March 2016 Group Read 2: The Terror

[Char]

Here's a place to discuss our second group read: The Terror! Please use spoiler tags as necessary and happy reading!

[Muzz]

This looks a monster of a book - excuse the pun. Dan Simmons didn't let me down with 'Summer of Night' so hopefully this will be as good

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime]

This is on my Dan Simmons Marathon shelf, and I own it: no excuse not to join in:).

[Walter]

Plan to participate as well once I'm done with The Girl with All the Gifts.

[Latasha]

my library has this and I'm next in line so i'll give it a go.

[David]

I have just finished it this morning and you're in for a great time. I'd still like to join in and chat about it since it's still so fresh.

[Jay]

I'm in.

[WendyB]

I read this a few years ago. It's really good, but the first 50 pages or so are a bit slow. Stay with it. You'll be rewarded with a great story. Simmons also knows how to do a satisfying ending to his stories.

[11811 (Eleven)]

I'm in. This is worthy of a reread. I was gonna burn my audible credit but the English version is abridged. That would suck. So, I put a hold on the hardcover. Again.

[Hayla]

Oh boy! This one is on my to-read list. :)
I'll try to find a copy this week.

[11811 (Eleven)]

AMC has a TV series in production. Looking forward to that.

[Jeremy]

Great book...my favorite of all the Simmons I've read so far. It's kind of a slow creep, but worth it.

[Chris]

Just finished this a couple of weeks ago. This was my introduction to Dan Simmons and I loved it so much! It's a monster of a book but it's worth it. Not only is it a great horror novel but I learned quite a bit about the hardships of arctic expeditions in the 1800's. Looking forward to joining the discussion!

[Michael]

Looking forward to this. The Terror has been sitting on my bookshelf for years, waiting for me to pick it up. I was intimidated a bit by the page length and small font. Time to dive in!

[Dylan]

Like others in here, I also own this book so I should probably take part in this. The only Dan Simmons books I have read are Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion and I really enjoyed them.

[Walter]

Dylan, if you haven't read either yet, you might want to consider putting Carrion Comfort or Song of Kali on your TBR list.

[Dylan]

Walter wrote: "Dylan, if you haven't read either yet, you might want to consider putting Carrion Comfort or Song of Kali on your TBR list."

I just added both of them to my to read shelf. Thank you for the recommendations.

[Randy]

ughh I'm torn on starting this again. I read about 200 pages years ago and had to return it to the owner. BUT I swore off Dan Simmons because he just fills so much of his books (besides Summer of Night - that one is amazing) with details and side stories that don't add anything to the actual story. I just became frustrated with his style... anyone read this before? Which Dan Simmons wrote it - the sharp horror author or the meandering historical perfectionist who has to tell you how much he knows about a time period for no good reason?

[11811 (Eleven)]

Randy wrote: "ughh I'm torn on starting this again. I read about 200 pages years ago and had to return it to the owner. BUT I swore off Dan Simmons because he just fills so much of his books (besides Summer of N..."

The latter wrote this one. This will be an interesting group read. I'm expecting mostly one and five star ratings with few in between. It's not for everyone but it excels at what it is for those who do find an interest.

[Allan James]

Looking forward to this one. I love it when a story is based on or influenced by true events.

[Jaro]

I will start this very soon and hope to join the discussion.

[David]

It's very heavy on historical detail but I quite enjoyed that aspect. There are some incredible photographs online but I stopped myself reading the articles for fear of spoling the read.

[Kirstin]

I too thought the incredible detail is what made this book excellent. The Terror is the book that made me want to join Goodreads. I'm excited to reread it with you all!

[Maxine Marsh]

11811 (Eleven) wrote: "I'm in. This is worthy of a reread. I was gonna burn my audible credit but the English version is abridged. That would suck. So, I put a hold on the hardcover. Again."

I'm in too! This is one of my favorite books--I rarely reread but I am in for this one.

[11811 (Eleven)]

Mine just came in at the library. I'll grab it tomorrow and get started. Can't wait to dig in again!

[Dylan]

I'm glad to hear that so many people like this book and want to reread it. Makes me more excited about it for sure.

[Josen]

I don't know, I have to admit when I saw how big this book was it made me think twice about it. Lol! Is there really a lot of extra detail?

[David]

I didn't think so, Josen. None of what's written felt forced or unneccesary. It just added to the atmosphere and feeling.

[11811 (Eleven)]

Josen wrote: "I don't know, I have to admit when I saw how big this book was it made me think twice about it. Lol! Is there really a lot of extra detail?"

It's worth at least checking out if your library has a copy or you can download the kindle sample. From what I recall, it won't take long to figure out whether or not it's your thing. For me, it's an all time favorite.

[[deleted user]]

I would be hesitant to recommend this to anyone who didn't have some measure of interest in nautical expeditions. To Dan's credit, he manages to divide the historical material evenly, and pares it down near the ending. At least, that's how I remember it.

I'm not much one for rereads, but I enjoyed this book and am glad to see it voted this month.

[Amy BP]

I got this book at the library today!! And now, I'm fairly certain I own it . . . which is exactly why my 2016 resolution was to read what I already own or can borrow and to stop buying books, ha! I'm looking forward to my very first group read!

[11811 (Eleven)]

I already feel the cold and fear the scurvy.

[11811 (Eleven)]

Pg 30 - "The temperature here on the lower deck high - just below freezing - almost 80 degrees warmer than outside. The effect on someone who's been out on deck for half an hour is the equivalent of walking into a sauna fully clothed."

Brrrr

[Monika]

My hold at the library became available today! What a great timing. I've been reading the sample from amazon on my kindle and I loved the first three chapters. Yes, there is a lot of detail but it helps build the atmosphere which is becoming very intriguing.

[Eva]

My copy should arrive tomorrow and I am looking forward to reading it!
It's funny, because this book has not been that long on my TBR, but was only recommended to me a few weeks ago. I'll try and pair it with a non-fiction book about the same expedition: Frozen in Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition (but perhaps not this month :-))

[David]

Randy wrote: "ughh I'm torn on starting this again. I read about 200 pages years ago and had to return it to the owner. BUT I swore off Dan Simmons because he just fills so much of his books (besides Summer of N..."

I'm with you. I lasted 300 pages and just had to stop. The style was beginning to annoy me as well (every character is introduced every time with their full name and rank, one of my pet hates). I found a lot of it fascinating, but heavy going so I gave up - temporarily I told myself - to read something more 'fun'. That was nearly 6 months ago.

[Empress Reece (Hooked on Books)]

Hi I've already read all three of the group reads so I won't be participating this month but you guys have fun. The Terror was really good : ) Enjoy!

[Andrew]

11811 (Eleven) wrote: "Pg 30 - "The temperature here on the lower deck high - just below freezing - almost 80 degrees warmer than outside. The effect on someone who's been out on deck for half an hour is the equivalent o..."
A valid fear..

[Katy]

Latasha wrote: "my library has this and I'm next in line so i'll give it a go."

I'm waiting for my copy of this one too. See which comes first, the Terror or Girl with All the Gifts...

[11811 (Eleven)]

The facts in this novel scare the crap outta me. The horror is just a bonus.

[Maxine Marsh]

Yeah the utter isolation and their extended time trapped in such extreme cold conditions creates such a psychological dread, it's great!

[11811 (Eleven)]

I picked up Ice Blink: The Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklin's Lost Polar Expedition today so I can read it in tandem with Terror and see how much of this stuff Simmons had to make up to turn this into a horror story. Apparently, not much. The climate, scurvy, starvation, cannibalism, ambiguous cause of death for many of the crew. Not much at all.

[VanillaSky]

I'm listening to the audio - about 19 chapters in - and find the story too slow-pacing, erratic and detailed.(view spoiler)[And now, instead of a tale of surviving in some frigid and desolate place at the Arctic Circle (I thought it was going to be something like The Thing, by the way, but more believable), I have to listen to the characters' background in England and their sexual experiences. (hide spoiler)]

[Latasha]

VanillaSky wrote: "I'm listening to the audio - about 19 chapters in - and find the story too slow-pacing, erratic and detailed.[spoilers removed]"

uh oh!! I'm waiting for the audio from my library...I didn't read your spoiler.

[Monika]

27 chapters in and it has got me. There is no getting out. I love the complexity, the detail and the historic background. When I first started the book, I armed myself with maps and historical information about this particular expedition and had a lot of fun learning what they were doing , where they were and what they were trying to accomplish. I agree with others, this is not a fast reading book however, the farther I get into the book, the faster it seems to read. A real gem in my opinion.

[David]

I agree, Monika!

[Katy]

Monika wrote: "27 chapters in and it has got me. There is no getting out. I love the complexity, the detail and the historic background. When I first started the book, I armed myself with maps and historical info..."

Looking forward to finally getting my copy...waiting for Mr. Postman...

[11811 (Eleven)]

pg 291 (view spoiler)[ The thing... was blowing down into her open mouth, playing her vocal chords as if her human throat were a reed instrument. (hide spoiler)]

That right there is some really weird shit.

[Walter]

Just started my read last night.

[David]

11811 (Eleven) wrote: "pg 291 [spoilers removed]

That right there is some really weird shit."

It creates a very strange image.