Eaters of the Dead | Michael Crichton | Based on the Ibn Fadlan manuscript from 921 AD, we see...

Eaters of the Dead | Michael Crichton | Quite a Different Read

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Eaters of the Dead

	Eaters of the Dead Michael Crichton Avon, 2006 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 303 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Based on the Ibn Fadlan manuscript from 921 AD, we see real Vikings!

First released in 1976, 'Eaters Of The Dead' was one of my first Michael Crichton books. I have been an avid Crichton fan since that time. Later, in the 1990's, a film was made called 'The 13th Warrior', which remained true to the book and yet added some wonderful flavor and fantastic visuals to a novel I still remembered as terrific. Though based heavily on the rediscovered manuscripts and references of the real Ibn Fadlan, Crichton clearly tells us the book is considered as fiction and was/is marketed as fiction.

Ibn Fadlan was sent away from Bagdad by the Caliph, on the word of a jealous husband who's wife Fadlan had tampered with, to become Ambassador to the King of the Bulgars far to the north. On his journey, he is waylaid by a band of Norsemen and selected to join them on a journey to aid King Rothgar against an unspeakable evil that appears in the cold northern mists.

Traveling with Buliwyf, a man soon to become king of his own court, and a group of twelve hearty Norsemen including the light-hearted Herger who speaks enough Latin to act as translator, Fadlan is taken further north with a band of men the fastidious Arab considers to be unclean barbarians. Fadlan becomes immersed in their savage lifestyles, killing for sport and rutting in public, even gaining some respect for their superstitious ways and bawdy, rugged beliefs.

King Rothgar's lands are being attacked by the Wendol, a Neanderthal-type, cave-dwelling clan who takes the heads of their enemies and eats their flesh. It is up to the thirteen warriors to rid King Rothgar of his dangerous enemies.

'Eaters Of The Dead' is a riveting tale, with enough footnotes and factual base to make it a realistic peek at the ancient Norsemen and a quick, exciting read. When the book was re-released, Crichton added (in 1992) some interesting, factual notes on the Wendol, possible origins of the people described by Ibn Fadlan back in 921 AD.

Buy the book. Buy the movie. 'Eaters Of The Dead' (AKA The 13th Warrior) is the best Viking tale you can find anywhere, in my humble opinion. Enjoy!

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Quite a Different Read

When I started reading this I only had the vaguest inclination of what the Beowulf story really was. It had everything I'd want in a story, strange characters, interesting plot, and it evoked such emotions as excitement, dread, and repulsion. I found this translation particularly interesting though because of the footnotes. The entire thing is riddled with footnotes explaining possible variations of words, different explanations and theories, etc.

I think the best part of the entire story was the most unintentional aspect of it, the fact the last sentence ends after three words leaving the reader to wonder. That all being said I'd only recommend it to people with the iron stomachs needed to deal with the brutality of the ancient world as well as an inquisitive mind.

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10th-Century Travelog with a twist

"The 13th Warrior" recounts the adventures of a 10th-century Arab on his journey to Northern Europe with a band of "Northmen." At first he regards them as uncouth, but gradually comes to appreciate some (not all) aspects of their culture. The narrative ends with a description of the final battle between the Northmen and a group of extremely savage people or almost-people called the Wendol, which is basically the story of Beowulf retold from a new perspective.

This is one of Crichton's shorter novels, barely more than a novella, but it seems about the right length for the story it tells. Too many authors pad out their stories with extraneous material just to create the impression that they're giving you more than they really are. All in all, a good read if you enjoy historical adventures and don't mind a deliberately dry writing style.

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Good, but Beowulf is still better (no offense)

When I saw "The 13th Warrior" is the theater, I was struck by the number of similarities it had to Beowulf. I didn't realize until a few years later that was the point of the movie. Nor did I realize then it was based on a novel by Michael Crichton.

The movie and the story work well together in a simple format. An Arab courtier, after a dalliance with a married woman, is "promoted" to ambassador and sent on a doomed mission. On the way, his band encounters a band of Viking warriors. He is conscripted to journey to their homeland to fight an ancient evil, monsters in the mists. Along the way he notices the great cultural differences between himself and the Northmen. His records of the sexual prowress and daily hygine definitely stay with the reader.

Despite the artful telling of the story and the true writings of Ibn Fadlan that are used as a foundation, it still can't compare to the rustic beauty of the original Beowulf poem. Nothing against a great writer like Crichton, but there are some things just best left as they are.

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Beowulf Retold

This novel is actually one of Crichton's better creations. Crichton tries to write the events of the epic poem Beowulf in a believeable manner. And for a man who has made the eventual rise of dinosaurs believable to we skeptics (no tropical savanna locked in glacial ice necessary), he pulls this stunt off as well. He presents the information from the perspective of Ibn Fadlan, an emmissary from Babylon. With footnotes and such (and the fact that Ibn Fadlan was a real travel historian), the book is confusing until you realize that almost all of it is entirely made up.

It is a fascinating view of the Norsemen and times. So what makes this novel science fiction rather than historical fiction? Crichton's basis for "Grendel." I won't ruin the surprise, but, again, its highly plausible and entertaining. Posits some possible and believable origins for the Beowulf epic.

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