adrizeuza's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Whilst I was listening to this LONG audiobook, all I kept thinking about was how good the tv show was. How good the adaptation decisions were. And how ?? Dan Simmon's decisions in writing The Terror were in comparison. I lost count of how many times the question "... why?" popped into my head.
Geniunely cannot understand how nobody edited this down to a 400 page book. There was no reason for this to be so long. Crozier's POVs were extremely repetitive and not that interesting after a while, most other POV's did not do much to advance either the plot or our understanding of the ships' or characters' dynamis. So... why??? Even some scenes where there was supposed to be tension were completely dried out due to the dragged out descriptions the author made. Also, shout out to the cringiest sex scenes and sexual descriptions I have EVER read in my life.
Dan Simmons clearly knows how to write. And he researched the hell out of the Franklin Expedition. But my biggest grip with this book comes down to the choices he made. The reviews about women's poor treatment are real. I cannot stress enough about how poorly and superficially women are portrayed. Especially Lady Silence, and all Inuit women who show up, are so grossly objectified BY THE NARRATOR. Another choice I have a massive problem with is that with SUCH A LONG BOOK how is there not ONE POV of an Inuit character, namely Lady Silence who is one of the driving forces of the plot?? Don't even get me started on the end of her arc.
Anyway. I can't wait to rewatch the show!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Moderate: Cannibalism, Classism, Gore, Racial slurs, and Sexual content
inquietrotundas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Excrement, Emotional abuse, Death, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Sexual content, Sexism, Mental illness, Infidelity, Gore, Cursing, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, Body horror, Blood, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Violence, Cannibalism, Torture, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Colonisation, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Pregnancy, Murder, Misogyny, Homophobia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
zone_a3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Suicide, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Medical content, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Gore
Moderate: Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Classism, and Racism
cbug412's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Cultural appropriation, Excrement, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Classism, Genocide, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Cursing, Gore, Misogyny, Colonisation, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, and Religious bigotry
athryn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Overall a great story with a lot of twists and turns. I actually felt cold reading this. It's sometimes a bit of a bummer, but also I love seeing hubris take people, especially colonial era Brits.
Graphic: Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Bullying, Cannibalism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Xenophobia, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, and Gun violence
ilmariel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Classism, Abandonment, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Death, Homophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Cannibalism and Sexual content
cviii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Classism, Gore, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cultural appropriation, Death, Medical content, Grief, Addiction, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual content, Ableism, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Genocide, Abandonment, Excrement, Vomit, Chronic illness, Drug use, Homophobia, Pedophilia, and Violence
quillsand's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
that said the other 95% of the book was disturbing as all hell and bleak as fuck. but like, in a good way. i read this whilst at a festival and i kept returning to my tent to read instead of watching acts. the vivid descriptions of scurvy gave me trouble sleeping and i stopped readig it in public places because i couldn't control my facial expressions of horror/revulsion/despair. also i think scurvy has now replaced both pregnancy and getting my wisdom teeth taken out on my list of greatest fears, meaning it is now #2 behind moths.
parts that really got to me included
i just think it says something that depsite having watched the show and knowing how everything plays out and already being very distrubred by the show, the book managed to somehow provoke an even stronger reaction and kept me so gripped i got through all 750 pages in under 5 days whilst being at a music festival. book ratings are based off of my connection to the book and despite all it's issues i sure did feel many things whilst reading this!!! the real terror is the slowly creeping inevitability of certain death and the fact that we know!! we know that no matter how hard these character struggle, they will all be claimed by the ice by the time the book is finished!! there's beauty in that and in the sheer humanity of how different people respond to the certainty of death in different ways. makes me a little bit insane if i think about it too much.
i do think the supernatural aspects were the weakest point for me and the last 80 pages were therefore not as strong as the rest but only because the realism of the horror was already at its peak (also the aforementioned ick about using Inuit culture as a backdrop for horror fiction but anyway) with the scurvy and the frostbite and the starvation and whatnot.
id on't know man sometimes you just need a horrifying horrific tragedy heavily based on real events that deeply disturbs and upsets you in order to cope!!!!
i think i am going to rewatch the show now.
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Addiction, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Animal death, Kidnapping, Violence, Death, Body horror, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Vomit, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Cursing, Colonisation, Classism, Cannibalism, Blood, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Abandonment, Drug use, and Racism
mousey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Racism, Misogyny, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Xenophobia, Sexism, Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Classism, Homophobia, Incest, Violence, Pedophilia, Murder, Mental illness, Drug use, Excrement, and Gun violence
julianh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, Blood, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
Minor: Classism, Cursing, and Racial slurs