Men of Iron Book

If it is melodrama that you want, this is the book for you, it oozes it from every page; even the title 'The Frozen Deep' has a touch of melodrama about it. It is not 'The Frozen Deep' play that Wilkie Collins wrote in 1856 and Charles Dickens edited before it was published in 1857; the pair of them then going on to perform in it in that latter year. It is a novella that Collins wrote prior to his reading tour of America in 1874. And thinking of Dickens acting in it, I can imagine him giving it his all (as he always did) in one of the roles for he was nothing if not a manqué actor.

The story is set against the background of Franklin's lost Arctic expedition of 1845 and the two main male protagonists are Richard Wardour and Frank Aldersley while the females in the background, very much in the background I should add, are Clara Burnham, 'a young girl pale and delicate', and her companion Lucy Crayford, 'a dark beauty in the pride of womanhood'.

Lucy's husband, First Lieutenant Crayford of the 'Wanderer', is involved in organising a two-ship trip to the Arctic in search of Franklin and at a dance prior to departure he meets up with some of the sailors who are to accompany him to the Arctic regions. One of them, Wardour, also of the 'Wanderer', has a liking for Clara and expresses his feelings (melodramatically, of course) but Clara has eyes for someone else, Aldersley, and without giving away her paramour's name informs him that she is not his to pursue. He is utterly dejected and tells her so in no uncertain terms.

Meanwhile the sailor that she has eyes for enters the room and when discussions develop as to the Arctic voyage and it is discovered that one of the seamen has been taken ill and is unable to travel, he volunteers to go in his place and is accepted as a crew member of the other ship, the 'Sea-Mew'. Clara is distraught for she has had what she calls 'Second Sight' and sees trouble brewing between the two men who are involved in her life.

After many trials and tribulations on the way, the two ships eventually are wrecked and the two crews are thrown together in an attempt to survive and organise rescue parties. This brings Wardour and Aldersley into close contact and it soon becomes apparent that the two men are after the same girl; Wardour is particularly miffed because he knows that Clara is in love with Aldersley so he is determined to do him harm.

However, things do not quite work out and in most melodramatic fashion a rescue party sets off and eventually two bedraggled seamen arrive back in England at the home of the Crayfords in Kent. At first nobody recognises the one who makes the first entry because he is so battered and unshaven from his long journey back to England. But once it is realised who he is, the question is raised as to where the other of the two prospective lovers is ... and that is when the melodrama reaches new heights and the story ends - very melodramatically, of course!

It is not an action packed story but it is certainly one that keeps the interest right through, particularly if one imagines Dickens in one of the roles and Collins in the other ... oh, to have seen that production!