Guy, employed by an international geography magazine, has traveled the world dressed up like Indiana Jones, telling exaggerated stories of adventures he has never even experienced. Like most people who thrive on such attention, Guy is pretty full of himself, and it shows in the tone of his "memoir." The writing is pretentious and snarky, which at times is hilarious but at others, just annoying.
When Guy's dishonesty is pointed out, he decides that he is going on an adventure to the Arctic floe edge. Most of the book takes place while he is stranded on the ice after his guide disappears. In retrospect, I think the author did a good job of describing Guy's experience -- being stuck in the cold, white wilderness where the sun doesn't set and you have no sense of time, with nothing to do but try to survive, thinking of all the past explorers' stories--those who survived and those who did not... It makes sense that there's not a lot of action, but instead, a lot of fear and confusion, which was described well. The only problem is that it didn't make for a very exciting read.
I enjoyed the Inuit lifestyle and mythology thrown in, particularly Sedna's story. How he incorporates the story of her losing her fingers is quite ingenious. I think this book would appeal to those who like tales of explorers or those who can relate to the experiences in the Arctic or wilderness. For me, there just wasn't enough action.
When Guy's dishonesty is pointed out, he decides that he is going on an adventure to the Arctic floe edge. Most of the book takes place while he is stranded on the ice after his guide disappears. In retrospect, I think the author did a good job of describing Guy's experience -- being stuck in the cold, white wilderness where the sun doesn't set and you have no sense of time, with nothing to do but try to survive, thinking of all the past explorers' stories--those who survived and those who did not... It makes sense that there's not a lot of action, but instead, a lot of fear and confusion, which was described well. The only problem is that it didn't make for a very exciting read.
I enjoyed the Inuit lifestyle and mythology thrown in, particularly Sedna's story. How he incorporates the story of her losing her fingers is quite ingenious. I think this book would appeal to those who like tales of explorers or those who can relate to the experiences in the Arctic or wilderness. For me, there just wasn't enough action.