The Terror by Dan Simmons - spoiler free horror review

[@librarianontheloose]

I always thought the Terror and the Erebus were the coolest ship names but PERHAPS a bit ominous if you're NOT wanting to get trapped in the ice and never found again. I never could get far enough into The Terror to be motivated to finish it, but The Abominable starts out compelling enough that I'm into it. It also is very much about the relationship between the three men who've decided on this expedition and the ghosts of the relationship between one of them and Mallory, who had gone missing on Everest at this point.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

😂😂😂 yeah should have been a bit of a red flag! Glad you’re getting on better with Abominable- I’m hoping to read that soon

[@girlsaint]

It was very cool when they found the Terror and Erebus in 2016. Having someone fictionalize the horrific situation the men found themselves in is super interesting. I will look for that in the used book shops in the upcoming year.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It’s a really compelling read.

[@SR-no8sr]

I am from the Northwest Territories so loved the book and the first series.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ah very cool! (no pun intended)

[@geslinam9703]

I just finished this after reading a comment on one of your videos about how good it was. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that had me so interested, that I could not put down. Loved all the history in it, even loved the ending. It was scary…the whole idea of what happened to those men (in reality) was scary, but I loved the supernatural bent of the novel, and the mythology towards the end. Really had a great time reading this!!

[@Gyps522]

The Terror was the first Dan Simmons novel I read, after watching the mini series. I love the character of Crozier, one of my fav. protagonists. Jared Harris was wonderful in the role.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah I hadn't seen the show when I filmed this video, but I have now and I loved it!

[@binglamb2176]

The Terror has been on my wish list since I saw and enjoyed the TV adaptation. You pushed me over the edge and I just ordered the book. The Aubry/Maturin novels are wonderful and I have them all. Slowly working my way through them (up to number 13) and enjoy every one so far. Cheers!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Excellent - hope you enjoy it! I really need to get on with the Aubrey/Maturin books again

[@Zozette27]

I agree with you that Sir John Franklin was a bit on the useless side though when he was Governor of Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) he did start the secular education system but that might have been more down to his wife than him. The Franklins ‘adopted’ (ie stole) a little Aboriginal girl named Mathinna. For two years this little girl lived a life of luxury with the best of everything but when Franklin was recalled to England they dumped the child into the orphanage which was even worse than the English orphanages were. Mathinna had a sad life and she ended drowning after falling into a creek while drunk. She was in her late teens when she died. It is a bit hard to get away from Franklin here. We have a town, a river, a mountain, streets named after him as well as the my own electoral division. The main square in Hobart is Franklin Square and his statue sits in the middle of it. There is also the Lady Franklin Museum. I was so pleased with his fate in ‘The Terror’.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Wow, that’s a really horrific story. Is there much of a movement over there to move away from the colonial past by renaming streets, etc?

[@Zozette27]

There are people who want Franklin Square to be rename Truganini Place, after the last full blooded Tasmanian Aboriginal which would please me. There has also been calls to have Hobart (the state capital) to be given the dual name of nipaluna/Hobart, similar to the way that the mountain overlooking Hobart is now known as kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Two of our electoral divisions named after governors have already been renamed so Franklin will probably be renamed one day.

[@Zozette27]

There is a small town in North East Tasmania named after Mathinna. It has a population of 142.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@Zozette27 good that it’s being discussed.

[@Priscilla_Bettis]

I'm kinda scared with just your description. I think it's the sign of a good author when the book ends and you want it to keep going. Great review!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you! It’s a really good book, wonderfully rich and atmospheric

[@ffridiejr]

"The Terror" was an epic read, and the TV adaptation is very well done. Simmons can write anything; if you have not gotten to his Hardcase crime novels, add them to the list as they fit really well on your channel.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I didn’t know he’d written crime! I’ll have to check them out.

[@fiberartsyreads]

Great review and I totally agree with all you said. A great book! The adaptation was good too, it captures the tone of the story pretty well. I need to read more Simmons for sure.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thanks Crystal! Simmons has a pretty decent back catalogue to dig into!

[@johnbarton562]

I have heard that this is a great book and I have wavered on reading this, not because of the length, but because of too many characters to keep up with (Charles Dickens books). So are there tons of characters to keep up with - - because that gives me fits when I am enjoying a book but so many names to keep up with leave me frustrated. What do you think?

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I often have trouble with books like that too, but I was okay with this one

[@Mountainshark]

I love the ending. It was so funny when Crozier realized that they were hauling so much useless crap.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah the whole thing was expertly done

[@mindysbookjourney]

I have wanted to read this one for so long. I hopefully will in the next year's time. It sounds so good.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It’s really worth the effort. Thanks for watching, Mindy!

[@M-J]

The fact that you can read that fast over 3 days and have a life is astounding. Maybe for me would be during a challenge or a readathon or maybe March of the Mammoths next year. Stay cool, Olly, stay cool! 😊 - 📚MJ

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It would be a great one for March of the Mammonths!

[@M-J]

@@CriminOllyBlog My first planned read of 2023!

[@radznasaudia5479]

I love your thumbnail! ❤

[@elizabethmcfadden466]

Just finished it. Let’s all agree, Cornelius Hickey got off way too easy. But I really enjoyed it. Perfect winter read.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Agreed! But yes, a great book!

[@geslinam9703]

Reading this now, someone commented about it being really scary on one of your other videos. I have it on Kindle, been at it for a week and only 40% through, so it must be long…but I’m liking it.

[@catherinefraser5247]

I really liked this book. Even though it felt like the book's ending was an entirely different book in itself. How did you feel about it? What Dan Simmons book would you recommend as someone who has only read this one?

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I thought the ending worked and gave a natural conclusion to events, but yeah the tone is very different. The Simmons book I remember enjoying most was Summer of Night which has a similar feel to IT

[@MichaelRomeoTalksBooks]

Adding The Terror to my wish list. I'll get it when I finish my 100 book challenge.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Awesome! I think you’ll enjoy it

[@NiecyRose]

I loved Carrion Comfort. I have it in my Audible library and I’ve listened to it a few times. The Terror too before it was adapted for tv which I enjoyed very much and was brilliantly casted, especially Hickey.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I really need to watch that TV adaptation

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

Great book but things like Hickey crunching icecubes when they weren't even invented until 2 years before the story is set kinda spoils things, I noticed a couple of other modern thinking episodes in this too. However it is a hugely enjoyable story. For a long time I was confusing it with the Abominable which I haven't managed to get into yet but once I got into this it was really great.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah it really is a wonderful book - one to sink into

[@Digitalhunny]

Hi, I'd like to know what time of year you read this novel? Did you wait until a cold winter's night or did you just jump in & read it in summer? Thanks! ❤😂

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I read it in the summer, mostly sitting in the garden from what I remember!

[@puekawNEpuyrruh]

Just read the book... Then watched the series... Unfortunately the show misses a few major things IMO... Not dark enough, not cold enough... The book was like a trip thru Hell.

[@davidmitchell7181]

Definitely watch the TV series. One of the best adaptations of a book I’ve watched

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for watching, David.

[@jobuckley2999]

A 12 star read. A fantastic, wonderful novel. Great writing and characters. Read it in the Winter.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah it really was impressive

[@davidbrian6498]

One of my favourite books, and the scariest parts are those dealing with the truth of the situation in which they found themselves.

[@lucciola5852]

I love sea-faring books, particularly those set in the Napoleonic era. I’ve read several series including those by Forester (Hornblower), Alexander Kent (Richard Bolitho), and Dudley Pope (Ramage) as well as a few books by F. Van Wyck. I read Master & Commander and don’t have a clue why I have waited to read the rest of this series! Shall add The Terror to my list.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Excellent! I think you’d really enjoy The Terror them. My paternal grandfather loved that kind of book, so they hold a kind of nostalgia for me

[@lucciola5852]

@@CriminOllyBlog Sorry for leaving off F. Van Wyck Mason’s last name! I think I’d have enjoyed talking with your grandfather about these books. :)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@lucciola5852 quite possibly! You would have had to put up with the stench of his pipe though

[@lucciola5852]

@@CriminOllyBlog My tolerance for pipes is relatively high (briefly) as both a favorite uncle and a close friend smoked pipes. The friend used Borkum Riff (sp?) and it would bring back great memories!

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

My dad was really into Forester and anything nautical, I suppose because he was in the Merchant Navy and spent a huge part of his life deep sea. He had some scary tales about meeting ships at St. Paul's in Canada and how they had to keep aborting landings due to weather and stories about heavy weather crushing down the bows of huge ships by feet, I actually circumnavigated the world by sea with him when I was 15 and the ship was a huge container ship but sometimes the weather was so extreme that you couldn't see the sky because the ship kinda pitches and rolls and eventually seems like it corkscrews its way along. The swell can be mountainous. I have always had good sea legs but not so my sister who puked all the way.

[@anotherbibliophilereads]

I read it when the novel was a new release and I thought it was excellent. Very atmospheric. It is too good to bother with a TV show adaptation. I read the first two Patrick O’Brien novels. Good stuff. I have more on Kindle but never find the time.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I know what you mean about the TV adaptation. It’s 12 hours or so in total I think. I could read a couple of books in that time.

[@davidbrian6498]

@@CriminOllyBlog To be fair, the TV adaptation is about as good as you are ever likely to get when adapting something for the screen. And, personally, I preferred the shows adapted ending. Another great review, Olly!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@davidbrian6498 I definitely need to watch that!

[@trishbovell9042]

I’m 100 pages in. It’s very good but I’m having to force myself to pick it up. I picked up the tv show at my library today which may improve my motivation.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It is quite slow, but that was part of the appeal for me. I think I was just in the mood for something with that kind of pace.

[@jeekyboi9564]

T

[@loganwillis5367]

I started the show on Netflix and feel like I have to read the book the show is awesome so far

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah the show was great!

[@Toracube]

I was so disappointed with the end of the tvseries.. the cross read polar bear, pig monster was the weakest thing about it… I’d have preferred it if it was just a mad polar bear… the book looks chunky.. but simmonds seems highly regarded. I think he did Drood.

[@johnbeeston2473]

i enjoyed the tv show

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah, it was a great adaptation!

[@troytradup]

Oh, man, can't writers just write their books and stay off social media? Sigh.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It would be nice, wouldn’t it

[@alexalpitsis2131]

Just finished The Terror because of your channel! Incredible book and your channel is just such a gem of KZbin. Keep doing what your doing :)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you so much! Really glad you're enjoying the channel and that you liked The Terror!

[@Mountainshark]

I loved the book and hated the show. Turned it off after three episodes. Hickey is much more nasty looking in my mind.

[@DDB168]

900 pages and doesnt really have a plot !! Slow and episodic !! Gosh I dunno about this🙄 I've never read it. I do like seafaring books. 👍

[@jobuckley2999]

The Terror is fantastic. One of my all time favorites. A great Winter read.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah I may not have sold it that well 😂