I am not sure how I feel about this book. The descriptions border on the poetic. I am not a traveler, but the author made the ice and the creatures who live there sound so beautiful, I'm tempted. However, there isn't really a character in this book I can relate to. The narrator, known as "Guy," gives lectures around the world on the lives of actual explorers. He has spent summers in the Arctic region as an historian, doing research and digs, but doesn't seem to have a clue about the actual culture. His reasons for traveling to see the Edge don't have any depth behind them. He is a selfish man, one who sees the world only through his point of view. What happens when he makes this expedition is the action in the story, but a lot of what happens is mental. Is it a spoof of Victorian Era explorers who were often poorly prepared for their adventures and caused harm and pain to many who trusted them? Is it an adventure story for our times? Read it for yourself and find out.