Every Man for Himself

Beryl Bainbridge's story of the Titanic is different from any of the multitude of other accoungs, fictional or not, which are out there. And that is a very good thing.One of the main joys of this novel is having history become personal. This is not a adventure story about the Titanic but rather a small novel of the personal lives of various people which gets interrupted by the disaster at sea. Those looking for big cinematic thrills are advised to look elsewhere. But those looking for a glimpse of a group of interesting characters just before a life changing event will enjoy this tale.The other joy of this novel is the compact, effective writing. Dialogue and narrative are told with an elegant sparseness. A nice read.

The setting:a larger than life historical event.The challenge:make it interesting.Beryl Bainbridge gets top mark for this.Perhaps the offbeat subtlety of the characters were misunderstood by some of the readers but this is truely British writing at its best.When disaster strikes it often carries an sureal quality and this book captures the moment perfectly.If you like quirky this is it!

Beryl Bainbridge's account of the Titanic disaster is a poignant coming-of-age drama cunningly cast against a backdrop of the world's most publicised naval mishap. Period costume notwithstanding, its central character's lust, love, and identity yearning are as valid today as it was almost a century ago. For those who prefer an intelligent read to some mindless, overhyped celluloid product manufactured only by Hollywood, the book will not leave you dissatisfied.

It seems somewhat modish to harp on about yet another Titanic-related novel, yet Bainbridge's forensically researched piece of tragic history is more than just a souvenir. Displaying a mastery of early 20th century discourse, she expertly weaves historical fact into a post-modern, coming of age allegory.