Dark Matter [Paperback]

I have heard of Michalle Paver, or at least her critically acclaimed `The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness' series (which I have been meaning to read!). So when her latest novel dropped in my lap I was ecstatic. And after reading, I can safely say that I now believe the hype surrounding Ms Paver. . .

The year is 1937. Jack Miller's life is going nowhere fast. He lives alone in London, where the city is on pins and needles awaiting outbreak of World War. When Jack is offered the once-in-a-lifetime chance to go on an expedition to the Arctic Circle, he doesn't hesitate.

But as the days slide into darkness, and the vast nothingness invades his psyche, Jack becomes convinced that *something* is terrorizing the expedition. Residing on the remote Gruhuken bay, Jack starts to hear and see things that his rational mind cannot explain. . .

The story is retold via the entries in Jack's diary, and through Jack's recounts, the truth behind the 1937 Arctic expedition is hauntingly revealed. . .

This was such a fantastically spine-tingling book. At first I thought it was going to be a glimpse into an increasingly deranged psyche, ravaged by isolation and loneliness. . . and to some extent `Dark Matter' does just that. But this is also a great horror story. I don't want to give anything away, because half the fun of reading the book (and being totally freaked out by it!) is trying to figure out if Jack and crew really are coming under attack from *something*. . . or if it's all in their heads.

The Arctic is a deliciously devilish setting for this horror whodunit. The eternal night and the expedition's bay is wonderfully reminiscent of '30 Days of Night'.

Jack is a wonderful character - which is important since he gets a lot of page-time and is often the sole character in scenes. Jack has been alone for seven years, and from the get-go you sympathize with him. You do get the impression that taking on the Arctic expedition as a wireless operator was his last-ditch effort to make something of his life. I found that I really admired Jack - he gets put through the ringer in this book, and I was really rooting for him to hold strong and redouble his breaking point. He's a great character to go on this crazy journey with.

I especially loved reading Jack's increasingly fractured perspective. It's a long, slow slide into madness for this protagonist and Jack's slipping lunacy is made all the more heartbreaking because as a reader you really do start to root and champion him;

Jack's slip into madness and the entire book's slowly unravelling terror reminded me of Stanley Kubrick's movie `The Shining' (is Jack's name just a coincidence? Hmmm?).

This is a surprisingly scary book. Paver wonderfully blends internal hysteria with outward paranoia, leaving readers in a constant state of flux between believing Jack's outlandish claims and looking for truth in his madness. If you like a good scare or even appreciate a well-told unravelling, then definitely give `Dark Matter' a read. You will not be disappointed, but you will be scared.

I really enjoyed Paver's writing and the setting-focussed story. I felt I was transported to the dark Arctic night and was entirely hooked into the main character's moods, thoughts and responses to what he describes happening in the first person journal voice. I can't think of many ghost stories I've read as believable as this one.

I was a little surprised how short a book this seemed. I suppose Paver drew the story to its end in a realistic way, and it is a kind of compliment that I am left wanting more. Still, that wanting something a little more that I can't pinpoint is why I'm giving it 3 stars rather than 4 or 5.

The absolute desolation of the Arctic and Jack's personal isolation (both social and physical) add an air of eeriness and desperation that will have you burrowing under the covers. When you finally learn who the ghost was and what caused his demise, you will feel horror, compassion and outrage for him. That notwithstanding, he's still an evil menace that is to be feared. You'll read wide-eyed as Jack decides on 3 separate occasions to stay and face the menace alone. The ending is sad and satisfying. For me, the preface didn't mean as much when I read it as a preface. Rereading it after the story really packed a wallop. Saying more would give the ending away. So, I'll just say, go, get this book.

Oh, yes, I listened to the audiobook. Excellent narration. Jeremy Northam's delivery is sparse and soft spoken. It's like he was having a quiet conversation with me, and somehow added to the feeling of desolation and punctuated Jack's isolation.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 10 reviews  4.2 out of 5 stars