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A review by nhborg
Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey Into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton
5.0
One of the easiest 5 star ratings I’ve ever given - this was nothing short of amazing!!
I applaud Julian Sancton for this literary achievement; it is a prime example of exquisite research and retelling of a real-life epic, producing a psychological thriller and harrowing adventure story which will have you on board from the get-go. The intertwining narratives and building of suspense is incredibly done, and all this time it blew my mind because it once took place IRL goddammit! I have never been more grateful to be able to walk around in my neighborhood and see the sun, natural life and other people on a daily basis. Belgica’s crew went through many degrees of hell during this mad expedition, and it was horribly fascinating to be an indirect witness to it.
In addition to the suspense and overall literary quality, the book covered all the aspects I was hoping for: the adventurous spirit, the historical context and even the literary context, motivations and COIs underlying the expedition, excerpts from the travel journals/logs of crew members, scientific exploration and discovery, the physical and psychological toll induced by the extreme conditions,
individual backstories of central crew members, the fluctuating group dynamics among the crew, problem solving rationales, enlightening anectodes, etc. As all of these angles are woven seamlessly together in a brilliant and gripping narrative, it truly felt like I was somehow there on the Belgica throughout her sensational journey (but thankfully safely settled in my own couch).
You can bet your hat that I’ll enjoy a reread of this in the future and recommend it to everyone I come across!
Side note: I never knew that Roald Amundsen was such a character…! Reading about the guy made me laugh at many occasions, one time for 5 minutes straight - simultaneously outrageous, ridiculous and legendary. I’ll definitely prioritize another visit to the Fram Polar Exploration Museum in the near future to familiarize myself further with my Norwegian heritage.
I applaud Julian Sancton for this literary achievement; it is a prime example of exquisite research and retelling of a real-life epic, producing a psychological thriller and harrowing adventure story which will have you on board from the get-go. The intertwining narratives and building of suspense is incredibly done, and all this time it blew my mind because it once took place IRL goddammit! I have never been more grateful to be able to walk around in my neighborhood and see the sun, natural life and other people on a daily basis. Belgica’s crew went through many degrees of hell during this mad expedition, and it was horribly fascinating to be an indirect witness to it.
In addition to the suspense and overall literary quality, the book covered all the aspects I was hoping for: the adventurous spirit, the historical context and even the literary context, motivations and COIs underlying the expedition, excerpts from the travel journals/logs of crew members, scientific exploration and discovery, the physical and psychological toll induced by the extreme conditions,
individual backstories of central crew members, the fluctuating group dynamics among the crew, problem solving rationales, enlightening anectodes, etc. As all of these angles are woven seamlessly together in a brilliant and gripping narrative, it truly felt like I was somehow there on the Belgica throughout her sensational journey (but thankfully safely settled in my own couch).
You can bet your hat that I’ll enjoy a reread of this in the future and recommend it to everyone I come across!
Side note: I never knew that Roald Amundsen was such a character…! Reading about the guy made me laugh at many occasions, one time for 5 minutes straight - simultaneously outrageous, ridiculous and legendary. I’ll definitely prioritize another visit to the Fram Polar Exploration Museum in the near future to familiarize myself further with my Norwegian heritage.