Eaters of the Dead

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good Chirchton
Review: For as good as Chirchton's early works are they just don't seem to quite measure up to his later works such as Jurrasic Park and Timeline. Eater's of the Dead is no exception to this rule. It starts out rather slow for a Chrichton novel but quickly picks up as the action begins. For the most part this is a good book. To me it was probably the weakest of Chrichton's novels and as mentioned before is no where near as good as his later stuff. However, this doesn't mean this novel isn't a worthwhile read for Chirchton fans or those new to his writing. It's very different then most of hiw works which may turn some fans off but if that can be accepted then this book is well worth the time invested.

Rating:
Summary: One of his best...
Review: He took a real person, an Arab courtier, and the courtier's text to make a better version of the epic poem Beowulf. Slowly Crichton exposes us to 10th Century Vikings and their ways via the poor Arab courtier who ends up going to fight the monsters in the mist. To add even more mystery and spice, Crichton gives use clear clues on WHO the monsters are. A mixture of history, myth, and plain GOOD writing.
Enjoy it!

Rating:
Summary: Nothing historical about it
Review: The fact that many seem to be continuing the myth that the novel has any historical basis is laughable. The manuscripts he supposedly references are all part of his elaborate hoax, and a well known one at that. This book has been out for what, over 20 years? And its still being advertised as some renowned historical work by Crichton? Simply amazing.

Rating:
Summary: good history and fictionalization of viking lore
Review: This was an excellent book it was a good history and fictionalization of viking lore.

Rating:
Summary: The historical side of Crichton's Eaters of the Dead!
Review: What makes Cricton's Eaters of the Dead fascinating is that knowing the cultures of the different characters in the book are quite historically accurate, the Vikings customs for death and burial, their "live for death" attitude, and their individual characteristics. I enjoy how diverse Fadlan's background and civilization differs so much from the Vikings, yet throughout the book they seem to find more common ground with each other.

Rating:
Summary: It makes the Viking cooler than they already are
Review: The author of "An excellent and modern retelling of the Beowulf saga" wrote exactly what I would have written. The book does give great action, adventure and suspense. Critchton goes into great detail about the scenes of how the eaters of the dead mutilated and mauled their victims, which were Viking women children and men, the creators did not care who or what they ate. The writers of the last two reviews did not specify this, nor tell about the creators. Without them the story would just be a bunch of cool Vikings walking around killing things. This book does give good historical background and lots of cultural information. Both critiques acknowledged this fact. This critique was really hard to write do to the fact that all the writers thought this book was the coolest thing Since Jimmy Hendrix, and I agree

Rating:
Summary: good
Review: I think I would have had a better appreciation for this book if I had read Beowulf in high school or college. Even still, I enjoyed Eaters of the Dead. It moves kind of slow at times, and the writing style isn't what I'm used to from Crichton, since this is written in the style of an ancient manuscript. But the basic storyline is interesting and exciting.

Rating:
Summary: Rousing Historical Fiction
Review: This book is fairly well researched, and reads like an account of Ibn Fadlan. It's so well done that I kept forgetting that it was, in fact, fictional. A great story of a young man who makes a bit of a fubar, and is sent journeying around to be an ambassador. He gets caught up with some rough norsemen and goes off to have an adventure with them. There are some excellent themes in this book, and the movie wasn't able to tell it all, of course. I got this after seeing The 13th Warrior and so appriciated the fleshing out of the tale after the movie which seems to be a clif's notes in comparison.

Rating:
Summary: Good Read
Review: This book is a little difficult to get into at first. The writing style takes a little while to assimiltate, but once you get it, the story rolls right along. Great characters and action scenes. Would reccomend this to friends.

Rating:
Summary: An intellectually entertaining book
Review: The 13th Warrior, by Michael Crichton, is actually a reprint of the author's 1976 book, Eaters of the Dead, which probably enjoyed a revival with the advent of the 1999 movie. Although the book doesn't have the narrative strength that some of his later works do, it still bears the hallmark of the exceptional and extensive research that mark all of his work. (The gentleman was educated at Harvard University, graduating summa cum laude...and Phi Beta Kappa in 1964 and graduating from that institution's medical school in 1969). This edition of the work includes a postscript on the factual information behind the story which I found fascinating. I had seen the movie and enjoyed it, which is why I decided to read the book. The postscript told me something that I had not realized in watching the film, but which made sense upon reflection, namely that the tale is an "eyewitness" account of the myth of Beowulf. In short, the narration attempts to strip the embroidery of the ages from what might possibly have been an historical event. Early Islamic travelers like Ibn Fadlan, Ibn Jubayr, and Ibn Battuta did in fact leave transcripts of their experiences in the far flung reaches of the world, much like the stories of the later Italian adventurer Marco Polo. The style of Crichton's book carries much of the flavor of these manuscripts, making it very plausible. Furthermore, archaeological work has recently brought to light the extensive trade connections of the Norsemen or Vikings and illustrated the degree to which Europe had begun to turn to the north for trade and cultural leadership after the fall of the Roman Empire. It would be interesting to see what Mr. Crichton could do with the Icelandic sagas or the myth of the Trojan War. A very entertaining book, but probably more so for those of us who enjoy a little education with our fiction.