Submitted by joseph madden 
(Jun 02, 2009)This book was my first experience with Simmons and I was truly impressed. Although I'm used to a diet of works under 500 pages, I found Simmons book to be a welcome feast. The Terror is a fictional work that looks at actual history, in this case the ill-fated Franklin expeditions of the 19th century. While searching for a Northwest passage via the Arctic Circle, the two ships of the expedition, the Erebus and the Terror, met an unusual fate. Its this fate that Simmons weaves his tale of terror(you'll pardon the expression) around. Not only is it filled with rich characterizations of the actual members of the expedition, but its portrayal of the Inuit people is sensitive and historically accurate. What happens on the ice is often left to the imagination of the reader and the novel is all the stronger for it. After reading this book, I searched out Simmons other work and was pleasantly surprised to discover that he has always been this masterful. Be sure to check out the dedication in the front flap.
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