Books Stephen King Recommends discussion

Any ideas so far on Chapter 1 Crozier Oct 1847 through 10 Goodsir? Spoilers are okay.

I hope I make it to chapter 10. I'm at Chapter 7. I find it rather boring. I'm skimming a lot.

I'm not finding this boring at all. I like stories about man fighting against his enemies. And enemies can be defined in many different ways... Nature, political, societies rules and prejudices, internal, monsters out on the ice...This book has them all. One of the things that may cause some difficulty if, like me, you don't really pay much attention to the dates at the beginning of the chapters, because each chapter kind of floats back and forth through time to fill in the back story on the main characters. But I always enjoy a story about man's struggles and triumphs (or as the case may be, tragedies), man's will to prevail, his courage and his dedication to duty, his inner fortitude and strength of character that shines through especially under duress. I especially like Goodsir's chapters. After chapter ten the story really picks up and things become desperate. The thought of the endless polar night freaks me out. I think, if I had to endure that, for whatever reason, I would not be the same afterwards.

Things are starting to pick up now. I enjoyed the part where Crozier walked alone across the ice to Erubus. I wonder about Silence. I'll be interested in her significance to the story.

Maybe the back story, or the scene setting, seems drab to me because I've read Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage and Afterlands, both of which deal with the hardships of being stranded in polar ice. I'm anxious to get to the meat of the story.

Yeah, I should read both of those books because I never get tired of that kind of thing. I don't know why but I always like to read about man struggling against the elements or having to go on short rations while I'm all snuggled up in bed munching on some chips...

I enjoyed them both. Shackleton's is non-fiction and it's amazing what they endured. Afterlands is a fictionalized story of the failed Polaris expedition in the Arctic.

I have finished this section and am still waiting for it to pick up substantially.

Simmons wasted no time in revealing that there is a "monster thing" trying to get at them. I was expecting to not discover this until well into the book.

The monster seems secondary at the moment to the extreme temperature, frostbite, ice lock pressure, and mother nature in general.

Funny how the aurora seems so ominous at the beginning of this story. I've always looked at it (or photos of it) with awe and wonder! The historical Crozier was a renowned expert on magnetism.

Crozier reflects that not a single bit of land, sea or ice was named after him...just James Clark Ross. Now there are several geographical points of land and water carrying his name. Including a crater on the moon!

Don't have a very good feeling about Silence.☺

Sandra wrote: "Y.... I don't know why but I always like to read about man struggling against the elements or having to go on rations while I'm all snuggled up in bed munching on some chips..."

lol! Not me, I don't know why everyone doesn't just stay home "snuggled up in bed munching on some chips"! Are they crazy? Oh not to mention that Cold Weather and I are bitter enemies.

Almeta wrote: "Funny how the aurora seems so ominous at the beginning of this story. I've always looked at it (or photos of it) with awe and wonder! The historical Crozier was a renowned expert on magnetism...."

I'm about 70% in, and don't recall him mentioning the northern lights again.

We can see them here where I live, though only green and white. On really cold nights, you can hear them crackle.

Okay, what's up with the chunk of ice in a sock that Silence gave Crozier?

Finished through Chapter 10. It is slow going for me. but I am going to keep at it.☻

Janice wrote: "Almeta wrote: "Funny how the aurora seems so ominous at the beginning of this story. I've always looked at it (or photos of it) with awe and wonder! The historical Crozier was a renowned expert on ..."

I've only seen them once, but last year I had a calendar with different pictures of them for each month. The green ones are actually kinda freaky looking. You should order the pink and purple ones next time!;)

I forgot about the chunk of ice in the sock. I don't know if it was ever explained. Maybe it was and I didn't make the connection to this gift.

I thought she was just trying to show Crozier that someone else got killed. I thought maybe the ice was a toe?

Sandra wrote: "I thought she was just trying to show Crozier that someone else got killed. I thought maybe the ice was a toe?"

These were Crozier's first impressions, but then he dismissed both those ideas with the thought that the sock was as dry as if it had come from indoors..."Crazy Witch".

You would think that they would have taken her more seriously. She seemed to know some secret to surviving such dreadful conditions.

Almeta wrote: "You would think that they would have taken her more seriously. She seemed to know some secret to surviving such dreadful conditions. ."

I was reading up on The expedition and read that cultural factors may have prevented the crews to seek help from the Inuit, or to follow their survival techniques. In the novel, the team considered the Inuit to be stupid and beneath them. You have to wonder about that attitude of superiority. Such a shame to think that they died from lead poisoning and starvation when they could have survived if they had been willing to befriend the Inuit.

I have finally got over the fact that this is such a big book and just started reading - I am already the first ten chapters in and going strong.

I love the fact that the unknown threat was mentioned right up front in the story rather than later as expected - it makes the pace of the writing seem so much faster as I can't wait to find out what it is. I will be seriously disappointed if it is something lame like an abominable snowman or worse still never explained! I am not a big lover of open endings in books but I guess sometimes they suit.

I also love the fact that it has so many characters to keep track off as it makes the book more challenging. I found this when I read Luminaries for the Booker challenge last year but I guess some people can find it off putting.

I am not liking Godsirs chapters as he seems like a twerp - hope he dies soon lol! My initial thoughts of the outcome is that everyone apart from Crozier and the Inuit woman dies .....an absolutely amazing head count for a horror book in my eyes. I also did not know why she gave Crozier the sock with a lump of ice in ....don't see any plot link apart from maybe proving that the two missing are dead. I will carry on tally ho!

Michelle wrote: "I have finally got over the fact that this is such a big book and just started reading - I am already the first ten chapters in and going strong.
..."

You have re-sparked my interest in continuing this read. I had set it aside to complete some other "July Must Reads". I was under the delusion I had more time, but August is coming up too quickly!

Manda wrote: "... I keep on reminding myself there's a monster outside there too, after the events and suggestions of such at the beginning, Simmons has cleverly avoided that area since then and I've kind of forgotten that! ..."

Simmons is pretty effective at diverting focus on something else...just so the bogey-man can get you when you are unaware!

I hope you enjoy Afterlands, Manda.