Eaters of the Dead

By: Michael Crichton

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

The year is A.D. 922. A refined Arab courtier, representative of the powerful Caliph of Baghdad, encounters a party of Viking warriors who are journeying to the barbaric North. He is appalled by their Viking customs - the wanton sexuality of their pale, angular women, their disregard for cleanliness...their cold-blooded human sacrifices. But it is not until they reach the depths of the Northland that the courtier learns the horrifying and inescapable truth: he has been enlisted by these savage, inscrutable warriors to help combat a terror that plagues them - a monstrosity that emerges under cover of night to slaughter the Vikings and devour their flesh....

Eaters of the Dead was adapted to the screen as The 13th Warrior, starring Antonio Banderas.

©1976 by Michael Crichton; Copyright renewed 2004 by CrichtonSun LLC. (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

If you like his novels, you’ll enjoy this

Like most MC novels, this short retelling of Beowulf is masterfully written, suspenseful and ultimately unsatisfying. Even in a story as already familiar as this one, I was left aching for closure, for the rest of the story. He was the ultimate story teller and perfect for serial TV because he always left the door open for a “sequel.” But when you know that will never come, it can be frustrating.

But still, I crave reading his books!

His later books are filled with terrible language and vulgarities - I stopped reading them when that started, so I was glad to get back to an old one like this which is clean and fascinating - If mildly irritating for readers who like stories to have an ending.

Enjoyable enough to finish, but movie wins

The movie (13th Warrior) was the concise version that this should have been. It's a good book, but long for what it was. The movie really is the book, same story, events, drama, but less wordy. Interesting experiment in treating this as an academic analysis of a first hand account from long ago, but it just didn't work for me and often distracted from the pace of the story.

Based on elements of historical documents

Author and Narrator do an excellent job re-telling a story that is pieced together from parts of historical documents, while interjecting commentary to help explain context of the original manuscripts and documentation.

Great Book

I first watched the movie and loved the interaction of cultures.

I have read it several times and out is always excellent and a moving story.

Simon Vance has once again impressed me with his storytelling and his portrayal of the main characters as believable and that they grow to care about each other is more obvious.

The storyline would make a great cramp fire story for kids, minus adult themes!

it was ok

good reader, kept me going. the book was kindof short. skipped the last little bit after story ended....tmi, tedious

One of my favorites

Really loved this book, finished it in 2 days. If yuo enjoyed the movie, the book is better

Good idea….poor execution

I almost never say this but….the movie was much, much better. Had humour, better storytelling, better pacing.
Basically a bored, dry scholar’s recount of an interesting story….
And frankly if I have to hear the word ‘verily’ or ‘I saw with my own eyes’ ONE MORE TIME I’m going to KILL someone myself. THREE TIMES in two paragraphs….and it goes on like this through the entire book.

Excellent!

Fantastic narration and great writing. I'd recommend for fans of "The Thirteenth Warrior" or Beowulf.

Omg

Great book! Loved the movie but honestly the book is different and I appreciate the honesty.

13th Warrior fans best be showing up

Adds so mych insight to what the movie was trying to do.
I love the narrative inserts of the researcher who is following along with Ibns story.

That little added voice of apparent fact and science make the story feel more plausible and real.