the-moment kiss to shock some first class passengers. Both couples are adorable. Cheesy at times, for sure, but my teenage-self loved it!
5. Book Two Is All About the Aftermath
Book 1 is all about the voyage of the Titanic from April 10th to April 15th 1912, with a bit of the rescue by the Carpathia near the end. The book almost abruptly ends, leaving you wanting to know what happens to these characters after this huge tragedy they just faced. Fortunately, there's a book 2, and this one entirely explores the year later after the ship has sunk and the struggles the survivors are enduring. As much as I love being on the ship and the stories that occur, I also love seeing the aftermath. Not many books explore the aftermath, instead opting for the more interesting story of actually being on the ship. I've always found the aftermath just as interesting. How do characters deal with living when others did not? How do characters struggle with their personal demons? How do characters deal with the press? How do characters deal with their futures? Will this disaster hurt them, or will it only make them more determined? As much as I love book 1, I also love book 2 where we really get a better look inside the headspace of these characters and their strengths and weaknesses.
I had a lot more to say about this duology than I realized. I thoroughly enjoyed my reread and I'm glad I still loved this series as much as I did last time I read it back when I was a teenager. It surprisingly held up and I continued to love these characters. And I grasped many themes and issues that flew over my head when I was a teenager that I now appreciate as an adult. If you love all things Titanic, I highly recommend this series. It's not the world's greatest literature, but it's enjoyable and entertaining, and I think Diane Hoh really grasps the terror and suspense of what it must have been like during the sinking.
October 23, 2024
Even though I knew it would happen, I didn't want the Titanic to sink 🫣
May 10, 2016
Review originally posted on Tsundokuholic.
The year is 1998. A story about a rich teenage girl on the Titanic falling for an artist returning to America from a year abroad in Paris grabs my heart.
No, I’m NOT talking about James Cameron’s blockbuster movie Titanic, although the same could be said for the movie. I’m talking about Diane Hoh’s novel, Titanic: The Long Night. Cheap novel riding the coattails of a blockbuster film? Absolutely it is. Compelling story? I sure thought so.
A wealthy socialite, Elizabeth Farr, is sailing home with her parents on the maiden voyage of the Titanic when she sees a third class passenger wandering around the first class area looking lost, so she decides to help him by directing him back to third class quarters. She feels proud of herself for being helpful and independent, especially since her parents want to marry her off to some boring rich guy when all Elizabeth wants to do is go to Vassar.
Later that night Elizabeth is embarrassed to see the third class passenger at her dinner table and finds out he’s actually Max Whittaker, son of one of her father’s friends. She’s bratty towards him but they strike up a friendship that blossoms into a flirtation that is threatened by a large iceberg with no regards for young love. The book also follows 2 Irish brothers and their friend Katie in third class, but that story line never appealed to me as much as Elizabeth and Max’s romance because it wasn’t anything like Jack and Rose’s story.
I absolutely LOVED this story, especially since I was the only kid in my grade who hadn’t been allowed to see Titanic because of the sex and nudity, and I was really bitter about missing out on the greatest pop culture phenomenon in the 6th grade. I read it over and over again while listening to the Titanic soundtrack (yes I bought the soundtrack without seeing the movie and, to prove that it was probably good judgment on my parents’ part to not let me see the movie, I was STUNNED that it was all instrumental music instead of Disneyesque showtunes), crying at the end when characters are lost to the icy sea. Probably one of my most re-read books.
The characters each have a unique voice and personality that endears them to you. You don’t want to see any of them come to harm, even Elizabeth’s society-obsessed parents. Of course, it’s a book about the Titanic so there are a few casualties. This book has the perfect combination of family drama, romance, suspense, history, and tragedy. If you were a Titanic superfan in the 90’s, you’ll be a superfan of this book too.
The year is 1998. A story about a rich teenage girl on the Titanic falling for an artist returning to America from a year abroad in Paris grabs my heart.
No, I’m NOT talking about James Cameron’s blockbuster movie Titanic, although the same could be said for the movie. I’m talking about Diane Hoh’s novel, Titanic: The Long Night. Cheap novel riding the coattails of a blockbuster film? Absolutely it is. Compelling story? I sure thought so.
A wealthy socialite, Elizabeth Farr, is sailing home with her parents on the maiden voyage of the Titanic when she sees a third class passenger wandering around the first class area looking lost, so she decides to help him by directing him back to third class quarters. She feels proud of herself for being helpful and independent, especially since her parents want to marry her off to some boring rich guy when all Elizabeth wants to do is go to Vassar.
Later that night Elizabeth is embarrassed to see the third class passenger at her dinner table and finds out he’s actually Max Whittaker, son of one of her father’s friends. She’s bratty towards him but they strike up a friendship that blossoms into a flirtation that is threatened by a large iceberg with no regards for young love. The book also follows 2 Irish brothers and their friend Katie in third class, but that story line never appealed to me as much as Elizabeth and Max’s romance because it wasn’t anything like Jack and Rose’s story.
I absolutely LOVED this story, especially since I was the only kid in my grade who hadn’t been allowed to see Titanic because of the sex and nudity, and I was really bitter about missing out on the greatest pop culture phenomenon in the 6th grade. I read it over and over again while listening to the Titanic soundtrack (yes I bought the soundtrack without seeing the movie and, to prove that it was probably good judgment on my parents’ part to not let me see the movie, I was STUNNED that it was all instrumental music instead of Disneyesque showtunes), crying at the end when characters are lost to the icy sea. Probably one of my most re-read books.
The characters each have a unique voice and personality that endears them to you. You don’t want to see any of them come to harm, even Elizabeth’s society-obsessed parents. Of course, it’s a book about the Titanic so there are a few casualties. This book has the perfect combination of family drama, romance, suspense, history, and tragedy. If you were a Titanic superfan in the 90’s, you’ll be a superfan of this book too.
April 7, 2021
3.5 stars
May 25, 2021
It took me awhile to get into the story. I would read a few pages and put it down for a day or two. But in the middle it got good and it ended satisfactorily for a titanic novel
Read
May 24, 2025A childhood classic and probable source of my lifelong fear of boats
October 15, 2020
Onvan : Titanic: The Long Night - Nevisande : Diane Hoh - ISBN : 059033123X - ISBN13 : 9780590331234 - Dar 373 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 1998
July 28, 2021
WARNING: major spoilers
I would like to say that though there was a handful of details that’s reminded me of Jack and Rose, the book was its own thing. I feel like of course a romance story on titanic is going to make anyone who’s seen titanic think of it. But the author did an amazing job of making this story totally her own.
I think that it may be better then the movie.... idk about that..... but it’s very good... they come close to each other for me. Idk about better then the movie though😂 and it was sooooo good to the point where I chose it over being on my phone or watching tv..... and I love tv, like, you don’t even know. So that all on its own says a lot 😂
Okay. I literally love this book so much. It made me keep coming back and last night I couldn’t put it down until I finally finished it.
Yesterday I went from chapter seven or something to the end.
Omg the beginning of the book is so happy ish, and it follows the story of a girl named Elisabeth and her parents, and a guy named Max, all in first class.
Anther girl who is traveling third class with two of her friends Brian and Paddy ( there brothers)
So with Elisabeth, her parents are going to force her to do a debut thing when in America, and will force her to marry a man named Alan, a man she doesn’t love or even like.
She longs to go to college but her parents are strongly against it and won’t let her .
Then she meets a guy when he’s boarding the titanic. a.k.a
Max. He looks like a third class man so she ish kindly escorts him to where she thought he needed to be.
Then she finds out that his parents are friends with hers and as it turned out, he wasn’t a third class passenger.
Awkward......
And then ya know she doesn’t like him whatsoever, but then she starts to be more friendly, then BAM! There like together.
Then there’s Katie. When she gets to America she wants to be a singing. Brian wants to be a farmer. And paddy wants to be a writer.
On the trip Katie finds out that she has actual feelings for paddy. 😱. And like, the whole time basically paddy liked her; but he thought she was like his brothers. And he wasn’t going to majorly interfere.
But as we all sadly know, the titanic was goin to sink. Which made me anxious because I didn’t want them to kill off characters.
So is you have seen the movie titanic it’s like that at this point. When the ships sinking. It’s terrible.
Elisabeth and her mother don’t want to leave the ship because
1. The little life boats in the big Black Sea didn’t seem safe.
And 2. Elisabeth found out that there wasn’t going to be enough lifeboats so her father and Max would most likely not be getting off the ship.
So they stayed on the titanic as long as her father thought was safe, waiting for a rescue ship, that they later found out was just lights in the sky, what did you calm those? Northern lights??
So she and her mother get placed on the lifeboat. Her mother goes into shock, being very very quiet and numb (emotionally I think) and when the ship is sinking Elisabeth can do nothing but watch. Knowing her father can’t swim. Unknowing if Max could.
After a while of watching Elizabeth’s boat row out of there, Max and her father go in the ship, because Max couldn’t bare it any longer. And yes they had confessed their love for each other before they departed. Sooo sad.
Then Max heard a woman saying the water was coming up in the ship, so Max decides to see it for himself.
And at this point I thought he was going to throw himself in because he would die anyway in his mind. I was so worried he was going to but he didn’t.
He tried to hold on to the ship as long as he could but fell in the water.
The coldness was freezing him to where he couldn’t even move like he could I guess but he didn’t feel like he could. And he got pulled under twice by the ships suction and then the author made me cry. Cry for a long time while reading 😂🤦🏻♀️. Basically it was like as he was under knowing that was it, he wondered.. if Elisabeth was near in her lifeboat and if she could sense his presence near. He said his goodbye to her, and hopped she knew... that she was the last thing on his mind.
Omg I went crazy.
crazy. I could not. Me =😭😭😭
So,Katie had a roommate who was a nanny but when the nanny noticed something was not right with the ship she left the room and never came back. So Katie unwilling to leave the kids, got them ready and looked for a way to the deck. She eventually found a worker and they gave her directions to how to get up, but when she arrived there was a gate.......🤧
But then just as they were about to search for another exit, they found paddy!!!!
Such a relief. And they hugged and he found a way out for them. He wanted her to get into a life boat as he looked for Brian, and like helped other passengers so they could escape, but she said no. She wouldn’t leave him and Brian. So she waited for him to return. Then once she found the nanny to the kids, Max, helped them in the lifeboat.
Their pathed crossed a great deal. Katie and Elisabeth.
So free of the kids, she went to find paddy and Brian.
After a while, a long ish while she found Brian. Long story short, he told her she needed to tell paddy how she felt about him.
So after paddy said he basically couldn’t bare the thought of never seeing her again, she said something like it too but longer and then said the three words😍 I love you 😭
And he felt the same basically.
So he continued to help passengers as did she, then after, Brian stayed on ship to do as much as he could, and Katie reluctantly got in a lifeboat without paddy.
But then they let him and some other men get on so they could help like row? Idk.
So basically..... Katie and paddy, all good ish.
Elisabeth and her mother, as good as it got.
Once a ship found them all in their boats, it picked them up and tried to do everything it could for the survivors.
After a while in board Elisabeth had a thought.
The hospital! Her father and Max could have been there! And as she was on her way to the hospital believe it or not
She found Max. I was crying a lot. I was like thank God😭😭👏🏼👏🏼
But I also thought maybe she was just hallucinating idk.
He was all sickly looking but he was alive. Her father and Brian, were not on the ship unfortunately.
And basically that’s how it ends ish. They have a page in the back saying what happens to the characters and such and all happy endings I’d say. Elisabeth and Max get married and she goes to collage. And he becomes an artist as he wanted for like ever to be.
And paddy and Katie marry, and have like three kids, and she becomes a singing and he a writer, and a successful one at that I think.
So
This was like a longgggg summary of the book.
Okay, so the writer of this book clearly has an amazing girt. She described the titanic and all the details so well. Maybe even better then the movie titanic did, though they were showing and this person was telling.
She did an amazing job
Probably my new favorite books at least top two or three.
It was so good and sometime, I’m sure I’ll read it again. And cry a lot again.
I love the beginning most of all before the sinking began. I feel like if the tragedy never would have happened in the story it would have been so fun. But it did add more drama to the situation and it was very entertaining and I loved it so much. I’m so glad Max lived😭👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I would like to say that though there was a handful of details that’s reminded me of Jack and Rose, the book was its own thing. I feel like of course a romance story on titanic is going to make anyone who’s seen titanic think of it. But the author did an amazing job of making this story totally her own.
I think that it may be better then the movie.... idk about that..... but it’s very good... they come close to each other for me. Idk about better then the movie though😂 and it was sooooo good to the point where I chose it over being on my phone or watching tv..... and I love tv, like, you don’t even know. So that all on its own says a lot 😂
Okay. I literally love this book so much. It made me keep coming back and last night I couldn’t put it down until I finally finished it.
Yesterday I went from chapter seven or something to the end.
Omg the beginning of the book is so happy ish, and it follows the story of a girl named Elisabeth and her parents, and a guy named Max, all in first class.
Anther girl who is traveling third class with two of her friends Brian and Paddy ( there brothers)
So with Elisabeth, her parents are going to force her to do a debut thing when in America, and will force her to marry a man named Alan, a man she doesn’t love or even like.
She longs to go to college but her parents are strongly against it and won’t let her .
Then she meets a guy when he’s boarding the titanic. a.k.a
Max. He looks like a third class man so she ish kindly escorts him to where she thought he needed to be.
Then she finds out that his parents are friends with hers and as it turned out, he wasn’t a third class passenger.
Awkward......
And then ya know she doesn’t like him whatsoever, but then she starts to be more friendly, then BAM! There like together.
Then there’s Katie. When she gets to America she wants to be a singing. Brian wants to be a farmer. And paddy wants to be a writer.
On the trip Katie finds out that she has actual feelings for paddy. 😱. And like, the whole time basically paddy liked her; but he thought she was like his brothers. And he wasn’t going to majorly interfere.
But as we all sadly know, the titanic was goin to sink. Which made me anxious because I didn’t want them to kill off characters.
So is you have seen the movie titanic it’s like that at this point. When the ships sinking. It’s terrible.
Elisabeth and her mother don’t want to leave the ship because
1. The little life boats in the big Black Sea didn’t seem safe.
And 2. Elisabeth found out that there wasn’t going to be enough lifeboats so her father and Max would most likely not be getting off the ship.
So they stayed on the titanic as long as her father thought was safe, waiting for a rescue ship, that they later found out was just lights in the sky, what did you calm those? Northern lights??
So she and her mother get placed on the lifeboat. Her mother goes into shock, being very very quiet and numb (emotionally I think) and when the ship is sinking Elisabeth can do nothing but watch. Knowing her father can’t swim. Unknowing if Max could.
After a while of watching Elizabeth’s boat row out of there, Max and her father go in the ship, because Max couldn’t bare it any longer. And yes they had confessed their love for each other before they departed. Sooo sad.
Then Max heard a woman saying the water was coming up in the ship, so Max decides to see it for himself.
And at this point I thought he was going to throw himself in because he would die anyway in his mind. I was so worried he was going to but he didn’t.
He tried to hold on to the ship as long as he could but fell in the water.
The coldness was freezing him to where he couldn’t even move like he could I guess but he didn’t feel like he could. And he got pulled under twice by the ships suction and then the author made me cry. Cry for a long time while reading 😂🤦🏻♀️. Basically it was like as he was under knowing that was it, he wondered.. if Elisabeth was near in her lifeboat and if she could sense his presence near. He said his goodbye to her, and hopped she knew... that she was the last thing on his mind.
Omg I went crazy.
crazy. I could not. Me =😭😭😭
So,Katie had a roommate who was a nanny but when the nanny noticed something was not right with the ship she left the room and never came back. So Katie unwilling to leave the kids, got them ready and looked for a way to the deck. She eventually found a worker and they gave her directions to how to get up, but when she arrived there was a gate.......🤧
But then just as they were about to search for another exit, they found paddy!!!!
Such a relief. And they hugged and he found a way out for them. He wanted her to get into a life boat as he looked for Brian, and like helped other passengers so they could escape, but she said no. She wouldn’t leave him and Brian. So she waited for him to return. Then once she found the nanny to the kids, Max, helped them in the lifeboat.
Their pathed crossed a great deal. Katie and Elisabeth.
So free of the kids, she went to find paddy and Brian.
After a while, a long ish while she found Brian. Long story short, he told her she needed to tell paddy how she felt about him.
So after paddy said he basically couldn’t bare the thought of never seeing her again, she said something like it too but longer and then said the three words😍 I love you 😭
And he felt the same basically.
So he continued to help passengers as did she, then after, Brian stayed on ship to do as much as he could, and Katie reluctantly got in a lifeboat without paddy.
But then they let him and some other men get on so they could help like row? Idk.
So basically..... Katie and paddy, all good ish.
Elisabeth and her mother, as good as it got.
Once a ship found them all in their boats, it picked them up and tried to do everything it could for the survivors.
After a while in board Elisabeth had a thought.
The hospital! Her father and Max could have been there! And as she was on her way to the hospital believe it or not
She found Max. I was crying a lot. I was like thank God😭😭👏🏼👏🏼
But I also thought maybe she was just hallucinating idk.
He was all sickly looking but he was alive. Her father and Brian, were not on the ship unfortunately.
And basically that’s how it ends ish. They have a page in the back saying what happens to the characters and such and all happy endings I’d say. Elisabeth and Max get married and she goes to collage. And he becomes an artist as he wanted for like ever to be.
And paddy and Katie marry, and have like three kids, and she becomes a singing and he a writer, and a successful one at that I think.
So
This was like a longgggg summary of the book.
Okay, so the writer of this book clearly has an amazing girt. She described the titanic and all the details so well. Maybe even better then the movie titanic did, though they were showing and this person was telling.
She did an amazing job
Probably my new favorite books at least top two or three.
It was so good and sometime, I’m sure I’ll read it again. And cry a lot again.
I love the beginning most of all before the sinking began. I feel like if the tragedy never would have happened in the story it would have been so fun. But it did add more drama to the situation and it was very entertaining and I loved it so much. I’m so glad Max lived😭👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2024
I read this book back in 1999. I read it so many times, the cover fell off and I’m not one to destroy my books when I read them. All of my hardcover and paperback books look unused because I take care of them. But I loved this book. And when I say love, I mean I obsessed over it. I read it about 3 times and then even acted it out with my Barbie dolls… LOVED IT.
I was weird when it came to reading this book though. I LOVED the story between Elizabeth and Max, a man who was “beneath” Elizabeth and her family; and I’m sure if I read it today, I would cry towards the ending because of the not knowing if they found each other on the Carpathia or not (not gonna say). Now when I say I was weird when reading this book, I mean that I only wanted to read about Elizabeth and Max. I didn’t care about Katie’s story, the third class girl. Her story wasn’t as exciting to me as the other two’s. Towards the end, however, the two women come across each other and I had to highlight in my book when that meet happened so I wasn’t lost.
I did read the second novel that Diane wrote between Elizabeth and Max; but didn’t enjoy it as much as the first… Probably because the Titanic was no longer involved as I was obsessed with that ship in 1999.
Writing this review makes me wanna read this book again… Dammit.
I was weird when it came to reading this book though. I LOVED the story between Elizabeth and Max, a man who was “beneath” Elizabeth and her family; and I’m sure if I read it today, I would cry towards the ending because of the not knowing if they found each other on the Carpathia or not (not gonna say). Now when I say I was weird when reading this book, I mean that I only wanted to read about Elizabeth and Max. I didn’t care about Katie’s story, the third class girl. Her story wasn’t as exciting to me as the other two’s. Towards the end, however, the two women come across each other and I had to highlight in my book when that meet happened so I wasn’t lost.
I did read the second novel that Diane wrote between Elizabeth and Max; but didn’t enjoy it as much as the first… Probably because the Titanic was no longer involved as I was obsessed with that ship in 1999.
Writing this review makes me wanna read this book again… Dammit.
May 17, 2016
I remember being young and reading this book. I always enjoyed the story of the Titanic. I have seen the movie many times and have read countless books about it. This book was just as good this time around as the first time I read it. It even seemed better.
Elizabeth, a young first class passenger, wants to go to college while her parents want her to be married. Max is an artist who has ignored his rich raising and is determined to make his own way. Katie, a young woman in steerage accompanied by her two shipmates is on her way to America to follow a dream only she knows of. Each person has their own reasons for being on the grand ship Titanic. Each one knows not what one fateful night will bring to their way.
This story brought romance and history. Passion and hope. It was written so well it was so hard not to fall in love with all the characters and each of their stories. This was a great read all around....Stormi
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Elizabeth, a young first class passenger, wants to go to college while her parents want her to be married. Max is an artist who has ignored his rich raising and is determined to make his own way. Katie, a young woman in steerage accompanied by her two shipmates is on her way to America to follow a dream only she knows of. Each person has their own reasons for being on the grand ship Titanic. Each one knows not what one fateful night will bring to their way.
This story brought romance and history. Passion and hope. It was written so well it was so hard not to fall in love with all the characters and each of their stories. This was a great read all around....Stormi
http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com
https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
February 27, 2018
Having read this book years ago, and finding myself unable to remember it, I picked it up again and now realised why I could not remember it. This is a complete rip off of the movie by James Cameron with only minor changes made to a handful of characters to avoid copyright. The writing style was lacking both detail and, in some cases, historical accuracy. I felt no empathy for the characters and was completely underwhelmed by the entire event of the sinking. When the end is already well known, the journey to reach that point should be the focal point, however this book is completely lacking in the detail, creativity, and detailed knowledge of the actual event to make this at all enjoyable.
If you had no prior knowledge of the events around the Titanic, and enjoy tasteless romance novels, you might actually enjoy this novel, however I certainly cannot recommend this book for anything more than a cheap romance.
If you had no prior knowledge of the events around the Titanic, and enjoy tasteless romance novels, you might actually enjoy this novel, however I certainly cannot recommend this book for anything more than a cheap romance.
July 27, 2019
It was definitely one of my favourite books. It reminded me a bit of the movie, but the author still managed to change it around and make an interesting plot and romance! The book follows two girls: 1st class Elizabeth Farr and 3rd class Kathleen (Katie) Hanrahan. I love how sometimes they see each other, but they never actually meet. It was a great way for the characters to interact.
December 9, 2008
Yes, this was sort of a rip off of the movie but it held my interest. I was a little disappointed that the rich NY heiress and the poor Irish immigrant girl, leaving parallel lives on board, never actually met, but that was better than if they had improbably become BFF.
July 31, 2016
By fluke I recently found a copy of this novel so of course I just had to read it.
July 23, 2017
My love for this book is firmly rooted in nostalgia. Is it good? I honestly don't know.
February 20, 2023
Since I was a kid I've been absolutely fascinated with the Titanic. The stories, the tragedy, the ship, what happened and how, what's been done since to prevent another similar tragedy. I remember when James Cameron's Titanic came out and going to see it in theaters. (We went last night and saw it in theaters for the 25th anniversary.)
So my friend and I were talking about some of the books we'd read as kids/teens and this one came up. We decided to do a buddy read for it.
The book is basically the days leading up to the sinking of the ship told through multi-POV. We have Elizabeth, a first class passenger who just wants to be on her own and pursue her own dreams but can't do to the restrictions of her class and and the ones her parents impose on her. Max, another first class passenger who has done the opposite of Elizabeth and is determined to make his own way in the world. Then we have Katie, Paddy, and Brian (Paddy and Brian are brothers) who are all third class passengers and grew up together in Ireland. All three of them are headed to America to create new lives for themselves.
The love story is a mix of annoyance to lovers (Max and Elizabeth) and idiots to lovers/misunderstanding (Katie, Paddy, and Brian). I found myself so absorbed by their stories. It was beautifully written, the romance hit just right and was believable, the bravery of some of the characters and their sacrifices had me choked up several times, the tragedy of the night was told so heartbreakingly well. It almost felt like you were there with them. Even though you know how it ends, you keep holding out hope for a different ending just like the characters in the book. Watching them come to the realization of what was going on, of what had to happen though it was never spoke aloud, was so realistically written.
It does have sort of have a happy ending while also still being true to the tragedy. If you want a quick, historical fiction, YA read about the Titanic I highly recommend this one.
So my friend and I were talking about some of the books we'd read as kids/teens and this one came up. We decided to do a buddy read for it.
The book is basically the days leading up to the sinking of the ship told through multi-POV. We have Elizabeth, a first class passenger who just wants to be on her own and pursue her own dreams but can't do to the restrictions of her class and and the ones her parents impose on her. Max, another first class passenger who has done the opposite of Elizabeth and is determined to make his own way in the world. Then we have Katie, Paddy, and Brian (Paddy and Brian are brothers) who are all third class passengers and grew up together in Ireland. All three of them are headed to America to create new lives for themselves.
The love story is a mix of annoyance to lovers (Max and Elizabeth) and idiots to lovers/misunderstanding (Katie, Paddy, and Brian). I found myself so absorbed by their stories. It was beautifully written, the romance hit just right and was believable, the bravery of some of the characters and their sacrifices had me choked up several times, the tragedy of the night was told so heartbreakingly well. It almost felt like you were there with them. Even though you know how it ends, you keep holding out hope for a different ending just like the characters in the book. Watching them come to the realization of what was going on, of what had to happen though it was never spoke aloud, was so realistically written.
It does have sort of have a happy ending while also still being true to the tragedy. If you want a quick, historical fiction, YA read about the Titanic I highly recommend this one.
June 19, 2020
*3.5 RIP to everyone who died on the ship, and the survivors who have now all passed, since 2009. The first-hand history is gone, but at least we have storytellers and books.
“Why shouldn’t the men have come along if the boat was going to leave only half full? To leave them on a sinking ship was indeed a crime of the worst sort.”
So... I was not expecting a 4 STAR TO EVEN CROSS MY MIND. The first part of this book was complete and utter TRASH! Then, throughout the last 3rd of this book I was just like “Welp, this has suddenly taken on a much more somber mood”, and I found myself enjoying it. In the beginning, I really did not care for the teenage daddy-issues drama that was going on, as I never do. Not to mention the predictable insta-love, which we’ll get to later. But, when the horror began, I actually started to care. Which brings us to the characters:
Following a storyline that was less linear, I was able to endure the trashy drama. I didn’t love nor hate Katie and Elizabeth, but thought them both headstrong and sensible. They were likeable-y safe, let’s say that. I always read Katie’s (and her Irish friends’) dialogue in an Irish accent, so the author did good with that. Now, the love interests. I was shocked to find meself relieved both ‘em boys was safe in the end. Yeah, it was kinda insta-lovey. But...did I find myself minding much by the end? Nah. I thought it was kind of cute, actually, and both had potential to be in my couples shelf. Maxwell Whittaker may have well been Jack Dawson, though, let’s be real here.
“Why shouldn’t the men have come along if the boat was going to leave only half full? To leave them on a sinking ship was indeed a crime of the worst sort.”
So... I was not expecting a 4 STAR TO EVEN CROSS MY MIND. The first part of this book was complete and utter TRASH! Then, throughout the last 3rd of this book I was just like “Welp, this has suddenly taken on a much more somber mood”, and I found myself enjoying it. In the beginning, I really did not care for the teenage daddy-issues drama that was going on, as I never do. Not to mention the predictable insta-love, which we’ll get to later. But, when the horror began, I actually started to care. Which brings us to the characters:
Following a storyline that was less linear, I was able to endure the trashy drama. I didn’t love nor hate Katie and Elizabeth, but thought them both headstrong and sensible. They were likeable-y safe, let’s say that. I always read Katie’s (and her Irish friends’) dialogue in an Irish accent, so the author did good with that. Now, the love interests. I was shocked to find meself relieved both ‘em boys was safe in the end. Yeah, it was kinda insta-lovey. But...did I find myself minding much by the end? Nah. I thought it was kind of cute, actually, and both had potential to be in my couples shelf. Maxwell Whittaker may have well been Jack Dawson, though, let’s be real here.
“Desperation in his eyes, Max said quickly, “Elizabeth, I think I’m in love with you.”[...] “I think you are, too.” Her smile widened. “But that works out quite well, don’t you think? Because I feel the same way about you.”
October 28, 2020
Thank you too audible stories for allowing us to stream for free during the pandemic.
I enjoyed this story. It was a fictional story that gave the impression of non-fiction. I guess kind of like James Cameron's movie. I guess this is the case with any historical fiction is it can circle around events and lives in a factual way. Even if our main characters are not actual people, or many of their stories are not actually events, they are stories and lives and people that did exist or pieces of those. A lot of the information we have from the Titanic is a little loose and in speculation. It is nice to see some of the recovered objects potentially shed a little bit of light on some of the things that could have happened or that may have been the case in people's real lives. I saw a journal of a third class passenger I think from Ireland. He was maybe 17. it was recovered from the bottom of the ocean and because he wrote in pencil the words remain intact. Even if the pages had some damage much of it was still legible. Tremendously interesting! These were real lives and real people. I think towards the end of this novel the author has the main character Elizabeth say something like I don't know how life will go on or life will change from this. And it is true in any major event life changes for many of those involved, and others it changes for they don't even realize. In this case the whole idea of lifeboats and the potential of sinking became a factor that we even to this day practice high caution in regards to it.
I enjoyed this story. It was a fictional story that gave the impression of non-fiction. I guess kind of like James Cameron's movie. I guess this is the case with any historical fiction is it can circle around events and lives in a factual way. Even if our main characters are not actual people, or many of their stories are not actually events, they are stories and lives and people that did exist or pieces of those. A lot of the information we have from the Titanic is a little loose and in speculation. It is nice to see some of the recovered objects potentially shed a little bit of light on some of the things that could have happened or that may have been the case in people's real lives. I saw a journal of a third class passenger I think from Ireland. He was maybe 17. it was recovered from the bottom of the ocean and because he wrote in pencil the words remain intact. Even if the pages had some damage much of it was still legible. Tremendously interesting! These were real lives and real people. I think towards the end of this novel the author has the main character Elizabeth say something like I don't know how life will go on or life will change from this. And it is true in any major event life changes for many of those involved, and others it changes for they don't even realize. In this case the whole idea of lifeboats and the potential of sinking became a factor that we even to this day practice high caution in regards to it.
July 15, 2017
When I spotted Titanic The Long Night at my local used bookstore I had to get it. It has the most hilariously cheesy 90s cover and I'm a complete loser for anything Titanic-related so I was pretty stoked to read this one. The plot focuses on a group of five passengers, Max and Elizabeth from First Class and Brian, Paddy, and Katie from Third Class as they travel on board the doomed liner. Most of the characters were quite funny and well-rounded. In fact I really only disliked Elizabeth because she was a whiny, self-entitled rich girl who spent 3/4 of the book complaining and moping around her cabin. Sadly she was the primary narrator of the book so reading got a little tedious for me towards the end because of that.
Diane Hoh writes in a rather simplistic style and while that isn't necessarily a bad thing, a lot of the dialogue felt repeated and overused. Elizabeth repeats herself so much in the early chapters it immediately became an annoyance. I mean how many different ways in a row do we have to know how upset you are at being forced on this trip?! I did however really enjoy the chapters of the book told from Katie's perspective because she was a much more fun and personable lady who got business done when things started going downhill.
Overall Titanic The Long Night was a quick read with large font and it wasn't terrible. Despite being an older book, it didn't feel dated and I appreciated the Epilogue at the end that wrapped up all the characters plotlines. If you are a Titanic fan like me you might enjoy this book but honestly it wasn't very good, nor did it contain anything really special. In fact, when I think about it, the actual Titanic and the sinking felt like they played second fiddle to most of the characters romantic antics and complaining so I just wasn't really into the book even though it wasn't terrible either.
Diane Hoh writes in a rather simplistic style and while that isn't necessarily a bad thing, a lot of the dialogue felt repeated and overused. Elizabeth repeats herself so much in the early chapters it immediately became an annoyance. I mean how many different ways in a row do we have to know how upset you are at being forced on this trip?! I did however really enjoy the chapters of the book told from Katie's perspective because she was a much more fun and personable lady who got business done when things started going downhill.
Overall Titanic The Long Night was a quick read with large font and it wasn't terrible. Despite being an older book, it didn't feel dated and I appreciated the Epilogue at the end that wrapped up all the characters plotlines. If you are a Titanic fan like me you might enjoy this book but honestly it wasn't very good, nor did it contain anything really special. In fact, when I think about it, the actual Titanic and the sinking felt like they played second fiddle to most of the characters romantic antics and complaining so I just wasn't really into the book even though it wasn't terrible either.
May 20, 2019
Found this on a thrift store shelf for $3 and I'm a sucker for anything Titanic, so I bought it. The book has a lot of pitiful parallels to the 1997 James Cameron film "Titanic," which was suspicious considering this book came out the year after. I wonder if some aspects of the film were appropriated. For example, the primary female protagonist is a 17 year old rich girl aboard ship with her rich parents, who have betrothed her against her will to a man she doesn't want to marry. She is very resistant and wants to do things that young ladies of her day and socioeconomic status didn't do, such as go to college. She falls in love with a 19 year old first class boy who has been living as a bohemian artist in Paris against his parents wishes and is on his way home. The two fall in love, and their turbulent romance has many of the makings of the fictional love story of Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater. All in all, the similarities are a bit embarrassing for the author, but perhaps I am just not familiar enough with turn of the century culture and class differences; perhaps these characters' stories are more alike to those who really lived in 1912 than I assumed them to be.
July 10, 2012
I remember stumbling upon this novel right after the big blockbuster movie Titanic hit the screens. I was not allowed to watch the movie at the time because it was rated 14A and my parents were very strict when it came to ratings (however they were very lenient when it came to novels, quite the hypocrisy I know). Not being able to watch the film when every one of my peers had seen it twice was condemning me to social outcast, thus when I saw this novel at my local bookstore I begged my mother to buy it for me, and buy it for me she did. At the time I fell in love with the plotline, the characters and the beautiful love stories that this novel entailed and I got many of my friends hooked on the novel as well. Reading it a second time reignited those feelings and for the next 3 years after I bought it (at age 12) I reread it at least once every 6 months. After moving to our new home I’d lost my copy and didn’t seek out to buy a new copy, in fact this novel completely slipped my mind until I ended up in a used bookstore and happened to find a copy of it in the Young Adult section. Needless to say I had to buy it, and buy it I did.
The novel chronicles the lives of five young adults – Katie, the beautiful Irish women who’s accompanied by Patrick and Brian in steerage, and Maxwell the dashing young artist who captures the attention of first class Elizabeth Farr - whose destinies led them to board the tragically fated Titanic. Katie boards the ship in steerage (third class) heading to America with her two childhood friends, Brian the handsome Irish bloke, and his brother Patrick who thinks that by falling in love with Katie he’s betraying his brother’s love and stealing the girl his brother fancies for himself. For Katie the ship and the move to America is the biggest adventure of her life, and embarking on this adventure with the boys she knows better than her own mother, she starts to develop feelings for Patrick, unbeknownst to Katie Patrick secretly loves her too, but his love for his brother and his pride soon sends Patrick down a path away from Katie and into anger and isolation. Elizabeth on the other hand has been cared for and waited on her entire life and never dreams or even dares to think of living any other way, until she meets Maxwell Whittaker. The man whom she once deemed as a third class citizen turns out to be a first class passenger and the son of an acquaintance of her father’s at that. Through his quirky habits, and his irritating conversations and his total lack of proper demeanour Elizabeth finds herself falling in love with this man who’s exiled himself from the community of debutantes and in doing so she awakens her own inner rebel.
Of course one of the main characters is the Titanic herself, her fate, as many people know as tragic, is pushed in the background of the novel until the last couple of chapters. The reader while reading this novel forgets that the Titanic is the ship that sinks because they’re so enthralled in the actual story of the novel to pay attention to anything else.
Reading the novel as an adult for the first time the story resonates within me a different interpretation of the text than I had reading it has a tween yet I still feel the same excitement and wonder I did as a child. Of course being older has put my perspectives on love and happiness in a more cynical and critical level than when I was a little girl hyped up on Disney romances and this idea that love can conquer all (or that the love one experiences will be exactly that found in the fairytales). So when reading Titanic I recognized it for what it really was, much like the trashy romance novels found in bookstores and drugstores alike, this novel was written to send cheap thrills and good chills down one’s spine and at the same time leave the reader desperately craving for more.
Like many romance novels the language is very simple. There are very little allusions or alliterations, very little metaphors and a solid yet focused plotline; however I’ve always said that writing simply doesn’t always insure the writing is simple. “Her knees felt as if they might buckle at any moment. But she kept her head held high and repeated to herself under her breath as she walked, ‘Not Paddy, anyone but Paddy. He’s a heartbreaker that one’” There are so many thrills and so many scenes that gave me butterflies in my stomach that even as an adult I still wanted to believe that fairytales really do come true. The love stories itself are enough to keep this novel afloat, add to it the sinking ship, and this novel very well sails into its horizon.
What I love best about this novel is the sense of suspense one feels while reading. Although predictable I still couldn’t help myself from wanting to find out when they were going to kiss for the first time, when will they tell each other they love one another, or my favourite when are they going to stop denying to themselves that they love one another. “It was all Max’s fault. He shouldn’t have been looking at her like that, shouldn’t have put his face so close to hers.” *sighs* I feel as if I’m melting into the love story that is Elizabeth and Max as I retype this quotation. I love stubborn women in romance novels, the ones who deny deny deny they have any feelings until everything becomes too overwhelming and they explode with emotions, such is the character Elizabeth and she made this novel so much more endearing and suspenseful.
I have to say that I am glad I reread this novel. Not only did it bring back so many memories of my childhood reading, it also didn’t fail to send shivers down my back even though I knew what was going to happen. I’m almost positive that if you read it for the first time you too might experience the feelings I felt and might bring back a sense of nostalgia, back to those days of innocence when you thought love was exactly like a fairytale and that there is indeed a Maxwell and a Patrick out there for everyone.
Happy Reading!!!
The novel chronicles the lives of five young adults – Katie, the beautiful Irish women who’s accompanied by Patrick and Brian in steerage, and Maxwell the dashing young artist who captures the attention of first class Elizabeth Farr - whose destinies led them to board the tragically fated Titanic. Katie boards the ship in steerage (third class) heading to America with her two childhood friends, Brian the handsome Irish bloke, and his brother Patrick who thinks that by falling in love with Katie he’s betraying his brother’s love and stealing the girl his brother fancies for himself. For Katie the ship and the move to America is the biggest adventure of her life, and embarking on this adventure with the boys she knows better than her own mother, she starts to develop feelings for Patrick, unbeknownst to Katie Patrick secretly loves her too, but his love for his brother and his pride soon sends Patrick down a path away from Katie and into anger and isolation. Elizabeth on the other hand has been cared for and waited on her entire life and never dreams or even dares to think of living any other way, until she meets Maxwell Whittaker. The man whom she once deemed as a third class citizen turns out to be a first class passenger and the son of an acquaintance of her father’s at that. Through his quirky habits, and his irritating conversations and his total lack of proper demeanour Elizabeth finds herself falling in love with this man who’s exiled himself from the community of debutantes and in doing so she awakens her own inner rebel.
Of course one of the main characters is the Titanic herself, her fate, as many people know as tragic, is pushed in the background of the novel until the last couple of chapters. The reader while reading this novel forgets that the Titanic is the ship that sinks because they’re so enthralled in the actual story of the novel to pay attention to anything else.
Reading the novel as an adult for the first time the story resonates within me a different interpretation of the text than I had reading it has a tween yet I still feel the same excitement and wonder I did as a child. Of course being older has put my perspectives on love and happiness in a more cynical and critical level than when I was a little girl hyped up on Disney romances and this idea that love can conquer all (or that the love one experiences will be exactly that found in the fairytales). So when reading Titanic I recognized it for what it really was, much like the trashy romance novels found in bookstores and drugstores alike, this novel was written to send cheap thrills and good chills down one’s spine and at the same time leave the reader desperately craving for more.
Like many romance novels the language is very simple. There are very little allusions or alliterations, very little metaphors and a solid yet focused plotline; however I’ve always said that writing simply doesn’t always insure the writing is simple. “Her knees felt as if they might buckle at any moment. But she kept her head held high and repeated to herself under her breath as she walked, ‘Not Paddy, anyone but Paddy. He’s a heartbreaker that one’” There are so many thrills and so many scenes that gave me butterflies in my stomach that even as an adult I still wanted to believe that fairytales really do come true. The love stories itself are enough to keep this novel afloat, add to it the sinking ship, and this novel very well sails into its horizon.
What I love best about this novel is the sense of suspense one feels while reading. Although predictable I still couldn’t help myself from wanting to find out when they were going to kiss for the first time, when will they tell each other they love one another, or my favourite when are they going to stop denying to themselves that they love one another. “It was all Max’s fault. He shouldn’t have been looking at her like that, shouldn’t have put his face so close to hers.” *sighs* I feel as if I’m melting into the love story that is Elizabeth and Max as I retype this quotation. I love stubborn women in romance novels, the ones who deny deny deny they have any feelings until everything becomes too overwhelming and they explode with emotions, such is the character Elizabeth and she made this novel so much more endearing and suspenseful.
I have to say that I am glad I reread this novel. Not only did it bring back so many memories of my childhood reading, it also didn’t fail to send shivers down my back even though I knew what was going to happen. I’m almost positive that if you read it for the first time you too might experience the feelings I felt and might bring back a sense of nostalgia, back to those days of innocence when you thought love was exactly like a fairytale and that there is indeed a Maxwell and a Patrick out there for everyone.
Happy Reading!!!
April 18, 2020
This story was alright, but honestly... I feel like the author wanted to recreate a sweet teenage romance similar to what is found in the 1997 film. A free-spirited artist meets a rich, headstrong girl who won't give in to her arranged marriage......
Likes: What I really like the juxtaposition of Elizabeth's story as a 1st class passenger on the Titanic and Katie's story as a 3rd class passenger. This definitely brought up issues that the reader can see between how the different classes were treated in society.
Also, I LOVE the narrator of the audiobook. Julia Whelan did such a great job with the various voices and accents!
Dislikes: I felt as if Elizabeth was too snobby towards her parents. She actually threatened them at one point that she would either have her own way, or else she would hurt herself. Perhaps they could have seen her way easier if she was kinder, but maybe I just have a different personality than Elizabeth, so I could see myself approaching the subject in a different way.
A clean story. Suitable for readers 10 & up.
Likes: What I really like the juxtaposition of Elizabeth's story as a 1st class passenger on the Titanic and Katie's story as a 3rd class passenger. This definitely brought up issues that the reader can see between how the different classes were treated in society.
Also, I LOVE the narrator of the audiobook. Julia Whelan did such a great job with the various voices and accents!
Dislikes: I felt as if Elizabeth was too snobby towards her parents. She actually threatened them at one point that she would either have her own way, or else she would hurt herself. Perhaps they could have seen her way easier if she was kinder, but maybe I just have a different personality than Elizabeth, so I could see myself approaching the subject in a different way.
A clean story. Suitable for readers 10 & up.
October 27, 2017
Like so many others, I bought this book after watching the movie, and I loved it! It was perfect for my Titanic addicted self who was transitioning from kids/teen books to more adult books (I was only 12 at the time). Now 30, I decided to read it again (probably for the fifth time) and see how it held up. As other reviewers have already said, this book is so similar to the movie. You have your spoiled, first-class main character who redeems herself as the book goes on, and your third-class character to show the differences between the experience of first and third class. The language is simple, the plot slightly predictable, and loads of romance cliches, but I still enjoyed it. I needed an easy read and this was exactly what I was looking for. I would not recommend this book to anyone who wants real substance from their novels, but it's perfect for younger readers or those who want a quick, easy read.
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