Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton
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Book Reviews of Eaters of the Dead
Book Review: true history
Summary: 5 Stars
a first hand account. Thats the best you can get. I have read this book twice and will undoubtedly read it again. A foriegn 13th warrior a band of vikings and a mysterious army of beasts to destroy. I coulnd put this one down. If you havent seen the movie its called the thirteenth warrior and was the first dvd I ever owned and had to repace it do to over useBook Review: A wonderful book.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to say this is probably my most favourite book. It is entertaining, interesting, funny and full of adventure.Book Review: Engrossing (psuedo-historical) fantasy thriller
Summary: 4 Stars
In an afterword of the novel Eaters of the Dead, published in 1976, author Michael Crichton explains that the book was conceived on a dare. A friend proposed to teach a college course called "The Great Bores," based on the essential writings of western civilization. His friend asserted that these texts were so tedious that no one willingly read them anymore, and the first of the great bores he would address was the epic poem Beowulf. Crichton disagreed, arguing that Beowulf was an exciting, dramatic story and that he could prove it.
Crichton began working from the assumption that Beowulf, like other epic poems and pieces of mythology, may have some basis in fact. By peeling away the poetic invention and embellishment of hundreds of years of oral retelling, Crichton suggests that we may return to a kernel of human experience. The result is a modern psuedo-historical fantasy about the original events that inspired the story of Beowulf.
But Crichton refuses to let on. He enhances his illusion by writing the novel from the point of view of a comtemporary eye witness of the events. Rather than inventing this person, the author goes further by "discovering " the eyewitness narrative in the manuscript of Ahmad ibn Fadlan, an Arab sent by the Caliph of Bagdad in the year 921 as part of an embassy to the Volga Bulgars. His account of the journey provides one of the earliest descriptions of Vikings.
Crichton begins his book with an introduction intended to familiarize the reader with all of the many translations of Ibn Faldlan's manuscript, along with their backgrounds and respective merits. So convincing is Crichton's invention that I found myself completely perplexed as to what was true and what was not. And lest his readers begin to suspect something, Crichton makes sure to fill his entire book with lengthy footnotes to further legitimize the narrative.
The story begins with Ibn Fadlan's aformentioned mission to northwest Russia. Upon encountering a band of Northmen, he is forced to join them in a quest to destroy a myserious scourge of mist monsters terrorizing the their homeland. These Wendol, as they Northmen call them, turn out to be a surviving relict of Neanderthals who feed on the flesh of their victims(which is far more interesting than the cave people of the film adaptation, The 13th Warrior) .
As an Arab during the 10th century, when the civilization of Islam was by far the most advanced culture on Earth, Ibn Fadlan's perspective serves as an ideal doorway for the modern reader to enter this strange world of Vikings. His descriptions of the lands, people and cultures are detailed and vivid. The reader immediately shares his horror and disgust with the vulgar and barbaric world of the Northmen.
Despite his role as a simple chronicler, Ibn Fadlan emerges as a real character. In the course of the story, he grows from a pampered and fearful ambassador to a courageous warrior willing to fight to the death for his Norse companions. More subtle and interesting is the way he begins to embrace their way of life during his journey.
The plot moves at a brisk pace without feeling shallow. And in only 250 pages, Crichton manages produce equal amounts of action, suspense, horror as well as humor and genuine sorrow. All told, Eaters of the Dead is a clever and thoroughly enjoyable adventure story that I highly recommend.
Book Review: Very unique, one of Crichton's best books for sure!
Summary: 4 Stars
Eaters of the Dead is a dark and exciting tale which is filled with interesting culture and intense combat. The basic plot is about an Arab who is required to join a group of Vikings on a mission to save their lands from a mysterious tribe of ruthless cannibals known as the "Wendol". It's written in the first-person, and it's actually only semi-fictional, it's based on the manuscript of an actual Arab historical figure, Ibn Fadlan. The fact that it's written in first-person makes it much more interesting, because we are treated with Fadlan's intrepretations of the Norse ways. The book is very deep when it comes to Viking lore, I was astonished with the ways of the Vikings, their views on life, death, and their profound sense of courage and purpose. All the while, the reader also learns quite a bit about Arabic culture because Fadlan compares Viking philosophies with his own both in his conversations with the Vikings and in his thoughts. The book has an atmosphere that the reader can really "feel", even the outlandish descriptions in portions of the book still seem to come off as believable. Moreover, Fadlan really develops as a character, we witness the profound influence the Norse culture has on him, he becomes more courageous and overcomes some of his biggest fears in this book, his journey turns him into a hero! The mystery of the Wendol still has me wondering, based on Fadlan's descriptions, and a little research I did after the book, I personally believe they were an isolated tribe of Neanderthals (that survived extinction), but you can read Eaters of the Dead and decide for yourself!Book Review: Interesting, but not quite like his others.
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm a big fan of Michael Crichton. I've read almost all of his novels, but saved this one for last because it was hard for me to find. I enjoyed the novel, but that was mainly because of my interest in Viking culture (I studied it a bit in college and am one of the few people out there who actually enjoys reading "Beowulf"). Had I not been a fan, I think I would have been a bit put off by this novel. It is very different from his other works for several reasons. First of all, it's not based on technology and/or modern science. Anyone who has read his later works know that he tends to focus on technology and society in some way, shape, or form, but this novel is centered on a past society. Secondly, as it is partially based on a historical document (along with "Beowulf"), it is not as fast paced as his other novels. It is full of action, but the read is a bit slower than some of his others.
All-in-all, I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys a more historical or fantasy type of novel or Crichton enthusiasts. If you've NEVER read a Crichton book, don't base your opinion on his style of writing with this novel.