The Terror

I doubt I've ever read (or listened to) a book this long, but I enjoyed the experience a lot. It kept my attention easily at every moment. I don't know if I really recommend it, though, because I did have some problems with it. I'll say 2 or 3 stars for the themes of the book and 5 for my enjoyment level.

I would like to write a longer review but I'm just not up for typing it on my phone. And it's not like this is some obscure book. It was odd for me to spend so much time with such a mainstream work. But I was reading it for the adventure, and on that front, it delivered exactly what I wanted.

My main problem, then, was with the book's human villain, Hickey. I don't know why he was so evil. He was also gay, and a sexual predator. It felt like his only motivation was just a general rejection of authority. I couldn't see things from his perspective, which I think is a major flaw in a story.

The plot with Crozier was very strange, and I don't really know how I feel about it. It was easy for me to identify with him, and I think he's a very well-drawn character. I'll have to put more thought into that.

I was afraid this book would be in omniscient third-person, which I dislike, but it isn't. It's limited third-person, like ASoIaF, and if you like those books, you'll probably like this. It's similar in that it's often brutally gory and just brutal in general, and it has a cast of fascinating characters. Unlike in those books, there is no on-page sexual violence. It also reminded me quite a bit of the show Lost, but The Terror actually tells a coherent story.

Overall, this got me excited to read more books set mostly on ships. I don't know if I'll read this author again, but it was a very entertaining book.

Dan Simmons's novel is an interesting blend of historical exploration, supernatural horror, and Inuit mythology.

It's flawed: overly long and written from so many different perspectives with so many different characters that it's hard to keep track of whose story is being followed. Plus Simmons makes an odd stylistic choice to have most deaths reported after the fact in exposition rather than shown in scene.

But even so, it's a fascinating page-turner. The crews of the Erebus and Terror ships are in constant danger from mutiny and a supernatural beast that stalks and kills them. But the biggest danger, and the book's scariest antagonist, is the setting itself: sub-zero temperatures that cause frostbite in minutes, storms and fog that reduce visibility to near zero, barren land with no animal or plant life, ice that constantly shifts to create pressure ridges, seracs, and crevasses, total darkness in the winter and no dark in the summer, and the various diseases that come from poor nutrition.

The men of the arctic expedition have the arrogance to think they can tame nature and turn the most brutal environment on Earth into a commercial passage and it is that hubris that leads to their slow, violent, painful deaths.

What a disappointment.

After truly enjoying the mysterious, enthralling tale provided by Drood, I thought that Simmons' prior work of historical fiction would be just as alluring. Unfortunately, The Terror suffers from the same main problem that plagued Drood: the story's buildup and the shroud of mystery surrounding the main antagonist lead to extreme letdown. However, whereas the entirety of Drood's story somewhat made up for its anticlimactic ending, The Terror's story - while chilling in many ways - just isn't good enough to survive its “ending-letdown.”

Simmons does a great job weaving 700+ pages worth of the horrific nature of Arctic sailing, where incessant cold, poisoned food, scurvy, and the unknown create a constant state of unease; however, this tale never seems to go anywhere. Whereas Drood made me insanely curious to find out what would happen next, The Terror left me in a constant state of “Can we move on, please?” There are only so many times one can endure a repetitive chapter cycle - recount who is dead and how they died, wander down a long flashback that doesn't endear me to its character, etc. - before boredom begins to set in.

I give this book 3 stars because at its core, The Terror is a fantastic set piece that manages to sustain a constant state of unease and weave in fantastic scenes (such as the carnivale, the failed bear-blind, etc.). However, at its weakest points (including the final 100 pages, which, of all possible ending scenarios, sufficiently destroyed any suspense/intrigue/excitement that had been building up), The Terror drifts along, never truly sure of where it wants to go.

Dan Simmons' The Terror is a gripping, haunting tale of survival and despair set against the unforgiving backdrop of the Arctic. For readers with a penchant for historical fiction and a taste for the macabre, this novel is an absolute must-read. Yet, it's essential to acknowledge that The Terror is not for the faint of heart.

Simmons masterfully blends historical fact with chilling fiction, creating a narrative that blurs the lines between reality and horror (the Shrike ringing some bells?). The novel's meticulous detail, while undoubtedly impressive, might prove overwhelming for some readers. There are moments of intense suspense and brutality interspersed with slower-paced sections focused on the expedition's planning and challenges. However, for those captivated by the intricacies of human endurance, these slower moments offer valuable insights into the characters and their deteriorating mental states.

The ensemble cast of characters is complex and multifaceted, allowing readers to experience the expedition through multiple perspectives. From the stoic leadership of Captain Crozier to the enigmatic presence of Lady Silence, Simmons brings these individuals to life with vivid detail.

While The Terror is unquestionably Simmons' best work to date for this reviewer, it's important to temper expectations. This is a novel that demands patience, perseverance, and a strong stomach. For those willing to embark on this harrowing journey, the rewards are immense. For others, it might prove to be a chilling yet ultimately unsatisfying experience.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Ugh... Don't know what to say.
I'm a huge fan of Simmons first two Hyperion books. These being the only books of his I've read.
So after seeing the tv version of The Terror and loving it, before realising it was based on this book by Simmons, it seemed like a no brainer to be my next read.
I want those two months back.
Yes.. two months. Only through my incessant need to finish any book I start caused me to complete this.
At 70% I even switched to the audiobook version just to try and get it finished. That was equally as painful and...just... wouldn't...end!
The book is bogged down in constant character roll calls, scurvy symptoms, descriptions of tents and equipment to the finest detail, Inuit myth complete with foreign language.
Things that are great to hear the once, but not in every chapter and going on for pages.
It...was...a ..slog
This is the first time that I've ever not only needed and audiobook to complete a book, but also needed to start reading a second book at the same time just to keep my love of reading intact.

I'm sorry, I know this book is loved by many, but this was the hardest reading chore I've ever accomplished.

I honestly don't think it was written by the same person that wrote Hyperion.

There's a great book in this, and it's 500 pages shorter

Don't you love it when you come across an author's work which you thought you'll delve into but didn't for some reason; and after you finish it you wonder what took you so long?

The Terror by Dan Simmons is such a book for me.
Of course Dan Simmons is famous for his Hyperion series, but The Terror is the next big thing Mr. Simmons has written and boy is it so good !

This fictional retelling of the doomed Franklin expedition of the 1840s is so rich and vivid in detail and to the length this book delves into the horrors of arctic exploration is quite a feat.

This book is long; almost 800 pages long. However, this shouldn't dissuade you because this book would read pretty much as terrifying virtual tour of arctic in your mind.

Mainly read this in order to watch the AMC show, but boy did I not expect it to be this much of a slog. Sure it's a big read heavily steeped into the historical drama of the real story, but it is not a page-turner at all. It never really picks up, instead just hoping that you form some kind of bond to one or more of the characters as it unfolds it's icy tale, but as with most slowburns, the tension and violence do increase the further you get. I strongly believe this is a story that will be experienced far better visually.

I had previously picked up and almost as quickly, put down a Dan Simmons novel, so I wasn't expecting to be entertained, enthralled, frightened and delighted by Simmons' 769-page fictionalized account of the disastrous Arctic expedition of the HMS Terror.
This is one hell of a good read.
In Simmons account, the Terror fell victim to arrogance, poor planning, weak leadership, some corruption, really bad luck and weather, and a mysterious white creature that begins slaughtering the crew.
The characters are rich and practically breath on the page. Despite the characters being stuck in ice for months, the plot steams forward at a powerful pace.
What lifts this novel from merely very good to excellent is the imaginative and moving final twist at the end.

This is my first foray into Arctic exploration. I've harbored (no pun intended) a fascination for naval literature for years, since I read Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle years and years ago. I just find ship life very interesting. And I had encountered this particular book many times in the bookstores, so I just decided to go for it one day. I had a few false starts, but then–after reading some Indian literature, unrelated–I got completely into it.

Now, this book isn't flawless, and there have been complaints that The Terror is a little long on the description, but I thoroughly enjoy verbosity in books, especially when the verbosity is taking the time to explain things to you, taking the time to pinpoint every little detail of naval life, of Arctic life. It was utterly fascinating. And not a little chilling, with the mythological creature that terrorizes the crew of ships Erebus and Terror. It was so much fun to read, I was angry at having to go to work, because I was so involved in it. So I would most definitely recommend it, read it again, and read other things by Mr Simmons.

And I'm currently on an Artic Exploration kick. Woot!

be me, caulkers mate cornelius hickey, after serving with distinction among a variety of his majesties vessels, I decide to set sail towards the arctic, despite of peril, in pursuit of scientific advancement. Like the rest of the expedition, I die, shivering, starving, but loyal to the crown and my mates. I gaze down from heaven every few years to check what's happened. A new book written about the expedition, splendid, and I play a central role!

The author of hyperion has thrown a dart at the crew manifest, and came up with me, cornelius hickey, as the psychopathic, murderous, cannabalistic, pederast, ‘sodomite', ‘leprechaun', ‘goblin', manipulative, ‘shark-eyed', mutinous, genital mutilating, torturing, conniving, sexually predatory and all around laughably evil smeagel-looking villain.

Then another dart was thrown, and Captain Crozier got to bang an hot ‘esquimaux' chick whose breasts were described several hundred times, and live forever, have a beautiful family, that's so raven, and finally found fulfilment - free of his previous vices and the shackles of ‘civilized life'. Happy ending xoxoxooxox