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兀賰賱丞 丕賱賲賵鬲賶
It is 922 A.D. The refined Arab courtier Ibn Fadlan is accompanying a party of Viking warriors back to their home. He is appalled by their customs鈥攖he gratuitous sexuality of their women, their disregard for cleanliness, and their cold-blooded sacrifices. As they enter the frozen, forbidden landscape of the North鈥攚here the day鈥檚 length does not equal the night鈥檚, where after sunset the sky burns in streaks of color鈥擣adlan soon discovers that he has been unwillingly enlisted to combat the terrors in the night that come to slaughter the Vikings, the monsters of the mist that devour human flesh. But just how he will do it, Fadlan has no idea.
148 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 1976
1893 people are currently reading
19700 people want to read
About the author
Michael Crichton
224听books19.4k听followersMichael Crichton (1942-2008) was one of the most successful novelists of his generation, admired for his meticulous scientific research and fast-paced narrative. He graduated summa cum laude and earned his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1969. His first novel,
Odds On
(1966), was written under the pseudonym John Lange and was followed by seven more Lange novels. He also wrote as Michael Douglas and Jeffery Hudson. His novel
A Case of Need
won the Edgar Award in 1969. Popular throughout the world, he has sold more than 200 million books. His novels have been translated into thirty-eight languages, and thirteen have been made into films.
Michael Crichton died of lymphoma in 2008. He was 66 years old.
Michael Crichton died of lymphoma in 2008. He was 66 years old.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,352 reviews
September 16, 2007
I have to confess, the first time I read this book I thought it was a real manuscript, and that Crichton was just putting it for us in book form...until I got to the epilogue. That was when I understand that Crichton is an amazing story teller.
Digging around, I found out that Crichton did the book out of a bet that he could not make Beowulf interesting. And what a book he came out with!
The book tells the story of an Arab ambassador Ibn Fadlan, as he traveled from Baghdad and hooked up with a bunch of Vikings trying to rid a land of a monstrous terror. Basically Beowulf.
What I found truly captivating was that it was written as a manuscript. The whole thing reads like a travel journal of an extremely observant man. Written matter-of-factly with no attempts of embellishments or even attempts to make the story more dramatic. Its a great book.
5/5.
Digging around, I found out that Crichton did the book out of a bet that he could not make Beowulf interesting. And what a book he came out with!
The book tells the story of an Arab ambassador Ibn Fadlan, as he traveled from Baghdad and hooked up with a bunch of Vikings trying to rid a land of a monstrous terror. Basically Beowulf.
What I found truly captivating was that it was written as a manuscript. The whole thing reads like a travel journal of an extremely observant man. Written matter-of-factly with no attempts of embellishments or even attempts to make the story more dramatic. Its a great book.
5/5.
December 28, 2020
I read this back in the mid to late 90s as one of the first books of Michael Crichton's. I read it before the movie came out. I remember ripping through this story, it was great. I hadn't read anything about vikings and this was unusual. The movie is well done and worth watching.
Michael Crichton is an amazing author who I don't hear people talking about his work, but his books are worth remembering even as he is gone.
A group of vikings, 12 to be exact is going to check out mysterious deaths happening in the north countries. There is a moor who becomes our eyes into the story and he is the 13th warrior. The scene that I'll never forget was at the beginning when the vikings are about to take leave and they are washing their hands and faces in this bowl of water and they spit and snot into this water as they go. The moor is so disgusted as was I. I was so grossed out that it stuck with me and when I think of this book, that is the first thing. But, the story is full of mystery and action and its a quick read.
I highly recommend this to others.
Michael Crichton is an amazing author who I don't hear people talking about his work, but his books are worth remembering even as he is gone.
A group of vikings, 12 to be exact is going to check out mysterious deaths happening in the north countries. There is a moor who becomes our eyes into the story and he is the 13th warrior. The scene that I'll never forget was at the beginning when the vikings are about to take leave and they are washing their hands and faces in this bowl of water and they spit and snot into this water as they go. The moor is so disgusted as was I. I was so grossed out that it stuck with me and when I think of this book, that is the first thing. But, the story is full of mystery and action and its a quick read.
I highly recommend this to others.
August 21, 2017
Arabian Nights meets 芦 Vikings 禄 : how did I put off reading this book for so long when I loved 鈥淭he 13th Warrior鈥� and when I have a huge weakness for Vikings? I don鈥檛 know. Maybe I have way too many unread books piling up everywhere in my apartment, so some titles slip through the cracks. But my husband had not seen 鈥淭he 13th Warrior鈥�, so we sat down to watch it the other day and I realized I had a copy of 鈥淓aters of the Dead鈥� somewhere, that was patiently waiting for me to get around to it鈥� No time like the present!
This book is a fictionalized account of (actual historical figure) Ibn Fadlan, an emissary of the Calif of Baghdad, sent on a diplomatic mission in northern Europe, and enlisted more or less against his will in an adventure to rid a Viking village of a mysterious an terrifying enemy. He travels with Buliwyf and eleven other seasoned Viking warriors to the kingdom of King Hrothgar, where they are told that the Wendol have been attacking the village and eating the flesh of their victims.
The style of this book is not exactly breezy, but what Crichton did was to try and imitate the style of the 10th century travelogues. Ibn Fadlan is an absolute outsider: he doesn鈥檛 speak the Northmen鈥檚 language (he communicates with them in Latin, with the help of Herger, one of the warriors who speaks that language fluently), he can鈥檛 really get over their women鈥檚 behavior, or the culture鈥檚 rather particular views on cleanliness. But the record of his observations and adventures give the world an early version of the legend of Beowulf鈥� except, historically plausible. Crichton took off with the idea that all myth have a core of veracity somewhere, and that centuries of embellishments by bards, troubadour and so on have left us with only fanciful stories that don鈥檛 seem all that believable. The tone might turn some readers off: it is written in a very old-fashioned style, so it鈥檚 often repetitive, but it鈥檚 filled with great descriptions and interesting footnotes meant to help the reader interpret this translation of an ancient text. I personally found it fascinating, just like discovering an ancient manuscript that gives you a glimpse of a world long gone. If Chrichton had tried to stretch this out any longer, it would have been ponderous and annoying, but at about 200 pages, its perfectly constructed to be a diverting and surprisingly informative read!
This book is a fictionalized account of (actual historical figure) Ibn Fadlan, an emissary of the Calif of Baghdad, sent on a diplomatic mission in northern Europe, and enlisted more or less against his will in an adventure to rid a Viking village of a mysterious an terrifying enemy. He travels with Buliwyf and eleven other seasoned Viking warriors to the kingdom of King Hrothgar, where they are told that the Wendol have been attacking the village and eating the flesh of their victims.
The style of this book is not exactly breezy, but what Crichton did was to try and imitate the style of the 10th century travelogues. Ibn Fadlan is an absolute outsider: he doesn鈥檛 speak the Northmen鈥檚 language (he communicates with them in Latin, with the help of Herger, one of the warriors who speaks that language fluently), he can鈥檛 really get over their women鈥檚 behavior, or the culture鈥檚 rather particular views on cleanliness. But the record of his observations and adventures give the world an early version of the legend of Beowulf鈥� except, historically plausible. Crichton took off with the idea that all myth have a core of veracity somewhere, and that centuries of embellishments by bards, troubadour and so on have left us with only fanciful stories that don鈥檛 seem all that believable. The tone might turn some readers off: it is written in a very old-fashioned style, so it鈥檚 often repetitive, but it鈥檚 filled with great descriptions and interesting footnotes meant to help the reader interpret this translation of an ancient text. I personally found it fascinating, just like discovering an ancient manuscript that gives you a glimpse of a world long gone. If Chrichton had tried to stretch this out any longer, it would have been ponderous and annoying, but at about 200 pages, its perfectly constructed to be a diverting and surprisingly informative read!
January 31, 2020
I love the backstory of this book, and liked the execution. for those who do not know Crichton says the inspiration for this book came from a teacher friend calling Beowulf a boring classic. The ever studious Crichton took this as a challenge to make a more intriguing version. the result is a thrilling manuscript style narrative involving a real historical figure Ibn Fadlan a 10th century Muslim ambassador who did have contact with the Norseman. bringing together two culture often ignored by western historians is brilliant. I for one am really fascinated by both cultures. especially the Muslim caliphate which Carried on classical Greek/Roman culture, art, math, philosophy, and sciences through the "dark ages." western civilization owes a lot to the Muslims we demonized during the crusades. written in such a non fiction style it's not surprising that many would not like this book calling it dry and too matter of fact. the question of reality is always in the reader mind how much of the Fadlan Norseman's account did Crichton leave in tact. Crichton says this was by design as he is always fascinated by what historical documents we take as real and what we dismiss as myth. as a history buff who occasionally reads non fiction I was really pleased with the style and execution. you feel like you are learning from the translator annotations. Eaters of the dead is very successful historical fiction novel from a premier Sci-fi author this should not surprise because his style is always in the vain of a classically trained scholar like Jules Verne or H.G Wells. his one often critic is he can be a little to obsessed with educating his reader which take away from the suspense. but the premises for his plots are always rock solid and well researched. I did find Eaters of the dead more enjoyable than the version of Beowulf I just read and thought it imparted a better knowledge of Norse culture!
January 16, 2021
"Los animales mueren, los amigos mueren, y yo morir茅, pero una cosa nunca muere, y es la reputaci贸n que dejamos detr谩s al morir"
"El nombre wendol o Windon es muy antiguo, tan antiguo como cualquiera de los pueblos de las regiones del Norte, y quiere decir 芦la niebla negra禄. Para los n贸rdicos significa una niebla que trae consigo, bajo la protecci贸n de la noche, a unos demonios negros que asesinan y matan y comen la carne de los seres humanos. Son velludos y asquerosos al tacto y al olfato. Son feroces y astutos. No hablan lenguaje conocido por ning煤n hombre y sin embargo hablan entre ellos. Vienen con la niebla de la noche y desaparecen con el d铆a, donde no hay nadie que ose seguirlos"
"En aquel momento uno de ellos lanz贸 un grito, invocando a Od铆n, un alarido de s煤plica, repetido muchas veces con el mismo fervor, y vi al monstruo con mis propios ojos"
Primeramente aclarar que es una historia de ficci贸n, que pretende ampararse en un manuscrito supuestamente real.
Son las cr贸nicas del arabe ibn-Fadlan . Quien fue enviado a la regi贸n n贸rdica (similar a las cr贸nicas de Marco Polo por Asia-Siguiendo la ruta de la seda). se vera involucrado en una misi贸n junto a guerreros Escandinavos, que se enfrentaran a una tribu primitiva, La cual los nativos consideran "Demonios".
*Guarda alg煤n paralelismo con la leyenda de Beowulf.
Esta novela sale de los par谩metros del autor. ya que la mayor铆a de sus obras de tratan de ciencia ficci贸n, ciencia propiamente dicha o thrillers cient铆ficos.
En esta oportunidad se trata de una aventura 茅pica. Que posee barreras delgadas entre historia, ficci贸n, mitolog铆a y superstici贸n.
En medio de todo este contexto 茅pico... Reivindica algunas creencias sobre los pueblos n贸rdicos o escandinavos. Saliendo un poco de la costumbre de considerar que el rotulo de "civilizaci贸n" es solo para las pertenecientes a occidente y que profesan el cristianismo. A su vez que demonizan o barbarizan las dem谩s. Ac谩 pretende ser un poco mas objetivo ,contextualizando y tambi茅n desacreditando algunos anacronismos.... Esto lo lleva a cabo mediante los choques culturales(utilizando al mismo narrador, y su evoluci贸n junto a estos pueblos. Y como cambia un poco su propia apreciaci贸n, a la par de su adaptaci贸n)
A su vez, plantea una interesante visi贸n sobre la teor铆a de la supervivencia de seres humanos primitivos.
al ser un supuesto diario o cr贸nica, hay muchas cosas que son interpretativas y otras que son guiadas por notas del autor y un posterior ap茅ndice.
"El nombre wendol o Windon es muy antiguo, tan antiguo como cualquiera de los pueblos de las regiones del Norte, y quiere decir 芦la niebla negra禄. Para los n贸rdicos significa una niebla que trae consigo, bajo la protecci贸n de la noche, a unos demonios negros que asesinan y matan y comen la carne de los seres humanos. Son velludos y asquerosos al tacto y al olfato. Son feroces y astutos. No hablan lenguaje conocido por ning煤n hombre y sin embargo hablan entre ellos. Vienen con la niebla de la noche y desaparecen con el d铆a, donde no hay nadie que ose seguirlos"
"En aquel momento uno de ellos lanz贸 un grito, invocando a Od铆n, un alarido de s煤plica, repetido muchas veces con el mismo fervor, y vi al monstruo con mis propios ojos"
Primeramente aclarar que es una historia de ficci贸n, que pretende ampararse en un manuscrito supuestamente real.
Son las cr贸nicas del arabe ibn-Fadlan . Quien fue enviado a la regi贸n n贸rdica (similar a las cr贸nicas de Marco Polo por Asia-Siguiendo la ruta de la seda). se vera involucrado en una misi贸n junto a guerreros Escandinavos, que se enfrentaran a una tribu primitiva, La cual los nativos consideran "Demonios".
*Guarda alg煤n paralelismo con la leyenda de Beowulf.
Esta novela sale de los par谩metros del autor. ya que la mayor铆a de sus obras de tratan de ciencia ficci贸n, ciencia propiamente dicha o thrillers cient铆ficos.
En esta oportunidad se trata de una aventura 茅pica. Que posee barreras delgadas entre historia, ficci贸n, mitolog铆a y superstici贸n.
En medio de todo este contexto 茅pico... Reivindica algunas creencias sobre los pueblos n贸rdicos o escandinavos. Saliendo un poco de la costumbre de considerar que el rotulo de "civilizaci贸n" es solo para las pertenecientes a occidente y que profesan el cristianismo. A su vez que demonizan o barbarizan las dem谩s. Ac谩 pretende ser un poco mas objetivo ,contextualizando y tambi茅n desacreditando algunos anacronismos.... Esto lo lleva a cabo mediante los choques culturales(utilizando al mismo narrador, y su evoluci贸n junto a estos pueblos. Y como cambia un poco su propia apreciaci贸n, a la par de su adaptaci贸n)
A su vez, plantea una interesante visi贸n sobre la teor铆a de la supervivencia de seres humanos primitivos.
al ser un supuesto diario o cr贸nica, hay muchas cosas que son interpretativas y otras que son guiadas por notas del autor y un posterior ap茅ndice.
July 2, 2018
Oi, Are you ready to ride towards Valhalla with mighty Viking warriors?
Step right into this ship, dear fellow.
In Eaters of the Dead, Crichton forms a holy matrimony between facts and legends, as he seamlessly combines the accounts of Ahmad ibn Fadlan, a famous 10th-century Arab traveler, with the legend of Beowulf, the Viking warrior who fought against the unholy monsters.
The novel is structured as the account of Ibn Fadlan, who was traveling from Baghdad to Bulgaria. On the way, he meets many tribes and eventually comes across the mighty Vikings. Now, here is the fun part: As per Ibn Fadlan's eyewitness account, Vikings are extremely dirty and barbarous bunch, even according to 10th century standards.
The history diverges into a "What if" story when Ibn Fadlan is forced to join warrior Buliwyf and his company's quest to the north. Their mission? To protect the lands and defeat the deadly mist monsters.
What Crichton tries in his novel is to recreate Beowulf into a factual story, coupled with a detailed explanation of Viking lifestyle and philosophy. It works at certain parts, especially during the journey to the north and with the characterization of Buliwyf and Herger, but stumbles with the mist monster legends and prophecies, which feels out of place because of the realistic portrayal of events.
Nevertheless, the story is action-packed, and the unique retelling indeed brings diversity to Crichton's works.
鈥淎nimals die, friends die, and I shall die, but one thing never dies, and that is the reputation we leave behind at our death.鈥�
In Eaters of the Dead, Crichton forms a holy matrimony between facts and legends, as he seamlessly combines the accounts of Ahmad ibn Fadlan, a famous 10th-century Arab traveler, with the legend of Beowulf, the Viking warrior who fought against the unholy monsters.
The novel is structured as the account of Ibn Fadlan, who was traveling from Baghdad to Bulgaria. On the way, he meets many tribes and eventually comes across the mighty Vikings. Now, here is the fun part: As per Ibn Fadlan's eyewitness account, Vikings are extremely dirty and barbarous bunch, even according to 10th century standards.
The history diverges into a "What if" story when Ibn Fadlan is forced to join warrior Buliwyf and his company's quest to the north. Their mission? To protect the lands and defeat the deadly mist monsters.
What Crichton tries in his novel is to recreate Beowulf into a factual story, coupled with a detailed explanation of Viking lifestyle and philosophy. It works at certain parts, especially during the journey to the north and with the characterization of Buliwyf and Herger, but stumbles with the mist monster legends and prophecies, which feels out of place because of the realistic portrayal of events.
Nevertheless, the story is action-packed, and the unique retelling indeed brings diversity to Crichton's works.
September 8, 2018
The film The 13th Warrior was, as I'm sure you are aware, absolutely superb. A classic Viking film and one of those to take on a desert island. As long as the desert island had electricity, plugs, and you had a BluRay player and a tv...anyway, it is absolutely essential viewing for anyone considering themselves anything of a Viking aficionado. I knew it was based on a book by Michael Crichton called Eaters of the Dead, and thought nothing much more, other than I had to read that book one day. Which I have now done. So then, imagine my surprise when - as clearly the last person on the planet to find out, or realise - 听the book on which the film is based, actually mixes in Ibn Fadlan's manuscript with the legendary poem Beowulf! Well, bugger me sideways!
If you do know the bones of the Beowulf story - that's me - then you will, as I did, recognise the elements Michael Crichton uses here. According to the man himself, the first three chapters of the book use Ibn Fadlan's manuscript, then we're into a re-telling of the important bits of Beowulf. The book is more than just the basis for the film, it's written as though it is all by Ibn Fadlan, who travels with the warriors back to Scandinavia and takes an active part in their adventure there.
The Beowulf element that develops as the Vikings receive an important message from Scandinavia, calling on them to return 'home.' But they need Ibn Fadlan to make up the war party, as the Soothsayer has determined that there must be thirteen warriors making the trip back and that one warrior must not be a Norseman. So Ibn Fadlan is roped in as the 13th Warrior. It is then a stripped down, imagined version of the Beowulf legend, as Michael Crichton set out to make it. A sort of 'to explain the original events that might have become over time and retelling, the Beowulf legend as we have it today, it might have happened this way.' The main themes though are all present. The warrior called to help fight an unimaginable evil, finally confronting the mother of all mist monsters herself. Beowulf is a classic us against them story. Insiders against outsiders. In the Viking period, where everyone was together in Longhouses for both comfort, safety and warmth and tales were told of creatures than moved, unseen or half-glimpsed out in the forests and the dark, inside the Longhouse at night, against outside the Longhouse at night. Inside, in the light, was the good, outside in the dark and mist and unknown, was bad. The mist monsters of Michael Crichton's legend, we don't really need him to tell us, represent the last vestiges of Neanderthal man, pushed to the edges of the Vikings and Homo Sapiens world, kept to themselves. Michael Crichton posits that they could have survived into recored history and were misunderstood and therefore feared. The Vikings fear of them is really Xenophobia, though that is in stark contrast to their acceptance, both in Ibn Fadlan's original manuscript and here in Eaters of the Dead, of Muslims and Muslim culture. The only anti-Muslim comments aren't really anti- at all. "How silly!" is about as far as the Vikings go when presented with a view that is different to theirs'.
Ibn Fadlan was actually Ahmed Ibn Fadlan (In Arabic: 兀丨賲丿 亘賳 賮囟賱丕賳 亘賳 丕賱毓亘丕爻 亘賳 乇丕卮丿 亘賳 丨賲丕丿 A岣ad ibn Fa岣峫膩n ibn al-士Abb膩s ibn R膩拧id ibn 岣mm膩d,听921鈥�22) and was sent out to report on the peoples of the areas in the far north of the Muslim consciousness, by the Abbasid Caliph, Al-Muqtadir. The report he compiled on his travels and observations of the Bulghars, Khazars and the Rus, is called The Risala. I have a Penguin Classics version which is a factual work based around his manuscripts - or copies and versions included in other works, because, as is frustratingly common, the original is now lost. I haven't read that yet, so I'm afraid I can't give you acomparison just yet.
The Michael Crichton book here, is written - he says - in the style of Ahmed IF, to appear as if it is a complete, contemorary document of his travels to the meeting with the Viking Rus and onwards - or backwards - with them to confront the title's eaters of the dead. On that front, it to me works very well indeed, he has accomplished his aim. The annotations especially had me fooled, before I got to the afterword... I was captured and absolutely hooked by the book, helped no doubt by my regard for the film and trying to imagine the film while reading the book. I raced through it, footnotes and all, in just a couple of days. My only regret being it wasn't twice as long. That said, it isn't a post-film dramatisation or a version they filmed from. Though if you have seen the film, you'll know where you are with the book. What the book does, better than the film, is retain the sense of the Viking warriors Ahmed Ibn Fadlan met.
They were shockingly different to him at the time and really should still be to us. Nowadays though, our idea of what the Vikings were like, is rather a rather safe one, with many of their sharp cultural contemporary differences softened. Michael Crichton keeps the feeling of awe, often shock, Ahmed must have felt and preserves something of the strangeness the Vikings were even to their own contemporaries. The film, no less fantastic, but maybe due to its rocky path to completion, does fudge some elements - though never goes full Tony Curtis, Kirk Douglas, Ernest Borgnine "ODINNNNN!" Vikings on us.
The regard historians have for Ahmed Ibn Fadlan, is because his is the first, and if I'm not much mistaken, the only contemporary account of an aspect of Viking culture we have. 'Have found so far,' as I live in hope of 'them' finding others. Where this is different to other contemporary accounts of the Vikings, for those of you mithering "just a moment, what about "save us from the fury of the Northmen" and similar?"听Well, problem for us is that they pretty much only consist of "oh lord God, we have sinned and we deserve this punishment, but send more firey dragons!" or were written many years after any content, for a specific purpose. To scare the non-believers mostly. The point with Ahmed Ibn Fadlan's text is it is un-biased, non-judgemental (on the whole) observations of what he saw. Which is what his patron required of him. The famous parts of his texts are the only contemporary account of a Viking ship 'burial,' descriptions of their washing habits and their physique we have. As Michael Crichton says, it can't follow actually chronologically on from Ahmed's encounter, as the Beowulf legend is much, much older. But in Eaters of the Dead there are no such problems and it all works splendidly well. As well as any scholar might hope to discover one day written in a contemporary manuscript.
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If you do know the bones of the Beowulf story - that's me - then you will, as I did, recognise the elements Michael Crichton uses here. According to the man himself, the first three chapters of the book use Ibn Fadlan's manuscript, then we're into a re-telling of the important bits of Beowulf. The book is more than just the basis for the film, it's written as though it is all by Ibn Fadlan, who travels with the warriors back to Scandinavia and takes an active part in their adventure there.
The Beowulf element that develops as the Vikings receive an important message from Scandinavia, calling on them to return 'home.' But they need Ibn Fadlan to make up the war party, as the Soothsayer has determined that there must be thirteen warriors making the trip back and that one warrior must not be a Norseman. So Ibn Fadlan is roped in as the 13th Warrior. It is then a stripped down, imagined version of the Beowulf legend, as Michael Crichton set out to make it. A sort of 'to explain the original events that might have become over time and retelling, the Beowulf legend as we have it today, it might have happened this way.' The main themes though are all present. The warrior called to help fight an unimaginable evil, finally confronting the mother of all mist monsters herself. Beowulf is a classic us against them story. Insiders against outsiders. In the Viking period, where everyone was together in Longhouses for both comfort, safety and warmth and tales were told of creatures than moved, unseen or half-glimpsed out in the forests and the dark, inside the Longhouse at night, against outside the Longhouse at night. Inside, in the light, was the good, outside in the dark and mist and unknown, was bad. The mist monsters of Michael Crichton's legend, we don't really need him to tell us, represent the last vestiges of Neanderthal man, pushed to the edges of the Vikings and Homo Sapiens world, kept to themselves. Michael Crichton posits that they could have survived into recored history and were misunderstood and therefore feared. The Vikings fear of them is really Xenophobia, though that is in stark contrast to their acceptance, both in Ibn Fadlan's original manuscript and here in Eaters of the Dead, of Muslims and Muslim culture. The only anti-Muslim comments aren't really anti- at all. "How silly!" is about as far as the Vikings go when presented with a view that is different to theirs'.
Ibn Fadlan was actually Ahmed Ibn Fadlan (In Arabic: 兀丨賲丿 亘賳 賮囟賱丕賳 亘賳 丕賱毓亘丕爻 亘賳 乇丕卮丿 亘賳 丨賲丕丿 A岣ad ibn Fa岣峫膩n ibn al-士Abb膩s ibn R膩拧id ibn 岣mm膩d,听921鈥�22) and was sent out to report on the peoples of the areas in the far north of the Muslim consciousness, by the Abbasid Caliph, Al-Muqtadir. The report he compiled on his travels and observations of the Bulghars, Khazars and the Rus, is called The Risala. I have a Penguin Classics version which is a factual work based around his manuscripts - or copies and versions included in other works, because, as is frustratingly common, the original is now lost. I haven't read that yet, so I'm afraid I can't give you acomparison just yet.
The Michael Crichton book here, is written - he says - in the style of Ahmed IF, to appear as if it is a complete, contemorary document of his travels to the meeting with the Viking Rus and onwards - or backwards - with them to confront the title's eaters of the dead. On that front, it to me works very well indeed, he has accomplished his aim. The annotations especially had me fooled, before I got to the afterword... I was captured and absolutely hooked by the book, helped no doubt by my regard for the film and trying to imagine the film while reading the book. I raced through it, footnotes and all, in just a couple of days. My only regret being it wasn't twice as long. That said, it isn't a post-film dramatisation or a version they filmed from. Though if you have seen the film, you'll know where you are with the book. What the book does, better than the film, is retain the sense of the Viking warriors Ahmed Ibn Fadlan met.
They were shockingly different to him at the time and really should still be to us. Nowadays though, our idea of what the Vikings were like, is rather a rather safe one, with many of their sharp cultural contemporary differences softened. Michael Crichton keeps the feeling of awe, often shock, Ahmed must have felt and preserves something of the strangeness the Vikings were even to their own contemporaries. The film, no less fantastic, but maybe due to its rocky path to completion, does fudge some elements - though never goes full Tony Curtis, Kirk Douglas, Ernest Borgnine "ODINNNNN!" Vikings on us.
The regard historians have for Ahmed Ibn Fadlan, is because his is the first, and if I'm not much mistaken, the only contemporary account of an aspect of Viking culture we have. 'Have found so far,' as I live in hope of 'them' finding others. Where this is different to other contemporary accounts of the Vikings, for those of you mithering "just a moment, what about "save us from the fury of the Northmen" and similar?"听Well, problem for us is that they pretty much only consist of "oh lord God, we have sinned and we deserve this punishment, but send more firey dragons!" or were written many years after any content, for a specific purpose. To scare the non-believers mostly. The point with Ahmed Ibn Fadlan's text is it is un-biased, non-judgemental (on the whole) observations of what he saw. Which is what his patron required of him. The famous parts of his texts are the only contemporary account of a Viking ship 'burial,' descriptions of their washing habits and their physique we have. As Michael Crichton says, it can't follow actually chronologically on from Ahmed's encounter, as the Beowulf legend is much, much older. But in Eaters of the Dead there are no such problems and it all works splendidly well. As well as any scholar might hope to discover one day written in a contemporary manuscript.
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April 3, 2025Ahmad Ibn Fadlan was a tenth century Arab traveler and diplomat, best remembered as the author of the earliest known anthropological description of Vikings. He encountered them, far from their home and his, in modern Russia. Just one tantalizing scrap of Ibn Fadlan's account survived to modern times. Back in the early 1970s, a young writer named Michael Crichton copied that scrap. Then, in a berserker fit of inspiration, he unleashed his powerful imagination on it, transforming Ibn Fadlan into the protagonist of an epic adventure.
Crichton鈥檚 version of the Arab traveler tells the tale of how his Viking hosts invited him (that is, compelled him at the point of a sword) to join them on a mission back to their Scandinavian homeland. They are called upon to defend a tribe of Northmen against a terrible and apparently supernatural threat: a horde of savage monsters who erupt and kill from the cover of the thick northern mist: the horrifying "Eaters of the Dead." The story that unfolds is by turns gripping and gruesome, a delicious blend of action, violence, horror and suspense that builds to surprising yet logical conclusion.
But Eaters of the Dead is more than just an effective thriller. It's also an ingenious piece of metafiction. In an 鈥渁cademic鈥� introduction, the novel presents itself as a work of scholarship, the "true story" of Ibn Fadlan's historical journey. Crichton pretends to be the editor, not the author of his tale. He claims to have painstakingly reassembled his narrative from disparate sources, and rendered it all into modern English. "Scholarly" footnotes interspersed throughout the text add a sense of verisimilitude. (Crichton mischievously implies that Ibn Fadlan鈥檚 account is the historical source of the legend of Grendel and Beowulf.) If I鈥檇 been just a bit younger when I discovered this novel, I probably would have taken the framing at face value. It鈥檚 a splendid touch, deftly executed, and an indication of the serious depth of the author's research.
I find myself revisiting Eaters of the Dead about every five to seven years. Each rereading has only confirmed my admiration. I feel more confident than ever to assert this heterodox opinion: Crichton was superior to 鈥渟erious鈥� historical novelists like Gore Vidal when it came to depicting people of the distant past. Crichton imbues his medieval Arabs and Northmen with rare sense of authenticity. Vidal鈥檚 ancient Romans and Persians come across almost like twentieth century cosplayers by comparison. The literary artistry of Eaters of the Dead remains underappreciated.
The Thirteenth Warrior, the film adaptation, is a mixed bag. I like the casting of Antonio Banderas as Ibn Fadlan. I like its handling of the language problem, and certain of its visuals: for example, its Viking ships battling against the stormy sea. But the film doesn鈥檛 come close to achieving the hair-raising horror of the source material. It doesn鈥檛 feel as deep or real. I understand why it's a cult classic. I鈥檇 call it good, not great.
Crichton鈥檚 version of the Arab traveler tells the tale of how his Viking hosts invited him (that is, compelled him at the point of a sword) to join them on a mission back to their Scandinavian homeland. They are called upon to defend a tribe of Northmen against a terrible and apparently supernatural threat: a horde of savage monsters who erupt and kill from the cover of the thick northern mist: the horrifying "Eaters of the Dead." The story that unfolds is by turns gripping and gruesome, a delicious blend of action, violence, horror and suspense that builds to surprising yet logical conclusion.
But Eaters of the Dead is more than just an effective thriller. It's also an ingenious piece of metafiction. In an 鈥渁cademic鈥� introduction, the novel presents itself as a work of scholarship, the "true story" of Ibn Fadlan's historical journey. Crichton pretends to be the editor, not the author of his tale. He claims to have painstakingly reassembled his narrative from disparate sources, and rendered it all into modern English. "Scholarly" footnotes interspersed throughout the text add a sense of verisimilitude. (Crichton mischievously implies that Ibn Fadlan鈥檚 account is the historical source of the legend of Grendel and Beowulf.) If I鈥檇 been just a bit younger when I discovered this novel, I probably would have taken the framing at face value. It鈥檚 a splendid touch, deftly executed, and an indication of the serious depth of the author's research.
I find myself revisiting Eaters of the Dead about every five to seven years. Each rereading has only confirmed my admiration. I feel more confident than ever to assert this heterodox opinion: Crichton was superior to 鈥渟erious鈥� historical novelists like Gore Vidal when it came to depicting people of the distant past. Crichton imbues his medieval Arabs and Northmen with rare sense of authenticity. Vidal鈥檚 ancient Romans and Persians come across almost like twentieth century cosplayers by comparison. The literary artistry of Eaters of the Dead remains underappreciated.
The Thirteenth Warrior, the film adaptation, is a mixed bag. I like the casting of Antonio Banderas as Ibn Fadlan. I like its handling of the language problem, and certain of its visuals: for example, its Viking ships battling against the stormy sea. But the film doesn鈥檛 come close to achieving the hair-raising horror of the source material. It doesn鈥檛 feel as deep or real. I understand why it's a cult classic. I鈥檇 call it good, not great.
January 12, 2013
Let me preface this review by saying Eaters of the Dead is not fantasy. It seems often shelved by people as fantasy, but it is not. There are some fantasy 'themes' eg the story is based on Beowulf, and that is all. A whiff of potential fantasy that is no more than a whiff.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, although I think it should nearly be classed as a novella. That is what I regard it as.
The movie The Thirteenth Warrior is a favourite of mine and I was pleased to see it did not drift too far from the book. There are some differences, but for the most part, they run very close to each other.
Ibn Fadlan is a fun head to be in and it was his narration that made this book unique for me.
I have to give the book 5 stars. There was really nothing I didn't like.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, although I think it should nearly be classed as a novella. That is what I regard it as.
The movie The Thirteenth Warrior is a favourite of mine and I was pleased to see it did not drift too far from the book. There are some differences, but for the most part, they run very close to each other.
Ibn Fadlan is a fun head to be in and it was his narration that made this book unique for me.
I have to give the book 5 stars. There was really nothing I didn't like.
July 5, 2012
Very well done if you understand Crichton's purpose...,
I think that the confusion with this book arises from the fact that people don't understand what Crichton accomplished. This is a retelling of Beowulf, in a first person, narrative, entertaining form.
The narrator, Ibn Fadlan, is an actual Muslim writer from the 10th century. The first 3 chapters of this book are actually from his original narrative. Crichton then moves from there in to the fictional portion, using Fadlan as a first hand observer of the events surrounding the Beowulf story.
Considering how dreadful Beowulf was (admittedly mainly due to barriers of time, language and perception of what is entertaining), Crichton has accomplished a very difficult task. He has rewritten a very long, very boring epic and made it concise, easy to digest and entertaining.
I hated Beowulf; I found it to be dreadful, boring and longwinded.
This is a wonderful retelling of the story. I highly recommend that any lover of historical fiction read this book.
If you are a fan of Crichton's more mainstream work (i.e. Jurassic Park, Andromeda Strain, etc.) you may want to read a few more reviews and see if you can find a snippet of this story online as it is completely different from his other works. The closest novel of Crichton's that I could compare this to would be Timeline and even that is a stretch because Timeline involved Sci-Fi type elements where this is strictly a narrative from the 10th century.
I heartily enjoyed this and was only put off by the ending which just ended. Seriously, be prepared because there is no ending. The book just stops and moves on with an appendix, a historical note and a bibliography. That was a bit annoying. I don't remember if Beowulf did the same.
Still, very well done, very entertaining and very good historical fiction.
I think that the confusion with this book arises from the fact that people don't understand what Crichton accomplished. This is a retelling of Beowulf, in a first person, narrative, entertaining form.
The narrator, Ibn Fadlan, is an actual Muslim writer from the 10th century. The first 3 chapters of this book are actually from his original narrative. Crichton then moves from there in to the fictional portion, using Fadlan as a first hand observer of the events surrounding the Beowulf story.
Considering how dreadful Beowulf was (admittedly mainly due to barriers of time, language and perception of what is entertaining), Crichton has accomplished a very difficult task. He has rewritten a very long, very boring epic and made it concise, easy to digest and entertaining.
I hated Beowulf; I found it to be dreadful, boring and longwinded.
This is a wonderful retelling of the story. I highly recommend that any lover of historical fiction read this book.
If you are a fan of Crichton's more mainstream work (i.e. Jurassic Park, Andromeda Strain, etc.) you may want to read a few more reviews and see if you can find a snippet of this story online as it is completely different from his other works. The closest novel of Crichton's that I could compare this to would be Timeline and even that is a stretch because Timeline involved Sci-Fi type elements where this is strictly a narrative from the 10th century.
I heartily enjoyed this and was only put off by the ending which just ended. Seriously, be prepared because there is no ending. The book just stops and moves on with an appendix, a historical note and a bibliography. That was a bit annoying. I don't remember if Beowulf did the same.
Still, very well done, very entertaining and very good historical fiction.
May 2, 2021
I enjoyed reading this adventure-action story. This is my first Michael Crichton novel and I thought it was pretty good. It is a historical fiction about an Arab emissary on his way to aid the king of the Volga Bulgars. But his journey gets sidetracked when he encounters the Vikings. He is marked the '13th Warrior' and must go with the Vikings on a quest to the north. The story then takes off when they undertake their mission in fighting a ruthless evil. It's definitely not my favorite book but it wasn't bad either.
I saw the movie when it first came out so I can't really tell how it compares. I could see the 'Beowulf' elements and that was cool. Overall it's a fun, quick, and decent adventure story I'd recommend as a weekend read. Thanks!
I saw the movie when it first came out so I can't really tell how it compares. I could see the 'Beowulf' elements and that was cool. Overall it's a fun, quick, and decent adventure story I'd recommend as a weekend read. Thanks!
October 19, 2023
袣褉邪泄褌芯薪 - 锌褉械泻褉邪褋薪懈泄 褌邪 褌邪谢邪薪芯胁懈褌懈泄 邪胁褌芯褉. 袙褨薪 屑邪泄褋褌械褉薪芯 锌芯褦写薪褍褦 褨褋褌芯褉懈褔薪懈泄 械锌芯褋 锌褉芯 袘械芯胁褍谢褜褎邪, 薪邪锌芯谢芯胁懈薪褍 胁褌褉邪褔械薪懈泄 褉械邪谢褜薪懈泄 褉褍泻芯锌懈褋 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪懈泄 袉斜薪 肖邪谢写邪薪芯屑 胁 啸 褋褌芯褉褨褔褔褨 锌褉芯 褋胁芯褞 胁懈屑褍褕械薪褍 屑邪薪写褉褨胁泻褍 薪邪 锌褨胁薪褨褔, 褋褍褔邪褋薪褨 邪薪褌褉芯锌芯谢芯谐褨褔薪褨 写芯褋谢褨写卸械薪薪褟 褌邪 褔邪褋褌芯褔泻褍 邪胁褌芯褉褋褜泻芯谐芯 胁懈屑懈褋谢褍, 褖芯斜 褋褌胁芯褉懈褌懈 薪械泄屑芯胁褨褉薪芯 褉械邪谢褨褋褌懈褔薪懈泄 褋胁褨褌. 孝邪泻懈泄, 褖芯 锌芯写械泻褍写懈 写褍卸械 胁邪卸泻芯 褋泻邪蟹邪褌懈 褖芯 胁谢邪褋薪械 蟹邪褉邪蟹 锌械褉械写 褌胁芯褩屑懈 芯褔懈屑邪 - 袙懈谐邪写泻邪 褔懈 袩械褉械泻谢邪写 袪褍泻芯锌懈褋褍, 芯褋芯斜谢懈胁芯 泻芯谢懈 褑械 锌褨写泻褉褨锌谢械薪械 锌芯褋懈谢邪薪薪褟屑懈 薪邪 褋褌芯褉芯薪薪褨 写芯褋谢褨写卸械薪薪褟 褔懈 锌械褉械泻谢邪写懈 (褟泻褨 褔邪褋褌芯 胁懈谐邪写邪薪褨!).
袉 褌褨谢褜泻懈 锌褨褋谢褟屑芯胁邪 褉芯蟹褋褌邪胁谢褟褦 胁褋械, 薪邪 褋胁芯褩 屑褨褋褑褟. 袩褉懈 褌芯屑褍 泻薪懈谐邪 薪械 锌褉懈锌懈薪褟褦 斜褍写芯褉邪卸懈褌懈 褍褟胁褍 褖芯写芯 锌械胁薪懈褏 邪褋锌械泻褌褨胁, 芯锌懈褋邪薪懈褏 薪邪 褋褌芯褉褨薪泻邪褏 褉芯屑邪薪褍.
袨斜芯胁始褟蟹泻芯胁芯 写芯 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪薪薪褟. 袗 泻芯屑褍 谢褨薪褜 褔懈褌邪褌懈, 邪谢械 褌邪泻懈 褏芯褔械 芯蟹薪邪泄芯屑懈褌懈褋褜 蟹 褑懈屑 褌胁芯褉芯屑, 褌芯 屑芯卸褍 蟹邪锌褉芯锌芯薪褍胁邪褌懈 谐谢褟薪褍褌懈 械泻褉邪薪褨蟹邪褑褨褞 1999-谐芯 褉芯泻褍 "13-泄 胁芯褩薪", 蟹 袗薪褌芯薪褨芯 袘邪薪写械褉邪褋芯屑.
袉 褌褨谢褜泻懈 锌褨褋谢褟屑芯胁邪 褉芯蟹褋褌邪胁谢褟褦 胁褋械, 薪邪 褋胁芯褩 屑褨褋褑褟. 袩褉懈 褌芯屑褍 泻薪懈谐邪 薪械 锌褉懈锌懈薪褟褦 斜褍写芯褉邪卸懈褌懈 褍褟胁褍 褖芯写芯 锌械胁薪懈褏 邪褋锌械泻褌褨胁, 芯锌懈褋邪薪懈褏 薪邪 褋褌芯褉褨薪泻邪褏 褉芯屑邪薪褍.
袨斜芯胁始褟蟹泻芯胁芯 写芯 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪薪薪褟. 袗 泻芯屑褍 谢褨薪褜 褔懈褌邪褌懈, 邪谢械 褌邪泻懈 褏芯褔械 芯蟹薪邪泄芯屑懈褌懈褋褜 蟹 褑懈屑 褌胁芯褉芯屑, 褌芯 屑芯卸褍 蟹邪锌褉芯锌芯薪褍胁邪褌懈 谐谢褟薪褍褌懈 械泻褉邪薪褨蟹邪褑褨褞 1999-谐芯 褉芯泻褍 "13-泄 胁芯褩薪", 蟹 袗薪褌芯薪褨芯 袘邪薪写械褉邪褋芯屑.
April 29, 2019
Awful. Don鈥檛 waste your time. Much despised gory violence. 0 of 10 stars!
January 8, 2016
This book was everything I have been looking for lately.
Violence? Check.
Great story but not overly done background stories nor weighed down by unnecessary details? Check (while I love these things usually, sometimes you gotta take a break).
Motherfucking Vikings? Check
(I really want to watch this show!!)
This book was a lot different than his usual stuff that I have read, but still really enjoyable.
Thanks Sarah! :D
Violence? Check.
Great story but not overly done background stories nor weighed down by unnecessary details? Check (while I love these things usually, sometimes you gotta take a break).
Motherfucking Vikings? Check
(I really want to watch this show!!)
This book was a lot different than his usual stuff that I have read, but still really enjoyable.
Thanks Sarah! :D
February 27, 2024
Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder but in how the beholder views. If the beholder can appreciate the blend of epic poetry, history and fiction, Eaters of the Dead may be considered a masterpiece. Even if read for casual enjoyment, the book is nothing short of excellent.
January 17, 2021
Szerintem ez egy mestermunka!
Akik kedvelik a fikci贸 hat谩r谩n egyens煤lyoz贸 irodalmi 茅s egyben intellektu谩lis j谩t茅kokat, azok tobz贸dni fognak ebben a (r茅szben fikt铆v) t枚rt茅neti forr谩sokon alapul贸 (fikt铆v) tudom谩nyos sz枚vegkiad谩snak 茅s sz枚vegkompil谩ci贸nak 谩lc谩zott kv谩zi kalandreg茅nyben.
Nagyon j贸l sz贸rakoztam, igazi kikapcsol贸d谩st jelentett Ibn Fadl谩n kora k枚z茅pkori, 煤ti besz谩mol贸ja.
Akik kedvelik a fikci贸 hat谩r谩n egyens煤lyoz贸 irodalmi 茅s egyben intellektu谩lis j谩t茅kokat, azok tobz贸dni fognak ebben a (r茅szben fikt铆v) t枚rt茅neti forr谩sokon alapul贸 (fikt铆v) tudom谩nyos sz枚vegkiad谩snak 茅s sz枚vegkompil谩ci贸nak 谩lc谩zott kv谩zi kalandreg茅nyben.
Nagyon j贸l sz贸rakoztam, igazi kikapcsol贸d谩st jelentett Ibn Fadl谩n kora k枚z茅pkori, 煤ti besz谩mol贸ja.
June 11, 2022
It is a good thing that Ruli on 欧宝娱乐 has warned me before I started the book that it was a fictional work that is based in part on a real manuscript.
I loved the movie and I wanted to know more about the one vicking that could speak Latin and Ibn Fadlan played by Antonio Banderas and the chieftain Buliwyf. The book does not elaborate much more on the characters.
I loved the movie and I wanted to know more about the one vicking that could speak Latin and Ibn Fadlan played by Antonio Banderas and the chieftain Buliwyf. The book does not elaborate much more on the characters.
October 2, 2024
袦薪芯谐芯 褏褍斜邪胁邪 懈 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪! 袙 薪械褟 褍胁谢械泻邪褌械谢薪芯 褋邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹邪薪懈 锌褉懈泻谢褞褔械薪懈褟褌邪 薪邪 邪褉邪斜懈薪 芯褌 10-褌懈 胁械泻, 泻芯泄褌芯 械 懈蟹锌褉邪褌械薪 芯褌 褏邪谢懈褎邪 褋懈 褋 屑懈褋懈褟 锌褉懈 胁芯谢卸泻懈褌械 斜褗谢谐邪褉懈, 芯斜邪褔械 械 蟹邪谢芯胁械薪 芯褌 写芯褋褌邪 褋褍褉芯胁懈 懈 芯锌邪褋薪懈 胁懈泻懈薪谐懈. 孝芯泄 械 锌褉懈薪褍写械薪 写邪 锌褗褌械褕械褋褌胁邪 褋 褌褟褏, 邪 胁锌芯褋谢械写褋褌胁懈械 泻邪褌芯 褔褍卸写械薪械褑 械 芯锌褉械写械谢械薪 蟹邪 13-褌懈 胁芯懈薪 胁 褌械褏械薪 芯褌褉褟写...
鈥炐⊙娧壭笛佈傂惭冃残把� 芯斜邪褔械 褌胁褗褉写械 屑薪芯谐芯 薪械褖邪, 薪械锌芯薪褟褌薪懈 蟹邪 褔芯胁械泻邪. 袠 泻褗写械褌芯 蟹邪胁褗褉褕胁邪 褔芯胁械褕泻芯褌芯 锌芯蟹薪邪薪懈械, 褌邪屑 蟹邪锌芯褔胁邪 褑邪褉褋褌胁芯褌芯 薪邪 斜芯谐芯胁械褌械.鈥�
鈥炐⊙娧壭笛佈傂惭冃残把� 芯斜邪褔械 褌胁褗褉写械 屑薪芯谐芯 薪械褖邪, 薪械锌芯薪褟褌薪懈 蟹邪 褔芯胁械泻邪. 袠 泻褗写械褌芯 蟹邪胁褗褉褕胁邪 褔芯胁械褕泻芯褌芯 锌芯蟹薪邪薪懈械, 褌邪屑 蟹邪锌芯褔胁邪 褑邪褉褋褌胁芯褌芯 薪邪 斜芯谐芯胁械褌械.鈥�
January 5, 2013
i really enjoyed reading this book, i loved the film. i have never read anything written in this style at all. it reads like a travelogue. its a slow start but the stories flow draws you in, the paces picks up half way Through the book.
please read or watch the film or do both which i highly recommend to all who read this.
please read or watch the film or do both which i highly recommend to all who read this.
May 18, 2025
袣薪懈卸泻邪褌邪 械 袨袣, 薪芯 锌褉械薪邪褋褟薪械褌芯 褲 薪邪 谐芯谢褟屑 械泻褉邪薪 械 锌褉芯褋褌芯 褎邪薪褌邪褋褌懈褔薪芯 - 谐谢械写邪谢 褋褗屑 褎懈谢屑邪 褋懈谐褍褉薪芯 写械褋械褌懈薪邪 锌褗褌懈, 斜械蟹 写邪 屑懈 芯屑褉褗蟹薪械!
July 12, 2014
In the opening of this book written in 1976 Michael Crichton rightly critises the historians who discarded the role of the Vikings in Europe during their period of reign. And as such I was quite interested in this novel. I had seen the movie based on this novel and was treated by some other viewers afterwards to the pub and half of them turned out to be historians and they were rather more positive on the subject of the role of the Vikings in Europe and Russia. And recently there was this brillaint 3 part BBC documentary on the Vikings in Europe.
So when I found this third printing June 1976 HC novel in a bargainbin it was a no-brainer to buying and reading it.
Ibn Fadlan is the protagonist through whom Michael Crichton tells the story. The original idea behind writing the book was to relate the story of Beowulf in such a way that it would be more acceptable to today鈥檚 readers. The manuscript of Ibn Fadlan was incorporated to suit this purpose.
Michael Crichton mentions that only the first three chapters are based on historical data and the rest is 鈥榮peculation鈥� of what could be possible. Crichton assumes the survival of the Neanderthal man at least till the time of Ibn Fadlan (circa 922 CE), and he incorporates the legend of Beowulf (which is commonly dated much before the time of Ibn Fadlan) into the remaining chapters. The facts (the first three chapters) are seamlessly blended with Crichton鈥檚 views; which are accompanied by some very detailed footnotes.
In the afterword of the book Crichton writes -
鈥楿nder the circumstances, I should perhaps say explicitly that the references in this afterword are genuine. The rest of the novel, including its introduction, text, footnotes, and bibliography, should properly be viewed as fiction.鈥�
What can I say that this book has been a pleasurable read even if it is different from mr Crichton's other novels, who read just as well. I found that the tale steered clear from straight fantasy and does come up with an explanation for the characters of the Baddies, which are explained in the appendix. I found the book far more insightfull than the movie based upon it.
would recommend easily
So when I found this third printing June 1976 HC novel in a bargainbin it was a no-brainer to buying and reading it.
Ibn Fadlan is the protagonist through whom Michael Crichton tells the story. The original idea behind writing the book was to relate the story of Beowulf in such a way that it would be more acceptable to today鈥檚 readers. The manuscript of Ibn Fadlan was incorporated to suit this purpose.
Michael Crichton mentions that only the first three chapters are based on historical data and the rest is 鈥榮peculation鈥� of what could be possible. Crichton assumes the survival of the Neanderthal man at least till the time of Ibn Fadlan (circa 922 CE), and he incorporates the legend of Beowulf (which is commonly dated much before the time of Ibn Fadlan) into the remaining chapters. The facts (the first three chapters) are seamlessly blended with Crichton鈥檚 views; which are accompanied by some very detailed footnotes.
In the afterword of the book Crichton writes -
鈥楿nder the circumstances, I should perhaps say explicitly that the references in this afterword are genuine. The rest of the novel, including its introduction, text, footnotes, and bibliography, should properly be viewed as fiction.鈥�
What can I say that this book has been a pleasurable read even if it is different from mr Crichton's other novels, who read just as well. I found that the tale steered clear from straight fantasy and does come up with an explanation for the characters of the Baddies, which are explained in the appendix. I found the book far more insightfull than the movie based upon it.
would recommend easily
October 17, 2020
丕鬲賵賯毓 賴匕丕 兀賮囟賱 賰鬲丕亘 賯乇兀鬲賴 賮賷 佗贍佗贍 賵兀賮囟賱 賲孬丕賱 賱賳賵毓賷 丕賱賲賮囟賱 賲賳 丕賱賰鬲亘
丕賱毓賳賵丕賳 賲賲賰賳 賷毓胤賷賰賲 賮賰乇賴 丕賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賲乇毓亘 兀賵 禺賷丕賱賷 賵賷鬲賰賱賲 毓賳 賲禺賱賵賯丕鬲 丕賱夭賵賲亘賷 賱賰賳 賮賷 丕賱丨賯賷賯賴 賴賵 亘毓賷賷賷丿 賰賱 丕賱亘毓丿 毓賳 丕賱禺賷丕賱
丨賰丕賷鬲賴 賵丕賯毓賷賴 賲兀禺賵匕賴 賲賳 賲禺胤賵胤丞 丕賱乇丨丕賱賴 丕賱賲爻賱賲 兀丨賲丿 丕亘賳 賮囟賱丕賳 丕賱賱賷 丨賰賶 賮賷賴丕 乇丨賱鬲賴 賱賲丕 兀禺鬲胤賮賴 丕賱丕爻賰賳丿賳丕賮賷賷賳 賵賴賵 賮賷 胤乇賷賯賴 賱丕賳噩丕夭 賲賴賲賴 (兀賵 乇噩丕賱 丕賱卮賲丕賱 賰賲丕 賷爻賲賵賳 亘丕賱賰鬲丕亘 貙 丕賱賱賷 賴賲 丕賱賮丕賷賰賳賯 丕賱禺..)
賵賷氐賮 賱賳丕 丕亘賳 賮囟賱丕賳 胤乇賷賯丞 毓賷卮賴賲 賵賲毓鬲賯丿丕鬲賴賲 賵丕爻賱賵亘賴賲 賮賷 丕賱丨賷丕賴 賵丕賱丨乇賵亘 賵丕賷卮 卮丕賴丿 賮賷 鬲乇丨丕賱賴 賲毓賴賲
賷賯丿賲 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賳馗乇賴 毓賳 丕賱毓丕賱賲 賮賷 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱毓丕卮乇 丕賱賲賷賱丕丿賷 賵賰賷賮 賰丕賳鬲 丨賷丕丞 丕賱卮毓賵亘 賯丿賷賲丕賸 噩賲賷賷賷賱 噩丿丕賸 賵賲賲鬲毓
丕賱毓賳賵丕賳 賲賲賰賳 賷毓胤賷賰賲 賮賰乇賴 丕賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賲乇毓亘 兀賵 禺賷丕賱賷 賵賷鬲賰賱賲 毓賳 賲禺賱賵賯丕鬲 丕賱夭賵賲亘賷 賱賰賳 賮賷 丕賱丨賯賷賯賴 賴賵 亘毓賷賷賷丿 賰賱 丕賱亘毓丿 毓賳 丕賱禺賷丕賱
丨賰丕賷鬲賴 賵丕賯毓賷賴 賲兀禺賵匕賴 賲賳 賲禺胤賵胤丞 丕賱乇丨丕賱賴 丕賱賲爻賱賲 兀丨賲丿 丕亘賳 賮囟賱丕賳 丕賱賱賷 丨賰賶 賮賷賴丕 乇丨賱鬲賴 賱賲丕 兀禺鬲胤賮賴 丕賱丕爻賰賳丿賳丕賮賷賷賳 賵賴賵 賮賷 胤乇賷賯賴 賱丕賳噩丕夭 賲賴賲賴 (兀賵 乇噩丕賱 丕賱卮賲丕賱 賰賲丕 賷爻賲賵賳 亘丕賱賰鬲丕亘 貙 丕賱賱賷 賴賲 丕賱賮丕賷賰賳賯 丕賱禺..)
賵賷氐賮 賱賳丕 丕亘賳 賮囟賱丕賳 胤乇賷賯丞 毓賷卮賴賲 賵賲毓鬲賯丿丕鬲賴賲 賵丕爻賱賵亘賴賲 賮賷 丕賱丨賷丕賴 賵丕賱丨乇賵亘 賵丕賷卮 卮丕賴丿 賮賷 鬲乇丨丕賱賴 賲毓賴賲
賷賯丿賲 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賳馗乇賴 毓賳 丕賱毓丕賱賲 賮賷 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱毓丕卮乇 丕賱賲賷賱丕丿賷 賵賰賷賮 賰丕賳鬲 丨賷丕丞 丕賱卮毓賵亘 賯丿賷賲丕賸 噩賲賷賷賷賱 噩丿丕賸 賵賲賲鬲毓
May 7, 2025
I developed a love for Michael Crichton around the time his novel "Jurassic Park" was surpassing best-seller records and before the much-anticipated movie directed by Steven Spielberg hit theaters. The book was published in 1990. I'm pretty sure I binge-read every Crichton novel I could find after that. Apparently, studio executives were doing the same thing, because in a very short amount of time, Hollywood produced six big-budget films based on Crichton novels ("Rising Sun", "Disclosure", "Congo", "Sphere", "The Lost World", and "The 13th Warrior").
Now, if you're scratching your head about the last movie, don't worry. The movie, starring Antonio Banderas and directed by John Mctiernan, opened in 1999 with little fanfare and was immediately considered a box-office bomb, for reasons that are too numerous to even mention. Needless to say, the film was, sadly, forgettable.
The book that the movie was based on was a novel written early in Crichton's career, 1976, entitled "Eaters of the Dead". Based loosely on a real-life Arabic explorer named Ibn Fadla'n, who, in the 10th-century travelled to the far north and met---and lived with, for a time---a band of Viking warriors. Crichton also used as a basis the famous Anglo-Saxon epic poem "Bowulf".
Crichton critics often berate this novel as one of his sillier works, but I loved it, primarily because it was so very different---in style and subject matter---from his other works.
While Crichton was best known for incorporating a lot of hard science in his novels, many fans mistakenly believe that "EOTD" was his one and only foray into sword-and-sorcery fantasy. It is not fantasy at all. Yes, there is swordplay in it, and there are creatures that (to the 10th-century characters anyway) were supernatural. A careful reading, however, will reveal exactly what these creatures are, and die-hard Crichton fans will appreciate his plausible scientific explanation for them.
Whether you have been a Crichton fan for a while or you are coming to his novels for the first time, "Eaters of the Dead" is definitely one of his lesser-known gems.
Now, if you're scratching your head about the last movie, don't worry. The movie, starring Antonio Banderas and directed by John Mctiernan, opened in 1999 with little fanfare and was immediately considered a box-office bomb, for reasons that are too numerous to even mention. Needless to say, the film was, sadly, forgettable.
The book that the movie was based on was a novel written early in Crichton's career, 1976, entitled "Eaters of the Dead". Based loosely on a real-life Arabic explorer named Ibn Fadla'n, who, in the 10th-century travelled to the far north and met---and lived with, for a time---a band of Viking warriors. Crichton also used as a basis the famous Anglo-Saxon epic poem "Bowulf".
Crichton critics often berate this novel as one of his sillier works, but I loved it, primarily because it was so very different---in style and subject matter---from his other works.
While Crichton was best known for incorporating a lot of hard science in his novels, many fans mistakenly believe that "EOTD" was his one and only foray into sword-and-sorcery fantasy. It is not fantasy at all. Yes, there is swordplay in it, and there are creatures that (to the 10th-century characters anyway) were supernatural. A careful reading, however, will reveal exactly what these creatures are, and die-hard Crichton fans will appreciate his plausible scientific explanation for them.
Whether you have been a Crichton fan for a while or you are coming to his novels for the first time, "Eaters of the Dead" is definitely one of his lesser-known gems.
December 6, 2017
A quick, fun and informative read.
August 20, 2023
An Arab ambassador finds himself headed to the lands of the Northmen against his will to help fight an evil menace. Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton is a historical fiction retelling of the Old English poem Beowulf as seen through the eyes of real-life noted Arab traveler Ahmad ibn Fadlan.
Conceived to make the story of the hero Beowulf not boring, Crichton combined the real-life experiences of a historical traveler and imagined how he would have written an account of the original poem in his own style. Narrated as if a scientific commentary on an old manuscript, Crichton created an interesting take the well-known story as well as making the antagonists relic Neanderthals which at the time of the original publication were emerging from under the shadow of the Victorian description of 鈥渂rutish primitives鈥�. Given my reading of annotated history texts, I found this book right down my personal lane and the fact that I watched the adaptation, The 13th Warrior, meant that it would have had to be awful for me to dislike it.
Eaters of the Dead is a different way to look at the epic tale of Beowulf and was impressively written by Michael Crichton.
Conceived to make the story of the hero Beowulf not boring, Crichton combined the real-life experiences of a historical traveler and imagined how he would have written an account of the original poem in his own style. Narrated as if a scientific commentary on an old manuscript, Crichton created an interesting take the well-known story as well as making the antagonists relic Neanderthals which at the time of the original publication were emerging from under the shadow of the Victorian description of 鈥渂rutish primitives鈥�. Given my reading of annotated history texts, I found this book right down my personal lane and the fact that I watched the adaptation, The 13th Warrior, meant that it would have had to be awful for me to dislike it.
Eaters of the Dead is a different way to look at the epic tale of Beowulf and was impressively written by Michael Crichton.
June 7, 2023
I enjoy it but it's not what I expected it.
March 27, 2023
Audiorese帽a en mi podcast Dragones y Replicantes en el programa "Hablamos de libros 2":
Encuentro este libro francamente desconcertante en su prop贸sito. Es como si prologo y libro sufrieran de esquizofrenia: incapaces de ponerse de acuerdo, el segundo omite todo lo que el primero defiende, o intenta defender.
En el pr贸logo, Crichton nos cuenta su proceso de escritura, c贸mo dio con las cr贸nicas originales de Ahmad ibn Fadlan, el protagonista de la novela y embajador real del califa de Bagdad en tierras vikingas, y c贸mo el imaginario colectivo, moldeado a partir de cuentos rom谩nticos decimon贸nicos, operas wagnerianas y cintas con Kirk Douglas y Toni Curtis surcados de cicatrices, han popularizado un mito del vikingo como salvaje sanguinario, tan bruto como buen guerrero, mortal con la espada, sus brazos y su fuerte olor corporal; paganos supersticiosos que no tiemblan ante el enemigo m谩s pero s铆 ante un mal augurio; masas de m煤sculo curtido por la cellisca tan impenetrables que ni el ox铆geno les alcanza al cerebro. Es decir, vikingos de toda la vida de Dios. Crichton quiere que olvidemos a esos barbaros sedientos de sangre, que tomemos su crueldad como propaganda cristiana y veamos a un pueblo noble, organizado, contemplativo, no m谩s violento que sus vecinos sure帽os. Tal es su intenci贸n que no toma como narrador a un monje cat贸lico, pues considera que un cronista musulm谩n estar铆a m谩s libre de prejuicios sobre los pueblos n贸rdicos que las v铆ctimas habituales de saqueos e incursiones. En palabras del propio Crichton, "mucho de lo que vio [Ibn Fadlan] le result贸 vulgar, obsceno y b谩rbaro, pero no perdi贸 mucho tiempo en manifestar indignaci贸n".
Entonces, 驴qu茅 es lo que nos cuenta Michael Crichton?
Una historia de vikingos sangrientos, hediondos y supersticiosos que se l铆an a espadazos contra una raza desconocida de hom铆nidos can铆bales. En efecto, el retrato que Ibn Fadlan hace del pueblo vikingo es el que se esperar铆a cualquier lector. Y eso de que el narrador no juzga no es del todo as铆, pues el mahometano, pese a lo muy adaptable que demuestra ser, no deja de ser representante del su califato, probablemente la cultura m谩s desarrollada y civilizada (al menos bajo sus ojos) que habitaba en Europa en el a帽o de nuestro se帽or 900, y por tanto deja bastante claro que los vikingos son lo que uno esperar铆a, a saber, una jaur铆a de perros infieles, lascivos y corrompidos por su insaciable sed de hidromiel y muerte. Que s铆, sermonear no los sermonea, porque el muchacho tampoco es imb茅cil y sigue queriendo conservar una cabeza que cubrir con su turbante, pero deja por escrito todas sus impresiones. As铆 que, me pregunto, 驴para qu茅 ese pellizco de monja en forma de pr贸logo si luego vas a escribir la misma sarta de topicazos que cr铆ticas?
Lo mismo me la estoy cogiendo con papel de fumar. Empiezo este cuarto p谩rrafo y a煤n no he hablado del libro en s铆. Pero es que no me ensa帽ar铆a as铆 si el contenido del libro no fuera lo que es: una serie de lugares comunes que son el "a,b,c" de las historias de vikingos. Nada luce especialmente, en parte debido al estilo rampl贸n y aburrido del narrador, que cuenta toda la historia como quien escribe un albar谩n: dando fe de lo que vio, como fiel testimonio, sin adulterar sus vivencias con literatura. Crichton explica en su prologo -隆otra vez el maldito prologo!- esta elecci贸n tonal. Este es ante todo un documento hist贸rico, escrito por un embajador a su soberano, en el que da cuenta de los usos, costumbres y pol铆ticas de sus vecinos norte帽os, con los que puede ser, o no, mantener relaciones comerciales fruct铆feras. Por eso el texto, pese a narrar una lucha contra una raza de hombres antediluvianos y can铆bales, es as铆 de soso: no es un cantar de gesta, sino una cr贸nica. El problema de esta elecci贸n es que, si bien ganas en verosimilitud, sigue siendo un estilo igual de soso, aburrido, carente de 茅pica y sentimiento, una enumeraci贸n de hechos descritos con la precisi贸n de un contable.
La historia que se nos cuenta, adem谩s, es una actualizaci贸n en clave de ciencia ficci贸n del cantar de Beowulf de la mano del autor de Parque Jur谩sico. Con esto quiero decir que los a帽adidos de ciencia ficci贸n tienen la misma base cient铆fica que los dinosaurios homicidas de la isla Sorna. En este libro, la gran amenaza entre la niebla, son neandertales supervivientes del 煤ltimo m谩ximo glacial que incursionan en territorio vikingo para secuestrar su cena. Como lector esta amenaza me parece brutal, lo mejor de la novela sin duda alguna, un Grendel a la altura de nuestro Beowulf. Como paleont贸logo me plantea muchas preguntas, como que los 煤ltimos representantes de los neandertales sobrevivieran durante uno de los episodios m谩s fr铆os de la edad de hielo, cuando los casquetes polares hab铆an sepultado todo el norte de Europa, en la Escandinavia profunda. Es como decir que los dinosaurios que lograron sobrevivir a la ca铆da del asteroide lo hicieron porque se refugiaron en el cr谩ter. Adem谩s, lo mismo que Crichton rompe una raza a favor de los vikingos, criticando el lugar de villanos al que la historia, el cristianismo y el romanticismo les relego, tengo que hacer lo mismo con nuestros desafortunados primos de frentes anchas. Los neandertales no eran seres primitivos, can铆bales y ferales, o al menos no lo eran m谩s que los primeros homo sapiens. Y para salvajismo creo que la humanidad "civilizada" tiene 8000 a帽os de historia que dista mucho de ser pacifica. Esta humanidad paralela se compon铆a de individuos sensibles, que enterraban a sus muertos, contaban historias al calor de la hoguera, decoraban sus cuevas con escenas de caza, fabricaban y tocaban instrumentos de hueso y adornaban sus vestidos con cuentas y minerales bellos. Eran, ante todo, grupos familiares o peque帽as tribus, con sus costumbres y rituales, indiferenciables de las costumbres y rituales de los primeros sapiens. La imagen del cavern铆cola tosco, est煤pido y agresivo, m谩s parecido a un gorila en celo que a un guerrero tribal, est谩 m谩s que superada. Pero esto, por supuesto, no es problema de Crichton, que escribi贸 su novela en los a帽os setenta, momento en que todo esto se desconoc铆a. Aunque mejor ser铆a decir que el chovinismo cient铆fico de ese entonces desde帽aba cualquier evidencia que apuntara a que nuestros parientes primitivos no eran mucho m谩s primitivos que nuestros ancestros sapiens. Insisto, esto no es una cr铆tica a las decisiones de Crichton, que como lector de novelas de aventura aplaudo porque la novela es un 23% mejor gracias a estos asesinos brumosos, al igual que Bone Tomahawk es un 23% mejor gracias a su tribu antediluviana de indios silbones, sino una lecci贸n de paleoantropolog铆a que nadie ha pedido y que yo he querido hacer.
Porque soy un pedante que no puede evitar hacer paleoexplaining sin pedir consentimiento.
Dicho esto, Devoradores de cad谩veres es una buena novela de aventuras que pierde puntos por el aburrido estilo con que esta escrita, la cantidad de lugares comunes de que se compone su narraci贸n y el pr贸logo esquizoide que lo antecede. Pasad del pr贸logo, hacedme caso, leed la novela y disfrutad de como estos vikingos borrachuzos y pendencieros cometen un genocidio con los 煤ltimos representantes del pueblo neandertal.
Encuentro este libro francamente desconcertante en su prop贸sito. Es como si prologo y libro sufrieran de esquizofrenia: incapaces de ponerse de acuerdo, el segundo omite todo lo que el primero defiende, o intenta defender.
En el pr贸logo, Crichton nos cuenta su proceso de escritura, c贸mo dio con las cr贸nicas originales de Ahmad ibn Fadlan, el protagonista de la novela y embajador real del califa de Bagdad en tierras vikingas, y c贸mo el imaginario colectivo, moldeado a partir de cuentos rom谩nticos decimon贸nicos, operas wagnerianas y cintas con Kirk Douglas y Toni Curtis surcados de cicatrices, han popularizado un mito del vikingo como salvaje sanguinario, tan bruto como buen guerrero, mortal con la espada, sus brazos y su fuerte olor corporal; paganos supersticiosos que no tiemblan ante el enemigo m谩s pero s铆 ante un mal augurio; masas de m煤sculo curtido por la cellisca tan impenetrables que ni el ox铆geno les alcanza al cerebro. Es decir, vikingos de toda la vida de Dios. Crichton quiere que olvidemos a esos barbaros sedientos de sangre, que tomemos su crueldad como propaganda cristiana y veamos a un pueblo noble, organizado, contemplativo, no m谩s violento que sus vecinos sure帽os. Tal es su intenci贸n que no toma como narrador a un monje cat贸lico, pues considera que un cronista musulm谩n estar铆a m谩s libre de prejuicios sobre los pueblos n贸rdicos que las v铆ctimas habituales de saqueos e incursiones. En palabras del propio Crichton, "mucho de lo que vio [Ibn Fadlan] le result贸 vulgar, obsceno y b谩rbaro, pero no perdi贸 mucho tiempo en manifestar indignaci贸n".
Entonces, 驴qu茅 es lo que nos cuenta Michael Crichton?
Una historia de vikingos sangrientos, hediondos y supersticiosos que se l铆an a espadazos contra una raza desconocida de hom铆nidos can铆bales. En efecto, el retrato que Ibn Fadlan hace del pueblo vikingo es el que se esperar铆a cualquier lector. Y eso de que el narrador no juzga no es del todo as铆, pues el mahometano, pese a lo muy adaptable que demuestra ser, no deja de ser representante del su califato, probablemente la cultura m谩s desarrollada y civilizada (al menos bajo sus ojos) que habitaba en Europa en el a帽o de nuestro se帽or 900, y por tanto deja bastante claro que los vikingos son lo que uno esperar铆a, a saber, una jaur铆a de perros infieles, lascivos y corrompidos por su insaciable sed de hidromiel y muerte. Que s铆, sermonear no los sermonea, porque el muchacho tampoco es imb茅cil y sigue queriendo conservar una cabeza que cubrir con su turbante, pero deja por escrito todas sus impresiones. As铆 que, me pregunto, 驴para qu茅 ese pellizco de monja en forma de pr贸logo si luego vas a escribir la misma sarta de topicazos que cr铆ticas?
Lo mismo me la estoy cogiendo con papel de fumar. Empiezo este cuarto p谩rrafo y a煤n no he hablado del libro en s铆. Pero es que no me ensa帽ar铆a as铆 si el contenido del libro no fuera lo que es: una serie de lugares comunes que son el "a,b,c" de las historias de vikingos. Nada luce especialmente, en parte debido al estilo rampl贸n y aburrido del narrador, que cuenta toda la historia como quien escribe un albar谩n: dando fe de lo que vio, como fiel testimonio, sin adulterar sus vivencias con literatura. Crichton explica en su prologo -隆otra vez el maldito prologo!- esta elecci贸n tonal. Este es ante todo un documento hist贸rico, escrito por un embajador a su soberano, en el que da cuenta de los usos, costumbres y pol铆ticas de sus vecinos norte帽os, con los que puede ser, o no, mantener relaciones comerciales fruct铆feras. Por eso el texto, pese a narrar una lucha contra una raza de hombres antediluvianos y can铆bales, es as铆 de soso: no es un cantar de gesta, sino una cr贸nica. El problema de esta elecci贸n es que, si bien ganas en verosimilitud, sigue siendo un estilo igual de soso, aburrido, carente de 茅pica y sentimiento, una enumeraci贸n de hechos descritos con la precisi贸n de un contable.
La historia que se nos cuenta, adem谩s, es una actualizaci贸n en clave de ciencia ficci贸n del cantar de Beowulf de la mano del autor de Parque Jur谩sico. Con esto quiero decir que los a帽adidos de ciencia ficci贸n tienen la misma base cient铆fica que los dinosaurios homicidas de la isla Sorna. En este libro, la gran amenaza entre la niebla, son neandertales supervivientes del 煤ltimo m谩ximo glacial que incursionan en territorio vikingo para secuestrar su cena. Como lector esta amenaza me parece brutal, lo mejor de la novela sin duda alguna, un Grendel a la altura de nuestro Beowulf. Como paleont贸logo me plantea muchas preguntas, como que los 煤ltimos representantes de los neandertales sobrevivieran durante uno de los episodios m谩s fr铆os de la edad de hielo, cuando los casquetes polares hab铆an sepultado todo el norte de Europa, en la Escandinavia profunda. Es como decir que los dinosaurios que lograron sobrevivir a la ca铆da del asteroide lo hicieron porque se refugiaron en el cr谩ter. Adem谩s, lo mismo que Crichton rompe una raza a favor de los vikingos, criticando el lugar de villanos al que la historia, el cristianismo y el romanticismo les relego, tengo que hacer lo mismo con nuestros desafortunados primos de frentes anchas. Los neandertales no eran seres primitivos, can铆bales y ferales, o al menos no lo eran m谩s que los primeros homo sapiens. Y para salvajismo creo que la humanidad "civilizada" tiene 8000 a帽os de historia que dista mucho de ser pacifica. Esta humanidad paralela se compon铆a de individuos sensibles, que enterraban a sus muertos, contaban historias al calor de la hoguera, decoraban sus cuevas con escenas de caza, fabricaban y tocaban instrumentos de hueso y adornaban sus vestidos con cuentas y minerales bellos. Eran, ante todo, grupos familiares o peque帽as tribus, con sus costumbres y rituales, indiferenciables de las costumbres y rituales de los primeros sapiens. La imagen del cavern铆cola tosco, est煤pido y agresivo, m谩s parecido a un gorila en celo que a un guerrero tribal, est谩 m谩s que superada. Pero esto, por supuesto, no es problema de Crichton, que escribi贸 su novela en los a帽os setenta, momento en que todo esto se desconoc铆a. Aunque mejor ser铆a decir que el chovinismo cient铆fico de ese entonces desde帽aba cualquier evidencia que apuntara a que nuestros parientes primitivos no eran mucho m谩s primitivos que nuestros ancestros sapiens. Insisto, esto no es una cr铆tica a las decisiones de Crichton, que como lector de novelas de aventura aplaudo porque la novela es un 23% mejor gracias a estos asesinos brumosos, al igual que Bone Tomahawk es un 23% mejor gracias a su tribu antediluviana de indios silbones, sino una lecci贸n de paleoantropolog铆a que nadie ha pedido y que yo he querido hacer.
Porque soy un pedante que no puede evitar hacer paleoexplaining sin pedir consentimiento.
Dicho esto, Devoradores de cad谩veres es una buena novela de aventuras que pierde puntos por el aburrido estilo con que esta escrita, la cantidad de lugares comunes de que se compone su narraci贸n y el pr贸logo esquizoide que lo antecede. Pasad del pr贸logo, hacedme caso, leed la novela y disfrutad de como estos vikingos borrachuzos y pendencieros cometen un genocidio con los 煤ltimos representantes del pueblo neandertal.
September 29, 2023
Not a bad read at all. better than the movie to me due to the inclusion of alot of historical data. Recommended
March 22, 2012
I'd been wanting to read this book ever since I found out the movie The 13th Warrior was based on it. I'm a fan of historical fiction and thought this would be right up my alley. It was a decent read, shorter than I expected and better than the movie. I love the blending at the start of real excerpts from an historical document with the fiction of Beowulf.
It was short though and could have used a bit more depth to the characters and the various cultures. You didn't really care about any of the characters and the fighting and battles was over too quick.
An airport thriller, this book is just something to eat some time without making you want to burn it later.
It was short though and could have used a bit more depth to the characters and the various cultures. You didn't really care about any of the characters and the fighting and battles was over too quick.
An airport thriller, this book is just something to eat some time without making you want to burn it later.
July 19, 2016
THE 13th WARRIOR
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
Page/Plant, Immigrant Song, 1970.
The idea for the book came after Crichton heard his pal giving a lecture including Beowulf as among the Bores of Literature. Crichton notes in an appendix that the book is based partly on the Beowulf myth).
The full name of this 1976 novel was Eaters of the Dead: The Manuscript of Ibn Fadlan Relating His Experiences with the Northmen in AD 922. After being made into a movie under the title, The 13th Warrior, the book was republished for a time under that name.
The book is basically told as a edited translation of the account written by Ibn Fadlan, a Persian ambassador conscripted by a group of Vikings (probably from Sweden) as the 13th warrior in a hero's quest to save a northern kingdom from a group of "mist monsters" called "wendol," a group of vicious savages, perhaps surviving Neanderthals, who wear bear skins in battle. After battling with the wendol (probably based, in part, on Grendel), they must fight Grendel's mother:
I was somewhat disappointed by the lethargic lulls and the story's underdevelopment. On the other hand, the action sequences were quite thrilling. As usual, Crichton's research was impeccable and provided an education on the Vikings and a more modernized account of Beowulf.
If you enjoyed Beowulf or you're a Viking connoisseur, you should like this.
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
Page/Plant, Immigrant Song, 1970.
The idea for the book came after Crichton heard his pal giving a lecture including Beowulf as among the Bores of Literature. Crichton notes in an appendix that the book is based partly on the Beowulf myth).
The full name of this 1976 novel was Eaters of the Dead: The Manuscript of Ibn Fadlan Relating His Experiences with the Northmen in AD 922. After being made into a movie under the title, The 13th Warrior, the book was republished for a time under that name.
The book is basically told as a edited translation of the account written by Ibn Fadlan, a Persian ambassador conscripted by a group of Vikings (probably from Sweden) as the 13th warrior in a hero's quest to save a northern kingdom from a group of "mist monsters" called "wendol," a group of vicious savages, perhaps surviving Neanderthals, who wear bear skins in battle. After battling with the wendol (probably based, in part, on Grendel), they must fight Grendel's mother:
I was somewhat disappointed by the lethargic lulls and the story's underdevelopment. On the other hand, the action sequences were quite thrilling. As usual, Crichton's research was impeccable and provided an education on the Vikings and a more modernized account of Beowulf.
If you enjoyed Beowulf or you're a Viking connoisseur, you should like this.
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