Fascinating books about ice and cold
Submitted by cmonster on Fri, 12/31/2004 - 03:15
Tags:
- This Cold Heaven: Seven Seasons in Greenland - Gretel Ehrlich
- The Icereach Trilogy: The Messenger, The Golden Orb, Winterheim - Douglas Niles
- Caverns of Black Ice - JV Jones
- Antarctica - Kim Stanley Robinson
- Moominland Midwinter - Tove Jansson
- Smilla's Sense of Snow - Peter Hoeg
I enjoyed Smilla's Sense of Snow. Have you read that one?
Yes! Thanks for the reminder. I really enjoyed that book. I know there's a sequel, but I haven't read it. Hang on. *checks Amazon*. Oh, okay. "Borderliners" by the same author. I can't imagine it can live up to Smilla though.
Too bad the movie wasn't all that great. I'll have to look into Borderliners.
I really enjoyed that book, but I have to ask a question. Am I the only person who found it a bit anti-climatic, much stronger in the beginning and middle than the muddled end?
I admit, I read it over a decade ago, and it might well just be me...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Hm. I thought the beginning and the end were strong, but the middle was a bit...skimmish. Note to self: reread Smilla.
Interesting, although I doubt I will have the opportunity to reread it any time soon (too large of a 'to read' list). If you do revisit it, let me know how wrong I am! ;)
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I can't recall. It's been ages.
Around a decade, perhaps? :)
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I reckon.
My wife and I are definitely with you on that (both also having read it a decade ago or so). We found the ending relatively disappointing.
I remember really, really loving the book, but the ending let me down quite a bit. Another book I read that same year, William Gibson's Virtual Light, left me with the same reaction, although overall I greatly favored Smilla...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Dark Winter by William Dietrich is a pretty good serial-murder mystery set at the U.S. base at the South Pole (yes, there really is one).
I will put this on my to-read list (actually Books Blah Blah Recommend Online--am I the wordiest listologist evah?) and render judgement in a few weeks time. Thank goodness for Interlibrary Loan.
I just finished On Ice by some person or other, about life and (I think) lesbian love at the South Pole. Normally I'd be a huge fan of this combo, but when I say "finished", what I mean is "put back on the stack in disgust". Too much girl drama. And I'm a girl, so I feel very qualified to judge here. Too much girl-drama, not enough South Pole.
It sounds very much like your book will not have this problem.
Good to get a reply to this, and I trust you will not be disappointed. A quote from the first page:
"The South Pole, Lewis. It's there you realize how cold the universe really is."
See? That quote alone just gives and gives.
Thanks for the recommendation, bertie.
*looks up book on Amazon*
There's even a geologist in it? This just keeps getting better and better.
*clinking my imaginary icy cocktail against yours*
Enjoy!
The season has turned. Did you read Dark Winter ?
Not yet. The ILL on campus was unable to find me a copy, so I'm having to move my efforts to the town library. I thought ILL was supposed to be able to do *everything*.
(This is where I am sure I have just gained the enmity of ILL librarians everywhere).
Bummer. I won't advise you to take the shortcut and go out and buy it - in case you don't like it after all :-)