Fiction Presented as Fact
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This book presents itself as a historical account from translations of the adventures of one Ibn Fadlan a Muslim living in Bagdad in AD 921. Ibn we are told was a real historical figure, sent on a mission by the Caliph, he was then effectively kidnapped by a group of "northmen" (vikings) and forced to go with them back to their native land to assist them in defeating a grisly sub-human group of cannibals that are attacking farmsteads in the area. One is of course then amazed by the story believing it to be to some extent true. It is only at the end that Michael Crighton suddenly lets on he was pulling our leg and that although Ibn was a real character the story is largely fiction. I personally don't approve of presenting fiction as fact and was annoyed by this as it seems rather silly. But all the same even as a fictional work it is still undoubtedly a good read, well written with interesting insight on how life may have been at that time (just like the Clan of the Cave Bear). It is every bit as good as the film (although it is probably best to see the film first so you can visualise the wonderful Antonio Balestairos writing it!!)
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Short, sharp and savage
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I decided to read this book after watching the flawed but fun film The 13th Warrior which was based on Crichton's book. Crichton's book is, of course, based on the slightly tall tales of Ahmed ibn Fadhlan and the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf. Confused? Don't worry, it's better than it sounds as Crichton weaves his clever web of comradeship, heroism, faith and cannibalism where his central character swallows his pious pride to take up arms alongside pagan barbarians to fight a savage, relentless and unnameable enemy. Make no mistake, this isn't one of Crichton's usual techno thrillers as there's not an atom of scientific hokum in it, which might explain its comparative brevity, but the reader is plunged headlong into the scrapping and skullduggery.
A cracking yarn that would be ideal reading for dark winter nights to give you a scare or two and make you think twice before mentioning the Wend-... no, I won't say it in case I summon them up. Go on, read it if you dare.
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A lot of action, adventure, horror, and sex!
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It is the year 922 and Ahmad Ibn Fadlan, the Caliph of Bagdad's ambassador to the King of the Volga Bulgars, finds himself practically shanghaied by a group of Norse Rus, and sent on an odyssey toward danger and adventure. Arriving at their northern homeland, Ibn Fadlan finds that at the core of the Viking fear of misty nights is the fear of a very real danger - the Wendol, the Eaters of the Dead. Stalking out of the misty night and killing with impunity, this northern nightmare has haunted hunted the Vikings even into their own homes. And now, a Viking hero by the name of Buliwyf is sailing to the kingdom of Rothgar, where he and his entourage of eleven Viking warriors and one foreigner (the unlucky Ibn Fadlan) will pit their steel against this ancient evil. OK, where do I start with this one? In point of fact there was a real Ahmad ibn-al-'Abbas ibn Rashid ibn-Hammad ibn-Fadlan who ventured up the Volga River, and met with various peoples in tenth century Russia. Michael Crichton, that most excellent of storytellers, takes his travel story, and expands it, inserting him into a retelling of the Beowulf saga. As an interesting medium, the author gives his story the form of a modern translation of a newly discovered Ibn Fadlan manuscript. Now, I must admit that this form of story telling does begin in a dry and academic tone that can be off-putting. But, if you just hold on, you will find the story becoming more and more interesting, finally holding you stuck to the edge of your seat. It has a lot of action, adventure, horror, and sex. (Yes, there is a lot of sporting between the sexes in this book, but the details are left to the readers imagination.) I found this to be a wonderfully gripping story that kept me up late at night, just to find out what happened next. I loved this fantasy/real adventure story, and highly recommend it to you!
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A Short, Brilliant Book.
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'Eaters of the Dead' is often overlooked because as it is quite short, it didn't get much publicity as it was not deemed to be of sufficient length to be a bestseller novel. This is a pity as I think this ranks right up there with Crichton's best work. The only problem with this book is that it is too short! The story is intricately weaved around a group of wonderfull characters explored in depth by Michael Crichton. As the basis of this story is the legend of Beowulf, if you are intrested in Norse myth and traditions this is a really fascinating read. A very well written book, its just a pity so few people know about it.
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An excellent story based on an excellent story
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This is a slim book - almost as slim as my copy of Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon poem composed towards the end of the first millennium AD, that recounts the adventures of a great hero of the Geats, upon whom Buliwyf, the hero in Eaters of the Dead, is based. Michael Crichton wrote this book to prove to a college tutor friend of his, that Beowulf was not a boring tale but an exciting and heroic adventure. In my opinion he has succeeded. The original poem seems to have been viewed more as a dusty old heirloom than a gripping story over the years, because it's very old and written in a style and language that is difficult and unfamiliar. As usual, Michael Crichton has gone to considerable lengths to make the story seem as authentic and convincing as possible. The narrator of the story is Ibn Fadlan, an actual historical figure from Baghdad, who travelled North and left documentary evidence of his encounter with the Vikings. Crichton has written Eaters of the Dead in the style of Ibn Fadlan's manuscript. There are scholarly footnotes to add to the sense of authenticity. The footnotes are so convincing that the author even confused himself about which ones he'd made up and which were based on real historical data. It's really very well done.
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