Dark Matter

By: Michelle Paver

Narrated by: Jeremy Northam

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

Thoroughly Ingrossing.

Wonderfully creepy and surprisingly claustrophobic tale. Narration is superb. Very well written. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a love of ghost stories.

Couldn't Stop Listening!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A Must Listen! Amazingly, the author wrote it without one cliché, and each adverb and adjective needs to be respectfully absorbed and assimilated. And JEREMY NORTHEM, best narrator yet! Beautiful English voice with perfect timing and inflection.

I could listen to this book again and again...

I loved it!

Would you consider the audio edition of Dark Matter to be better than the print version?

I would because I can do other things as well as read a book.

What did you like best about this story?

The suspense. You were always waiitng for the thing to get him

Have you listened to any of Jeremy Northam’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I'm not sure, but he is amazing.

If you could rename Dark Matter, what would you call it?

Dark Matter fits too well to rename the book.

Any additional comments?

Amazing book. I loved how it held you in suspense the whole time. And watching the changes in Jack as he writes in his journal.I will be recommending this book to my friends and family. I am always after them to join Audible all the time.

Excellent Listen!

If you love ghost stories in the gothic/vitorian vein, then this is a tale well worth reading and listening to. I believe that this "chilling" tale will become a classic. The narration is spot on and the writing is tight and well developed.

A classic ghost story

I enjoyed the writing style of this book. The atmosphere is dark and isolated, but it isn't boring. The story is light but not fluffy. The story is creepy without being gross. If you like gore, this book is not for you. It's a well-written, easy read that has great imagery that isn't a love story or fluff piece.

Atmospheric, well paced story

Pros:
1. Great, atmospheric setting.
2. Some truly creepy moments and a visceral sense of isolation and dread.
3. Fast paced and appropriate length for the scope of the story.
4. Narrator was generally good and appropriate to the story.

(warning, some mild spoilers below)
Cons:
1. Contrived events are too obvious
2. The odd relationship that develops between the main character and his (absent) friend is a distraction from the story that does not seem relevant to the ghost story. It drew me out of the narrative.
3. Some subtle behaviors of the characters were not believable. Perhaps this is the authors misguided impression of how an angst ridden character of the opposite sex perceives the world?

Overall, I enjoyed the book and gave it 4 stars for a fun, creepy tale of isolation and haunting, even though it could have used a better editor.

Successfully scary!

I'm late writing a review, but I felt like this book deserved one. This is the kind of scary story that preys on adult fears - isolation, sounds that can't be identified, shapes and shadows in the dark... It is not a Stephen King novel, but it will leave you successfully creeped out! Really well done.

Unexpectedly Good

I was not familiar with the author when I picked this up, so I had no idea what to expect. The plot is simple but told in a very effective way. Narration is absolutely top notch. This may be my favorite audio book of the past 12 months, and I go through these things like it's my job.

Really well done

The first 5 minutes don’t do any justice to the entire story, it’s so well done.

Scared me!!

I listened to this in broad daylight and the story still creeped me out! Great performance!