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The Magnetic North: Notes From The Arctic Circle (2009)

by Sara Wheeler(Favorite Author)

3.7 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0224082213 (ISBN13: 9780224082211)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Jonathan Cape

review 1: This is a fabulous read. The author is sharp, insightful and witty. Each page has something delightful - and anecdote, a perfect phrase or an analogy that takes your breath away with it's perceptiveness. The people she's met are rounded and real, not caricatures. Her impressions of the great explorers are not coloured by awe or weight of history. The result is a book that informs, not terrifies and unlike other books on the subject, she never becomes bogged down by the bleak environmental or social outlook for the region and its peoples.
review 2: I suppose I did not rate this more highly as it was very disturbing. Not her fault and she is a really great writer, but as opposed to Terra Incognito this book is severely depressing. She seemed to spend an inordin... moreate amount of time detailing the Russian atrocities in the arctic zones- east and west. And she freely acknowledged the book she set out to write at the start was not what it evolved into.I had hoped for more environmental, nature writing and while there was some of that there was entirely too much squeamish inducing descriptions of evil human nature. It also meandered a little toward the end. Perhaps had she finished with Lapland or Greenland, my last impression would have been more favorable, but it was a little like a subpar dessert after a great meal. A letdown.It should not detract from her overall feat which was incredible! less

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