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Dark Matter
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Review
Evocative, chilling and superbly unsettling, it is very good indeed. (Sarah Broadhurst BOOKSELLER )
This gripping ghost story has moments of horror and beauty (SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )
Paver's descriptions of the topography are marvellously vivid and add to the sense of menace that suffuses the story (Joan Smith SUNDAY TIMES )
'An atmospheric ghost story that would give Susan Hill a run for her money' (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY )
A chilling period piece, Dark Matter cunningly illustrates how fear, rather than death, is the great equaliser. (INDEPENDENT )
More than just a ghost story, this is an exquisitely told psychological thriller. Unputdownable! (WOMANS WEEKLY )
A genuinely terrifying tale ... I cannot recommend this novel enough, especially in these dark nights, you will certainly get more than you bargained for. I did. (SAVIDGE READS Book Blog )
Ghost stories don't frighten me much but this one did. Quite a lot, actually ... Chilling in every respect. (Richard Madeley )
Dark Matter builds suspense brilliantly ... As well as a ghost story, it's a great portrayal of Svalbard and the experience of spending a winter in the Arctic. (ADVENTURE TRAVEL )
This gripping ghost story has moments of horror and beauty (SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )
Paver's descriptions of the topography are marvellously vivid and add to the sense of menace that suffuses the story (Joan Smith SUNDAY TIMES )
'An atmospheric ghost story that would give Susan Hill a run for her money' (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY )
A chilling period piece, Dark Matter cunningly illustrates how fear, rather than death, is the great equaliser. (INDEPENDENT )
More than just a ghost story, this is an exquisitely told psychological thriller. Unputdownable! (WOMANS WEEKLY )
A genuinely terrifying tale ... I cannot recommend this novel enough, especially in these dark nights, you will certainly get more than you bargained for. I did. (SAVIDGE READS Book Blog )
Ghost stories don't frighten me much but this one did. Quite a lot, actually ... Chilling in every respect. (Richard Madeley )
Dark Matter builds suspense brilliantly ... As well as a ghost story, it's a great portrayal of Svalbard and the experience of spending a winter in the Arctic. (ADVENTURE TRAVEL )
Book Description
A terrifying 1930s ghost story set in the haunting wilderness of the far north.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
74 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A chilly thrill!,
By Charliecat (Oxfordshire, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dark Matter: A Ghost Story (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
Michelle Paver is best-known for her very enjoyable young adult series `The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness'. Dark Matter is not Paver's first adult novel but it is her first ghost story. It is an eerie story set in the Arctic in the late 1930s. Dark Matter is told in the first person through the journal of Jack Miller. Jack Miller is poor and eager to change his life so when four upper-class young men offer him the chance to be a wireless operator on an Arctic expedition he jumps at the chance even though the difference in their class makes him the odd man out.The expedition seems to be doomed from the start and there are inklings of chilling things to come on the deserted bay of Gruhuken. What makes Dark Matter so effective is Paver's clever evocation of the stark and desolate landscape of the Arctic and Jack's increasing isolation as the novel progresses. It is more of a psychological novel than a gory sort of ghost story but the best ghost stories often are. It is the suggestion of the ghost which creates the most suspense and there is a genuine sense of unease throughout the novel which Paver manages to keep up all the way through. What I also liked is the relationships in the novel which I felt lifted it from the normal, run-of-mill ghost story into something really interesting. The tense relationships between Jack and his fellow explorers - Gus and Algie being the main ones and Gus in particular- and Jack's relationship with the husky Isaak which is finely portrayed and the most warming part in a very chilly novel!
26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Riveting,
By Liz Mint (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dark Matter: A Ghost Story (Hardcover)
I've been fascinated by Svalbard and arctic Norway since visiting a few years ago. It was therefore the setting of the story which made me buy the book initially. I wasn't disappointed, Paver's descriptions of the landscape, wildlife and sounds of Svalbard and the unique atmosphere of the place were excellent.If I'm going to be critical, I would agree with other reviewers who've noted that the characters lacked depth. I think that this element of Paver's writing was more suited to a younger audience, adult readers may expect more complexity and depth to their characters. I couldn't really engage with anyone besides Jack and I didn't feel any more than a passing interest in the relationship between Gus and Jack (which I think was intended to be a major theme of the story). However, I was really taken up with Jack's developing bond with Isaak the husky, which, to a person who loves dogs, seemed well observed. In the end, besides the spookiness and suspense, it was this more than anything that kept me riveted. After having said that, any lack of character development didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story at all. I loved the building suspense and was totally gripped from the start. I never finish a book just for the sake of it, and I've lost count of the number of books I've half finished, but this one kept me glued to the end. Disappointingly (I wanted it to last longer!) I finished reading it in a day. In summary, although Dark Matter has some minor faults, I'd say it was the most enjoyable read I've had in a long time.
39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific read,
By
This review is from: Dark Matter: A Ghost Story (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
If you are looking for gore, romantic vampires, or zombie rampages, this isn't the book for you. But if you enjoy a really well-crafted, subtly creepy and intriguing ghost story, this fits the bill admirably. I'm a veteran horror fan, and I found this story almost impossible to put down; I actually burned my lunch because I got so caught up in it. And yet it is entirely understated - the impact comes from suggestion rather than overt, in-your-face effects. Even the descriptions of the most prosaic matters, of daily routines for a small group of men in a remote location, are extraordinarily vivid, and when it comes to the less mundane she truly excels. If I have one complaint it is that it was over too quickly. But that reflects how easy it is to read, and how hard it is not to pick it up. I am looking for this author's works for younger readers, because if they are as good as this, my kids will love them.
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