A Night to Remember

A Night to Remember is the true story of the sinking of the Titanic. It was first published in 1955, and Walter Lord notes that all the dialogue and all of the details from the story were taken from various accounts of the sinking of the Titanic. The story has the feeling of being an eyewitness account, with a narrator that sees-all, hears-all. I first read this book after I was wowed watching the movie Titanic, and someone told me that this book was a brilliant nonfiction story of that event. I have to agree. A Night to Remember is one of my all-time favorite reads. I hope to read the sequel this year, too.

I am unable to come to grips with how I feel about this one. On one hand, I find it utterly fascinating and, on the other hand, I find it very tragic.

The Titanic was something built to show off, to bolster, and to take passengers on an unforgettable journey. It was inadequate to begin with and was touted as being unsinkable. We found out that it had a class problem and, unfortunately, did not have enough space on the lifeboats for each and every passenger. 

The book itself is pretty hard to put down. I found myself getting absorbed in its scale, how the steam boat functioned, and some interesting tidbits of the aftermath. It is fairly procedural, but I did not mind one bit. I would say if you were interested in the Titanic, this book does a great job of putting you in the shoes on board with the passengers. 

interesting, short read; based on interviews with survivors

If you're looking for Jack and Rose trying to survive the Titanic, go back to your TV. This is not a book adaptation of the James Cameron film. This is a book about the real Titanic and the events that led up to its unfortunate end.

A Night to Remember starts out just hours before the iceberg hits. It was a calm sunday night. Most passengers were asleep. Others were playing cards, and some crew men were nearing the end of their shifts. There was little unusual that happened that day. Everyone seemed eager to enjoy a relaxing night after a long week at sea.

Walter Lord sets the pace by reminding readers constantly of the time. It's as if you're watching the events unfold with the clock silently ticking by in the background. The clock grows louder and louder the closer it comes to 2:20 am. You read for an hour to realize only 10 minutes has passed on the ship. It's a haunting account of the events of that night.

The novel shows its age, but this is a story that should be more widely read. The event of the night is tragic, but A Night to Remember includes many important life lessons. How many times could this tragedy have been prevented? What if they heeded the ice warnings? What if the radio operator hadn't snapped at the interruption? What if it was going slower? What if there were enough lifeboats?.

The events of that night are tragic, but speaks volumes about the people on board. People remember Ismay as the coward, but what about all the men who selflessly stood back and helped the women aboard? According to Lord's novel, there was a sense of camaraderie amongst the passengers. We don't know if that is how the events really unfolded, or if it was a story invented in honor of the dead. I prefer to think the former.

A Night to Remember is a fast read. While dated, it provides a haunting look into the final hours of the Titanic. This isn't the dramatized version James Cameron made. This novel aims to tell the truth to the best of its ability. It's a short book and well worth the read.