“The story that follows is true”. This is the beginning of Alfred Lansing’s masterpiece, Endurance. Had it not been blatantly stated, this non-fiction book could be mistaken for a heroic, fictional novel. Written and published in 1959, the novel as well as the tale it tells are not well known. It is a biography written in story form, compiling the personal stories, photographs, and journals from the crew in order to tell the most accurate narrative possible.
The novel gives an account of the failed Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, which was an attempt in 1914 to fully cross the Antarctic. At that time, no expedition had made it entirely across Antarctica… and lived. A crew, ship and supplies were put together over a four year period by the man who led the mission, Ernest Shackleton. The ship, accurately named “The Endurance” set sail with high hopes, and a talented leader, but after reaching the Weddell Sea, the ship was crushed between two ice floes. This left the crew stranded on an ice pack. There they had to survive with the few supplies that remained, and the fleeting hope that they would ever return home. Under Ernest Shackleton's incredible leadership, every member of the crew made it home alive.
This book was a masterpiece. It is beautifully detailed and extremely accurate. There are some slow spots in it (since the crew was stranded for two years) but those are easily skimmable. I was initially skeptical about reading this, since I’m not a history buff, and I don’t really enjoy reading non-fiction books. Despite my concerns, this novel did not disappoint. All in all, this book is an amazing biographical novel. This story, however, is not for the faint of heart. It is a difficult read and can be hard to follow. I would only recommend it to someone looking for an advanced novel and who is open to trying a historical book.
Comments