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Bradley's Reviews > The Terror
The Terror
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Dan Simmons is an author's author.
Every time I read something by him that is either A: not quite in my interest zone, or B: reads workmanlike but nothing particularly brilliant, he SQUASHES my expectations.
HMS Terror and Erebus are out to find the Northwest Passage. In the meantime, I am tricked into caring about every one of the men on the ships. This is not a Darwin Award I'm reading, even though a few characters WERE on the Beagle.
This is a harrowing and perfectly period descent into an icy hell. Enjoy murder, scurvy, madness, a monster on the ice, wicked dreams, withdrawal, and... of course... SOYLENT GREEN.
Oh, wait, wrong book.
I'll leave it for posterity. :)
At least I never ate human flesh. At least I never ate human flesh.
Just keep telling yourself that, buddy.
I was lukewarm going into this, but it turned out to be one hell of a brilliant frozen horror. :)
Every time I read something by him that is either A: not quite in my interest zone, or B: reads workmanlike but nothing particularly brilliant, he SQUASHES my expectations.
HMS Terror and Erebus are out to find the Northwest Passage. In the meantime, I am tricked into caring about every one of the men on the ships. This is not a Darwin Award I'm reading, even though a few characters WERE on the Beagle.
This is a harrowing and perfectly period descent into an icy hell. Enjoy murder, scurvy, madness, a monster on the ice, wicked dreams, withdrawal, and... of course... SOYLENT GREEN.
Oh, wait, wrong book.
I'll leave it for posterity. :)
At least I never ate human flesh. At least I never ate human flesh.
Just keep telling yourself that, buddy.
I was lukewarm going into this, but it turned out to be one hell of a brilliant frozen horror. :)
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Reading Progress
March 26, 2013
– Shelved
July 24, 2018
– Shelved as:
to-read
December 12, 2018
–
Started Reading
December 16, 2018
– Shelved as:
2018-shelf
December 16, 2018
– Shelved as:
history
December 16, 2018
– Shelved as:
horror
December 16, 2018
–
Finished Reading
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Trish
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rated it 5 stars
Dec 16, 2018 06:38AM
I was really surprised that (view spoiler)[I sometimes even cared about Hickey whenever they called homosexuality "sodomy" and when he was almost reported along with Magnus and all that despite me hating him soooo fucking much (hide spoiler)].
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I loved this novel. I didn’t want it to end.
He was absolutely a complex character. I liked both sides of him even if I really hated him for what he did. It shows great skill to keep him a real person and evil WITHOUT resorting to making him evil BECAUSE he is homosexual. Actually, I'm really impressed. :)
Excellent book, only Dan Simmons would find a way to make the unrelenting misery that could be early Arctic exploration worse. Much worse!
RIGHT? And to end with mouth music on top of it all? And STILL make it a worthy end? As in, what fools these English are. :)
I'm almost done with the show and actually dislike a number of the changes they made despite it being a good show. Hickey is one of the changes I don't like.
Oh? What did they do to him?
You explained it pretty well lol. :)
But it's more than that. And, once again, things were changed that didn't need changing or where I can't see why anyone would want to change them. And that although the author is specifically listed as an executive producer. *sighs*
Often that's just a placeholder for name recognition tho. :)
True. I'm spoiled by Gaiman's level of involvement.
I saw the short film series on FX I think it was? It was pretty damn good. I'm assuming the book is even better then, yes?
F.D. wrote: "I saw the short film series on FX I think it was? It was pretty damn good. I'm assuming the book is even better then, yes?"MUCH! So many things don't really make sense (they changed it from the events of the book and I don't know why).
I'm thinking I may NOT watch the tv show despite loving the book. Something about a bad taste in my mouth, I think.No, no, it's not human flesh... not even FX would stoop that far. Maybe Sy-Fy, but not FX.
Any adaptation is a compromise, and this especially is such an interior novel. To portray its obliqueness on screen ... Ridley Scott was an exec producer, so the quality is defn there. I think the producers were in tune with the different medium, and applied the old ice pick accordingly to the text.
the problem is that all the interior parts were done exceedingly well - much better than I had dared hope. That is why I don't get it. What they hcanged didn't need changing and made many a character less - first and foremost Lady Silence.
Weird, inexplicable character changes. ; ; Added story where there needed to be none.You know, like giving Gandalf a Santa hat.
And once you see it, you can't unsee it.
My grandpa always said: don't fix what doesn't need fixing.
I think a lot of the changes were to ostensibly 'commercialise' a very tricky novel adaptation. I do think it does depend on the maturity and resources of the network, let alone gumption. If Netflix had done this, for example?
Well, now this makes me want to read it even more so I can compare. (I agree, Trish) Cogsworth: If it’s not baroque, don’t fix it...
Gerhard wrote: "I think a lot of the changes were to ostensibly 'commercialise' a very tricky novel adaptation. I do think it does depend on the maturity and resources of the network, let alone gumption. If Netfli..."Again, the changes I'm talking about haven't helped to commercialize or I would have understood (though not supported) them. For example (view spoiler). There are many more but I think that would just make me rage. *lol*
Bradley wrote: "I'm thinking I may NOT watch the tv show despite loving the book. Something about a bad taste in my mouth, I think.No, no, it's not human flesh... not even FX would stoop that far. Maybe Sy-Fy, b..."
What do you mean? If you mean graphic content, FX don’t shy away from it, look at Archer, Legion or American Horror Story (if you were to watch one I’d say Archer because it’s my favorite show). Then again, Syfy aired Happy! (which despite being completely different from the comic and pretty disturbing is fun and very well made if you don’t mind a show that’s rated TVMA for insane amounts of graphic everything)
I like good SF and shy away from the mass-produced crap SyFy is known for. :) FX does some pretty fine stuff, tho. :) NO griping there. :)
Umm... watch The Expanse, Warehouse 13 and Happy! You might change your mind about Syfy.
L. wrote: "Umm... watch The Expanse, Warehouse 13 and Happy! You might change your mind about Syfy."Damn i've been wanting to watch Warehouse 13 for long
Been watching Expanse. Not the others tho. And I still remember what SyFy did for a decade. That isn't going to be forgiven easily.
Devon wrote: "L. wrote: "Umm... watch The Expanse, Warehouse 13 and Happy! You might change your mind about Syfy."Damn i've been wanting to watch Warehouse 13 for long"
Good show. Pretty sure it’s been finished for a couple years though don’t know for sure.
The Expanse was unfortunately cancelled after 3 seasons (I’ve seen the first 2).
Happy! was added to Netflix US. Not a masterpiece but I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, season 2 is on TV this upcoming spring so it probably won’t be on Netflix until 2020.
As far as FX goes, out of the shows I mentioned I obviously love Archer and think Legion (at least season one) is really good. AHS, it depends on the season.
L. wrote: "Devon wrote: "L. wrote: "Umm... watch The Expanse, Warehouse 13 and Happy! You might change your mind about Syfy."Damn i've been wanting to watch Warehouse 13 for long"
Good show. Pretty sure it..."
Good news Amazon picked up The Expanse for a fourth season
I haven't seen too much FX shows but one i have seen and would definitely recommend is Sons Of Anarchy
I didn’t hear the good news about The Expanse. Nice!Amazon puts out some good stuff. If you ever get the chance watch Patriot, one of today’s most underrated shows.
