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Loading... Eaters of the Deadby Michael Crichton
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. Good novel. The end left me wanting for more, though. (  ) Anagarika | Nov 3, 2009 |  Good novel. The end left me wanting for more, though. ( ) Anagarika | Oct 30, 2009 | Not a bad read. a bit more interesting than the movie (The 13th Warrior). (  ) cbrown1000 | Sep 20, 2009 | I loved this book and tore right through with excitement only to find out in the 'Factual Notes' at the end that the whole story (footnotes and all) was 80% fiction. Although, I understand where Crichton was going with it and can understand how it would have been a great story from which Beowulf could loosely have been based on....the unsettling fact is it wasn't! In reading this novel, I truly marvelled at the concept of Neanderthals left still on this planet in 921 AD. Alas...I was left with my imagination running rampant regarding the significance of this 'historic document' and wanting to learn more---only to find out in the end that I was duped! I love Theory/Fiction novels and loved this novel up until the last page when these words pierced my eyes, '...the novel, including its introduction, text, footnotes, and bibliography, should properly be viewed as fiction'. If properly depicted as fiction from the outset...It would still make a great movie. ;0) (  ) DowntownDave | Jul 22, 2009 | For anyone who didn't know, this book formed the basis for the movie The Thirteenth Warrior. I rather liked the movie, and the book is, in my opinion, better than the movie. The story is essentially is retelling of the story of Beowulf, altered slightly so that the mythical and fantastical events in the Old English poem have somewhat plausible explanations. The book is told from the perspective of an Arabic diplomat traveling through lands of the Rus who gets caught up in the tale. The book is told as a "discovered" history supposedly written by the wandering Arab. Having an outsider narrate the tale as a history of events allows Crichton to explain the oddities of the Rus culture and the various "barbarian" behaviors without being heavy handed about it. While this may not be as well known as Crichton's other books, I think this is one of his best. Cribbing from Beowulf probably helps any author, but this version is very well done, and told from an interesting perspective. (  ) StormRaven | Oct 28, 2008 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com (ISBN 0345354613, Mass Market Paperback)Michael Crichton takes the listener on a one-thousand-year-old journey in his adventure novel Eaters Of The Dead. This remarkable true story originated from actual journal entries of an Arab man who traveled with a group of Vikings throughout northern Europe. In 922 A.D, Ibn Fadlan, a devout Muslim, left his home in Baghdad on a mission to the King of Saqaliba. During his journey, he meets various groups of "barbarians" who have poor hygiene and gorge themselves on food, alcohol and sex. For Fadlan, his new traveling companions are a far stretch from society in the sophisticated "City of Peace." The conservative and slightly critical man describes the Vikings as "tall as palm trees with florid and ruddy complexions." Fadlan is astonished by their lustful aggression and their apathy towards death. He witnesses everything from group orgies to violent funeral ceremonies. Despite the language and cultural barriers, Ibn Fadlan is welcomed into the clan. The leader of the group, Buliwyf (who can communicate in Latin) takes Fadlan under his wing.Without warning, the chieftain is ordered to haul his warriors back to Scandinavia to save his people from the "monsters of the mist." Ibn Fadlan follows the clan and must rise to the occasion in the battle of his life.--Gina Kaysen (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:16 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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