Eaters of the Dead
Book description
The Eaters of the Dead is a brilliant, stirring tale of historical adventure which deserves a place on readers bookshelves alongside Michael Crichton's bestselling techno-thrillers.
It is AD922 and Ibn Fadlan is sent north from Baghdad as a peaceful ambassador. But before he reaches his destination, he falls in with…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Eaters of the Dead as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This book is a re-interpretation of the epic saga of Beowulf, re-imagining him as a real-life hero who fought in a historical human world. The magic of this story is that it is hard to tell where facts end and story begins. Ahmad, the narrator, is opinionated in a dry and pedagogic way. He complains about many things but, like a true traveler, refuses little. Even though he regales us with his sense of superiority, his outward manner is meek and passive which helps him get along with the Northmen. Please don’t read this book in a public library…
From Golda's list on to experience life-changing adventures.
Michael Crichton is the only author I’ve selected for my list whose name is likely to be known to most readers. Eaters of the Dead isn’t generally considered to be one of his greatest works, but for me, it’s probably the most influential novel I’ve read (going back to early school hood days). Essentially a retelling of Beowulf (an English poem but a Scandinavian story), Crichton made the tale fresh for a modern audience, setting it in the Viking Age (rather than the Vendel Period) and introduced Ibn Fadlan, an actual historic person, as the main narrator and character. Crichton…
From Rowdy's list on re-imaginings of ancient Scandinavian stories.
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