Book 43: The Rope Eater, by Ben Jones

This genre of book isn't my cup of tea, I guess. It centers on a young man who deserts the Union Army during the Civil War, and then finds himself invited to be on the crew of a ship called the Narthex. They're headed on a mysterious journey with a very motley crew. In fact, none of the men save the captain, the ship's doctor, and the man who is financing the venture (but keeps to himself in a private cabin) know where they're going. All they really know for certain is that they are headed into the arctic and the adventure will be a dangerous one. Some of them speculate that they'll be whaling, others believe there's a hidden mine. The actual purpose of the trip will surprise them - and reveal the darkest heart of man.

While I didn't particularly like the book on a personal level, I did admire it for several reasons. First off, I think the author did a superlative job of creating an atmosphere of paranoia and claustrophobia. There were even times that I had to put the book down because I was starting to feel a little queasy from feeling so enclosed. Additionally, he doesn't fear to venture down some very shadowy paths. People do terrible things in this book and behave extremely erratically. Finally, the book did put me in mind of both Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne, though I was wishing that I was reading their stuff instead. I can't wholeheartedly recommend the book, but for readers who enjoy survival stories, it's probably worth a look.