THE FROZEN DEEP
US publication: 1857
Author: Wilkie Collins
Detective:
Genre: Novel
Plot
summary and comments:
Based on the doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, The Frozen Deep is a dramatic tale of vengeance and self-sacrifice. Exchanging vows of love with sailor Frank Aldersley the night before his departure, Clara Burnham is haunted by the memory of Richard Wardour, and his mistaken belief that they will one day marry. On different ships, the two men have no cause to meet—until disaster strikes and they find themselves united by their battle for survival. When they learn of their rivalry, there follows an act of pure selflessness, making The Frozen Deep one of Collins' most moving and tragic works. The author of The Moonstone, The Woman in White, and Who Killed Zebedee?, Wilkie Collins is widely regarded as the originator of the English detective novel.
::READERS REVIEWS::
The Frozen Deep - Excellent Wilke Collins book. I have loved every thing I have ever read by him. This again is a very enjoyable read. I am so glad that more of his works are becoming available especially on Kindle as my sons bought me one for Christmas and I am enjoying my choice of many classics which I can read for very little money and some for nothing!
The Ultimate Sacrifice, a theme Dickens stole for 'A Tale of Two Cities" - This is a heart-wrenching tale of a lover denied, who goes to 'The Frozen Deep' on an exploration trip and keeps his true love's lover alive for her. It is assumed that he will kill him the whole time, however the ending leaves the reader in tears, just as Sydney Carton does when he sacrifices himself for Darnay to let him be with Lucie. Absolutely beautiful, Collins is not given enough credit for the influence his writing had on Dickens's.
Victorian melodrama - I am perhaps being unfair to this author by giving his work only 4 stars, but it is certainly not up to the standard of his classic works "The Woman In White" and "The Moonstone". In his defense, however, I will say that this novella is interesting, for a work that grew out of a play performed by the author and Charles Dickins. It's a typical Victorian melodrama, with coincidences abounding everywhere, and florid speeches and unusual (for our time) actions by the main characters. There really isn't any character development, perhaps because the tale is so short, but you do get into the spirit of the story fairly quickly. It's an entertaining diversion that will keep you occupied for an hour or so.
::AMAZON REVIEWS::
The Frozen DeepExcellent Wilke Collins book. I have loved every thing I have ever read by him. This again is a very enjoyable read. I am so glad that more of his works are becoming available especially on Kindle as my sons bought me one for Christmas and I am enjoying my choice of many classics which I can read for very little money and some for nothing!
The Ultimate Sacrifice, a theme Dickens stole for 'A Tale of Two Cities"This is a heart-wrenching tale of a lover denied, who goes to 'The Frozen Deep' on an exploration trip and keeps his true love's lover alive for her. It is assumed that he will kill him the whole time, however the ending leaves the reader in tears, just as Sydney Carton does when he sacrifices himself for Darnay to let him be with Lucie. Absolutely beautiful, Collins is not given enough credit for the influence his writing had on Dickens's.
Victorian melodramaI am perhaps being unfair to this author by giving his work only 4 stars, but it is certainly not up to the standard of his classic works "The Woman In White" and "The Moonstone". In his defense, however, I will say that this novella is interesting, for a work that grew out of a play performed by the author and Charles Dickins. It's a typical Victorian melodrama, with coincidences abounding everywhere, and florid speeches and unusual (for our time) actions by the main characters. There really isn't any character development, perhaps because the tale is so short, but you do get into the spirit of the story fairly quickly. It's an entertaining diversion that will keep you occupied for an hour or so.