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A literary monument of the best parts of modern fiction, The Terror manages to rise above its parts to become something truly exceptional. This is a book for the well rounded reader; one that enjoys all aspects of fiction, and not just the action, or the plot twists, or romance, or what have you.

The first few chapters are occupied almost exclusively with character development, so I can see how someone who reads books for the action would be bored by it. But to do so, I feel, is to woefully miss out on the true richness of the book. Francis Crozier is the most compelling, human character I've read in a long time, and ultimately this is his story. His story of unappreciation by the Royal Navy and English society in general; his story of unimpeachable competence against ultimate human suffering; his story of acceptance, of his fate and his place, and ultimately, that there might be hope afterall.

This is no abused man, too easy to sympathize with and thus too easy in fiction readers' minds to redeem. This is a realer man than most in fiction; a logical, pragmatic commander and effective leader that's unappriciated by the navy and country he serves. A drunk, but by no means drunkard; a somber soul that hovers around thoughts of suicide, but that was probably common among his two ships. Immediately he garners the reader's trust and respect as do most of his men. Yes, their deaths seem senseless, but that was (literally) the nature of the beast. The ice ate up good men and bad alike; for so many to have been good (notably, Lt. Gore, Peglar and Bridgens, Mr. Blanky), their deaths wear on the soul of the reader in a shadow of the way it must've worn on the soul of a good leader like Crozier. One loses hope that this will end well for anyone, but we press on to honor the men because they pressed on, because hope never dies.

I will not describe how it ends, only that I silently hoped for Crozier's salvation because he was like me in his flaws; nothing extravagant like a Hamlet, just a normal man trying to survive, and we can all relate to that.

The monster was, in the end, something more of a fantasy creature than a horror monster. More dragon than werewolf, it was in the same way an elemental whose fate was tied to its realm. I think you really must read this book with hope, with a love of real heroes, and a child's inherent openmindedness, and you'll find your way through a bitter journey a wiser person.

External Link: http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Novel-Dan-Simmons/dp/...