The men on board HMS Terror have every expectation of finding the Northwest Passage. When the expedition's leader, Sir John Franklin, meets a terrible death, Captain Francis Crozier takes command and leads his surviving crewmen on a last, desperate attempt to flee south across the ice. But as another winter approaches, as scurvy and starvation grow more terrible, and as the Terror on the ice stalks them southward, Crozier and his men begin to fear there is no escape. A haunting, gripping story based on actual historical ...
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The men on board HMS Terror have every expectation of finding the Northwest Passage. When the expedition's leader, Sir John Franklin, meets a terrible death, Captain Francis Crozier takes command and leads his surviving crewmen on a last, desperate attempt to flee south across the ice. But as another winter approaches, as scurvy and starvation grow more terrible, and as the Terror on the ice stalks them southward, Crozier and his men begin to fear there is no escape. A haunting, gripping story based on actual historical events, The Terror is a novel that will chill you to your core.
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Gosh! This is probably going to be one of the most conflicting reviews I've written. Did I like the book? Yes, I liked it until I just couldn't read it anymore. I quit around page 500. If I finished it I imagine I would have given it 5 starts but it just seemed to be more of the same as it went on. Normally if I don't finish a book I won't even flip to the back to see how it ends (and give it only 1 star) but this one I did want to see the outcome so I did some large section skimming to the end. I know a little bit about this expedition and I thought the author did an excellent job with his research and portrayal of life on board an ice bound ship. I also enjoyed the added monster bit. I would have just liked it to be around 200 pages shorter. (Maybe knowing about the expedition beforehand kept me from fully reading to the end).
SeldomSeen
Aug 27, 2007
Part historical, part horror, part epic adventure novel, The Terror is a sprawling wonderous novel that explores the limits of human endurance and will to live. The story is based on an actual polar expedition in which two British ships and a hundred some men disappear looking for the Northwest passage. While staying true to the known facts, Mr. Simmons brings to life the horror of being trapped in frozen seas for three years, chronicling the sailors' slow decay and acute suffering in agonizing detail. The horror element is almost superfluous. This would have been a great novel without it, but the monster adds to metaphorical clash of "civilized" men facing true wilderness on its own terms. I had some reservations about the ending, but it did make me ponder if not walk away completely satisfied. All told, a great book. Grab a warm blanket and your daily allottment of rum and go North.
lindacat
Aug 17, 2007
A real chiller!
You will get goosebumps from this one..a combination of a chillingly described expedition in search of the Northwest Passage and their journey into terror both real and supernatural. The shipwrecks and struggles are made even more bone-chilling by a mysterious creature that stalks the crew from the frozen wastelands. Get a blanket and and read this one before winter sets in.
ELWAY251
Apr 3, 2007
APTLY NAMED
THIS IS HISTORICAL FICTION WRITTEN LIKE A NOVEL AND IT'S A REAL PAGE TURNER. THERE'S A REAL EDUCATION IN THE STORY ABOUT 2 SHIPS LEAVING BRITAIN ON A QUEST FOR THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE, THEIR PREPARATIONS, TRIALS, AND RELATIONSHIPS. BUT, AND THIS IS A BIG BUT, THE FICTION PART ENTERS WHEN DAN SIMMONS INTRODUCES A SUPERNATURAL SIDE TO THE STORY. ONE OF THE SHIPS IS ACTUALLY NAMED THE TERROR, BUT THE TERROR ALSO EXISTS OFF THE SHIP. THIS IS WELL WORTH YOUR TIME AND MONEY.
