Dark Matter

By: Michelle Paver

Narrated by: Jeremy Northam

Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

January 1937. Jack Miller has just about run out of options. His shoes have worn through, he can't afford to heat his rented room in Tooting, and he longs to use his training as a specialist wireless operator instead of working in his dead-end job. When he is given the chance to join an arctic expedition, as communications expert, by a group of elite Oxbridge graduates, he brushes off his apprehensions and convinces himself to join them.

As the young men set sail from a gloomy Britain on the verge of war, Jack feels the overwhelming excitement of not knowing what lies ahead. Little can he imagine the horrors that await him in their destination, Gruhuken, a place that cannot escape the savage echo of its past.

©2010 Michelle Paver (P)2010 Orion Publishing Group Limited

Great! Highly recommend

Spooky and beautifully written. Really had a great spooky vibe. Don’t hesitate to read or listen to it.

Outstanding

I took a chance on a book outside my usual genres, and I really enjoyed it. The writing is fantastic, the narration is perfection, the atmosphere is deliciously creepy, and the sense of dread builds as the novel progresses. I found the ending heartbreaking, but beautifully portrayed.

Great Mystery / Ghost Story!

I've never been remotely close to this part of the world but I was immediately drawn to the writer's evocative description of the environs and the narrator's superb performance of each character. I love a good, creepy ghost story but detest graphic descriptions of gore so I did appreciate that in the parts where gore was implied, the author left it up to our imagination (which, granted, is sometimes worse). It was very satisfying story.

Very,Very Long

While the narrator had a wonderful, relaxing voice, the story was a struggle. Long, boring and predictable. Don't waste your money.

Decent Ghost Story With a Good Atmosphere

I'm personally not a fan of traditional ghost stories as they struggle to hold my interest, but Dark Matter pulled me in with great descriptions and an equally great narrator. This book is very much a slow burn, which caused it to drag on for a bit too long. The ending makes up for the extended runtime with an interesting wrap-up. I recommend this book to anyone craving an atmospheric story of isolation and mental explanation.

Really well paced and narrated

There are no huge aha moments or big twists or turns, this is just a really well written story with amazing narration. The story is really great I like the imagery and character development and mystery in all the right places. Will be looking for more books from this duo.

Boo! Arctic Ghosts!

Unique atmospheric story. The author made you feel like your were in the location and living through the main charter. Bone chilling (pun intended)!

Great atmospheric ghost story

This is a chilling tale. I loved it. The narrator has a wonderful voice and the story pulls you along in an edge of your seat fashion. I plan to look for more by this author.

Amazing! Gripping and dark.

This was fantastic. Such a human, likable, and relatable character. The entire story being told through a journal is a fascinating perspective. I felt his pain, anxiety, false courage, and more. Just enough supernatural to believe that something is genuinely very wrong. Cold and dark in a beautiful way.

Narration was unbelievably well done. Clear and easy to understand, but wonderfully paced and intentional. Could not have been better. I really loved this book.

A Beautiful Meditation on Dread and Isolation

I loved the atmosphere and the characters. I usually don't enjoy novels written as found journals, however it is mostly done veey well in this book.

Unfortunately, I do think the journal approach made the climax feel a bit weird and clunky. I also felt that ultimately, the supernatural elements were unnecessary to the story, which I found a bit odd.

Very enjoyable book, overall. The voice acting was excellent.