Terra Incognita

By: Sara Wheeler

Narrated by: Patricia Gallimore

Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Sara Wheeler visited Antarctica as a guest of America's National Science Foundation and soon after her arrival fell in love with the frozen landscape and it's harsh beauty. During her seven month stay the author travelled to the various national sectors, visited several national bases and experienced four seasons. The author has a reverence for the early explorer and visits many historic landmarks in her journey across Antartica. Her writing is fresh and humorous and brings an insight into this intriguing continent.

©1996 Sara Wheeler (P)2011 W F Howes Ltd

Exquisite Reflection Fractured by Narrator

This book was my constant companion as I explored Patagonia and Antarctica for nearly a month. The history of the region is beautifully interwoven with the author’s reflections and contemporary experiences. Sadly, I found the narrator’s voice incompatible with the author’s written words. I had a difficult time reconciling the Downton Abby voice with the very adventures and hip narrative. This resulted at times in a sort of cognitive dissonance.

Disappointed

This book felt somewhat disjointed. The author provides a compilation of personal experiences and well-known historical accounts of the region, but doesn't pull everything together in a way that gives the book depth and a common thread that keeps the reader engaged. Just when she seems to meet interesting characters (scientists, adventurers, etc), she moves on to the next location or account without providing a sense of deeper connection or meaning from that encounter. I think these qualities also made the book especially hard to follow at times in the audiobook format.

I LOVED this book!

I listen to between 2-4 audiobooks a month, and have been an audible member for many years, this book is one of the very best I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. I bought it on a whim and didn’t know what it was about when I started listening to it, and I’ve been blown away by it. I loved the style of writing, the language, the images conjured, the history and the anecdotes. I wish all Sara Wheelers books were available on audible. I thought the narration was excellent. I’m so disappointed that I’ve finished it that I’m about to re-listen to it. If you’re pondering a purchase- buy it and start listening to it right away. It’s magical and timeless.

Not so good

A somewhat rambling mixed account of historical events of early Antarctic explorers and the authors personal travels. Neither topic is covered well enough to engage me for very long.

Skip at all cost.

I expect some well researched descriptions of the “terra Incognita” mixed with first hand living experiences.

50% of the book is collection of insipid accounts of the author’s life spent in Antarctica (she cooked this for the people in this camp and bought that in the airport of that trip). Another 40% is some account of the people living there include diary excerpts from the like of Scott and Amundsen. Even this is decidedly uninformative and positively uninteresting.

The little crumb of interesting information about the fascinating things in Antarctica is just too diluted to be worth trudging through the rest.

Thankfully Audible allows return.

Should be called “Sara and Antarctica”

I did not see much of the continent in this book: just endless self-reflections of the author, who , by the way, does not seems interesting enough to devote a book to.