#SpringHorror Review: Ararat by Christopher Golden
This is a chilling story.
My Thoughts:
I went into this book with a wee bit of stink eye because although most of my friends loved Snowblind, I really didn’t love that one. I enjoyed the setup but when the novel decided to time jump 12 years into the future it tested my memory and my memory failed. I am so glad to say that Ararat didn’t hurt my brain, is genuinely chilling and the pages fly.
It’s about a couple who take the trip of a lifetime and leave for Turkey in order to be the first to document a discovery that will quite possibly shake up the entire world. They are on a search for Noah’s Ark. But what they find on the dig is so much more than proof that Noah and his Ark may or may not exist. They find a coffin with something inside that is most definitely not a man and terrible things start to happen soon after it’s unearthed. The least of them being a treacherous storm that traps them and their team with this monstrous thing!
This is one of my worst nightmares. My son loves hiking and it terrifies me. I always have visions of him falling off the mountain and dying or I fear he’ll stumble across some human monster lurking in the woods. Now I have some brand new nightmare fuel to add to my head thanks to this book. The feeling, on this high summit, is claustrophobic and pretty damn terrifying in and of itself but then a blizzard hits. Imagine being so far up on a mountain that you’d have to tromp back down if anything truly terrible happened to you in order to get proper medical care? Break a leg and you are pretty much screwed. This is not my idea of a fun time. The situation reminded me a little of those fools in The Ruins by Scott Smith who climbed a mountain in a foreign country to discover ancient ruins who only managed to get ruined themselves. Only this time there are no fools. Thank whoever. These people are intelligent and driven and the story is very, very scary.
There’s action, lots of characters that didn’t get me all mixed up but in all honesty none who I cared all that much about. Some of them, most of them actually, were very selfish, so minus a star for that because I like to feel something when someone is slaughtered and I didn’t get an emotional gut punch here. But did I mention there’s a monster that these people are trapped with on top of a mountain during a blizzard?! Ahhhh! I loved that part.
I listened to this book on audio, narrated by Robert Fass who does a good job with the male characters but left a little to be desired with the females and their accents. But you can’t have everything, right? I’d recommend reading this one in paper.
Ararat by Christopher Golden
Audiobook Horror Fiction
Released April 2017, 10+ Hours Unabridged
Amazon ♦ Goodreads
Audiobook Horror Fiction
Released April 2017, 10+ Hours Unabridged
Amazon ♦ Goodreads
When a newly engaged couple climbs Mount Ararat in Turkey, an avalanche forces them to seek shelter inside a massive cave uncovered by the snow fall. The cave is actually an ancient, buried ship that many quickly come to believe is really Noah’s Ark. When a team of scholars, archaeologists, and filmmakers make it inside the ark for the first time, they discover an elaborate coffin in its recesses. The artifact tempts their professional curiosity; so they break it open. Inside, they find an ugly, misshapen cadaver—not the holy man that they expected, a hideous creature with horns. A massive blizzard blows in, trapping them in that cave thousands of meters up the side of a remote mountain…but they are not alone.
I went into this book with a wee bit of stink eye because although most of my friends loved Snowblind, I really didn’t love that one. I enjoyed the setup but when the novel decided to time jump 12 years into the future it tested my memory and my memory failed. I am so glad to say that Ararat didn’t hurt my brain, is genuinely chilling and the pages fly.
It’s about a couple who take the trip of a lifetime and leave for Turkey in order to be the first to document a discovery that will quite possibly shake up the entire world. They are on a search for Noah’s Ark. But what they find on the dig is so much more than proof that Noah and his Ark may or may not exist. They find a coffin with something inside that is most definitely not a man and terrible things start to happen soon after it’s unearthed. The least of them being a treacherous storm that traps them and their team with this monstrous thing!
This is one of my worst nightmares. My son loves hiking and it terrifies me. I always have visions of him falling off the mountain and dying or I fear he’ll stumble across some human monster lurking in the woods. Now I have some brand new nightmare fuel to add to my head thanks to this book. The feeling, on this high summit, is claustrophobic and pretty damn terrifying in and of itself but then a blizzard hits. Imagine being so far up on a mountain that you’d have to tromp back down if anything truly terrible happened to you in order to get proper medical care? Break a leg and you are pretty much screwed. This is not my idea of a fun time. The situation reminded me a little of those fools in The Ruins by Scott Smith who climbed a mountain in a foreign country to discover ancient ruins who only managed to get ruined themselves. Only this time there are no fools. Thank whoever. These people are intelligent and driven and the story is very, very scary.
There’s action, lots of characters that didn’t get me all mixed up but in all honesty none who I cared all that much about. Some of them, most of them actually, were very selfish, so minus a star for that because I like to feel something when someone is slaughtered and I didn’t get an emotional gut punch here. But did I mention there’s a monster that these people are trapped with on top of a mountain during a blizzard?! Ahhhh! I loved that part.
I listened to this book on audio, narrated by Robert Fass who does a good job with the male characters but left a little to be desired with the females and their accents. But you can’t have everything, right? I’d recommend reading this one in paper.
Book #2 for the Spring into Horror Readathon.
Well dang this sounds so good. I love stories like this. I bet this would make a great movie.
ReplyDeleteIt would make a fantastic movie!
DeleteCuriosity piqued.
ReplyDeleteAdding this to my pile.
I hope it scares you as much as it did me!
DeleteOoh, I've wondered about this one. Sounds adequately terrifying for me, I'll definitely check this one out!
ReplyDeleteI hope you love it!
DeleteYay! I can keep this book on my list. 'Cause it sounds like a lot of scary fun. :D
ReplyDeleteIt was a scary one :)
DeleteSo I'm one of the "those" that liked Snowblind :) Although yes, the time jump was kind of tricky and it did take a few minutes to figure out what was what. After liking that one, I'm more than willing to give this one a go - especially after seeing your review.
ReplyDeleteOh my aching head, the Snowblind audio was a no-go for me. Maybe someday I'll try it in paper. I hope you enjoy this one too, Barb :)
DeleteThis sounds great! I think I still have an unread NetGalley copy (oops) so one of these days I'd love to get to it. Yeah, I'm glad my kids don't really like sports or hiking because I think I'd be a nervous wreck!
ReplyDeleteYou are SO fortunate! My son is responsible for every wiry gray hair sprouting from my head.
DeleteYou know... I got the audio of this one and never finished listening. My library has a print copy. I may try it again. You make a good point.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're able to get through it in print. The same thing happened to me with Snowblind.
DeleteI enjoyed this one when I read it...especially the final part of the book!
ReplyDeleteYes, that latter half was great.
DeleteThis looks like a trip, I love the idea of something on Ararat. Awesome
ReplyDeleteI think you'd really enjoy it, Greg!
DeleteI like the sound of this one, Bark! It has been a while since I read anything that would be considered horror and I think I am missing it. I will have to look for it!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good one, Carole. I hope you can find yourself a copy.
Delete