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Dark Matter

The bestselling Richard & Judy book club pick

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Dark Matter

By: Michelle Paver
Narrated by: Jeremy Northam
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About this listen

 January 1937. Clouds of war are gathering over a fogbound London. Twenty-eight year old Jack is poor, lonely and desperate to change his life. So when he's offered the chance to join an Arctic expedition, he jumps at it. Spirits are high as the ship leaves Norway: five men and eight huskies, crossing the Barents Sea by the light of the midnight sun. At last they reach the remote, uninhabited bay where they will camp for the next year. Gruhuken.

But the Arctic summer is brief. As night returns to claim the land, Jack feels a creeping unease. One by one, his companions are forced to leave. He faces a stark choice. Stay or go. Soon he will see the last of the sun, as the polar night engulfs the camp in months of darkness. Soon he will reach the point of no return - when the sea will freeze, making escape impossible.

And Gruhuken is not uninhabited. Jack is not alone. Something walks there in the dark...

Read by Jeremy Northam

(p) 2010 Orion Publishing Group©2010 Michelle Paver 20th Century Genre Fiction Ghosts Historical Fiction Horror Literary Fiction Scary Haunted

Critic Reviews

Dark Matter is a spellbinding read - the kind of subtly unsettling, understated ghost story MR James might have written had he visited the Arctic
Told in the increasingly fearful words of Jack as he writes in his journal, this is a blood-curdling ghost story, evocative not just of icy northern wastes but of a mind as, trapped, it turns in on itself
'From the first page Dark Matter gripped me with a quiet relentless intensity - every word is perfectly placed, every silence heavy with dread... absolutely unmissable' (Simon Pegg)
Paver has created a tale of terror and beauty and wonder. Mission accomplished: at last, a story that makes you check you've locked all the doors, and leaves you very thankful indeed for the electric light. In a world of CGI-induced chills, a good old-fashioned ghost story can still clutch at the heart
Paver is the mistress of suspense, and the strangeness that humans can suffer from when exposed to the Arctic wilderness is brilliantly exploited in this period piece
Deeply affecting tale of mental and physical isolation
The ultimate test of a good ghost story is, surely, whether you feel panicked reading it in bed at midnight; two-thirds through, I found myself suddenly afraid to look out of the windows, so I'll call it a success
Dark Matter is terrific....(a) wild beast that grabs you by the neck
Dark Matter is brilliant. Imagine Jack London meets Stephen King. The novel virtually defines a new genre: literary creepy. I loved it
It's an elegantly told tale with a vivid sense of place - and it's deeply scary
Disquieting and poIgnant in equal measure, Paver's novel reminds us that fear of the dark is the oldest fear of all. An ideal read for long winter evenings
This gripping ghost story has moments of horror and beauty
An atmospheric ghost story that would give Susan Hill a run for her money
More than just a ghost story, this is an exquisitely told psychological thriller. Unputdownable!
Ghost stories don't frighten me much but this one did. Quite a lot, actually ... Chilling in every respect
All stars
Most relevant
A beautiful atmospheric story. It had me captivated by its darkness and tension
The beauty of this novel is not what is described but that which is implied. Don't listen to it expecting a hair raiser, just allow yourself to be immersed in the cold.

Grim and frost bitten

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This story kicks off with a very effective opening monologue. The first person point of view provides the story with a fantastic atmosphere. The writing style combined with a brilliant narration performance by Jeremy Northam allow the reader to become fully immersed in the story, which itself is quite creepy and realistic. The setting is realistically portrayed and allows the reader to really get a sense for the intense cold and isolation experienced by the protagonist as he progresses through the story.

I honestly cannot give enough credit to Jeremy Northam for this performance. I believe he presented the story flawlessly. Even his portrayal of the various Scandinavian accents are extremely realistic. Often narrator's attempts at various accents can detract from the story and drag the reader out of the experience, but this is most definitely not an issue in this case.

A well deserved four stars!

Believable and Atmospheric

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Great story. Loved the Arctic descriptions. Narrator terrific. Would recommend to lovers of ghost stories

Spooky and good

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I enjoyed every moment of this book It's a study on loniless, isolation, sanity and despair. But it's also an account of courage and resilience against a formidable force made more so by the environment in which it resides. The arctic becomes it's own character. And it's terrifingly beautiful. The suspense is executed brilliantly. And the dread is all too real.

Chilling and Captivating

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The narration is superb. The story is witty, full of subtle references to other great pieces of literature, though without interrupting the flow of the narrative. Michelle Paver’s great joy for writing glosses every line to light up the very dark, and almost gothic storyline. I am so glad I bought this book. You will be too.

Creepy, creatively brilliant and believably scary.

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