Thoughts on “The Great Train Robbery” by Michael Crichton

175 words or less on my thoughts of the book I just read

My first foray into the writings of Michael Crichton leave me feeling mixed.  I’ve heard of the book as a good reference and thriller to read for my love of romanticizing the gas-light era of England and heists. It accomplishes its goal with some difficulty. The style of writing of his fictionalized retelling of the real-world event left me feeling as I was reading a slow documentarian approach to the story. There were times I felt my eyes glaze over.  The payoff of dealing with the pace, leads to an understanding and fleshing out of the Victorian time during the heist. It also helps building on the characters, to flesh them out while building on everything they go through in order to pull off a heist. After a while, it does pick up steam and becomes intriguing to find out how the heist is pulled off. I may want return to it for inspiration of heists and the Victorian setting. Though the slow beginning pace makes me unsure If I will ever fully re-read it.