Stories of ice and snow

[TheFifthElement]

With the colder, darker nights drawing in (in the Northern hemisphere anyway) I'm feeling the urge to read novels set in icy / snowy environments or in which ice and/or snow figure quite heavily. I'm currently reading Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg which nicely hits the spot, and other ideas I've had are The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson and Prince by IB Michael but I've read both of those before. And that's where I've run aground.

Any suggestions oh well read persons of Lit-net?

[Volya]

Not sure if it's the kind of novel you're looking for, but Moominland Midwinter is set entirely in snow and ice, and the fact that it is winter is an important aspect of the book.

EDIT: Just noticed you had another book by Tove Jansson in there, so maybe you will like this one.

[Buckthorn]

How about The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Snow-Child-Eowyn-Ivey/dp/0755380533

[qimissung]

In the U.S. the book you're currently reading is titled Smilla's Sense of Snow. Interesting how they are translated differently.

City of Thieves by David Benioff, Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith, Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowatt, Touching the Void by Joe Simpson, and Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. After all, winter is coming.

Also interesting, all of my suggestions are about men and by men. Not intentional, I assure you, Fifth! Well, Game of Thrones does have women in it.

[Clovis]

Jack London is a biggy. If you can dig classic literature. I found the opening of White Fang very scary and exciting. 'TO BUILD A FIRE' is one of the realised short stories I know of.

Can't think of a great deal of literature directly dealing with the cold centrally, though I'm sure I read a far bit in cold environments, even with vivid descriptions. THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD is loaded with cold and miserable people, in other words all sorts of Russian and N. European lit.

Smilla's Sense of Snow was made into a film. As far as other films dealing with the elements, though this isn't what you asked for:

ALIVE
CLIFFHANGER
THE THING

more recently

THE GREY
THE LAST WINTER

[Paulclem]

I once read a thriller - Firewall - which was set in Norway/ Sweden on and around the end of December.I reaised this fully when i was reading the chapter which was titled with my birth date on my birthday - which was great. We were also in Austria - Salzburg - and it had been snowing, so i know the feeling youre after.

Ursula Le Guin's The Left hand of Darkness would be a good one. if you're after murder, then Henning Mankell's books are often set in Winter. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was also set for part of it in winter.

[Clovis]

I once read a thriller - Firewall - which was set in Norway/ Sweden on and around the end of December.I reaised this fully when i was reading the chapter which was titled with my birth date on my birthday - which was great. We were also in Austria - Salzburg - and it had been snowing, so i know the feeling youre after.

Ursula Le Guin's The Left hand of Darkness would be a good one. if you're after murder, then Henning Mankell's books are often set in Winter. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was also set for part of it in winter.

Forgot that one. The first novel in the series, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Excellent mystery with a very vivid winter descriptions - all the details of 'Blomkvist and his cabin', for instance. I found this first novel in the trilogy to be my favorite, I'm a big 'who done it' fan.

I'm a big fan of the Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson. They're set in Yorkshire, England, very cold for much of the year.

[Paulclem]

Forgot that one. The first novel in the series, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Excellent mystery with a very vivid winter descriptions - all the details of 'Blomkvist and his cabin', for instance. I found this first novel in the trilogy to be my favorite, I'm a big 'who done it' fan.

I'm a big fan of the Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson. They're set in Yorkshire, England, very cold for much of the year.

I've not read any Peter Robinson, though my wife reads him. I didn't know they were set in Yorkshire. As I'm from there, I'll have to give him a whirl sometime.

[Clovis]

^ A fictional town called Eastville. It helps to like both mystery and music; classical, jazz, and such...

[Paulclem]

Cheers.

[Scheherazade]

The Man from Beijing by Mankell

Ethan Frome by Wharton

[Paulclem]

The Man from Beijing by Mankell

Ethan Frome by Wharton

The Man from Beijing is pretty good.

[TheFifthElement]

Some excellent suggestions there, thanks everyone :) Forgot to mention, Northern Lights being the first book of His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman is also a wintery / icy book. I just read that too. I've also got The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard which is guaranteed to be a chilly read.


Not sure if it's the kind of novel you're looking for, but Moominland Midwinter is set entirely in snow and ice, and the fact that it is winter is an important aspect of the book.

EDIT: Just noticed you had another book by Tove Jansson in there, so maybe you will like this one.

I love the Moomintrolls Volya. An excellent suggestion. Actually I think we might have that one too, I'll have to dig it out. Thanks. Tove Jansson should be much more widely read, in my opinion. She's a wonderful writer.


In the U.S. the book you're currently reading is titled Smilla's Sense of Snow. Interesting how they are translated differently.


It's not uncommon for the British and US translations to be different. A great example is The Outsider by Camus which you will know as The Stranger. Of course you know that the British version is guaranteed to be the more accurate ;) (kidding...kidding!)


Jack London is a biggy. If you can dig classic literature. I found the opening of White Fang very scary and exciting. 'TO BUILD A FIRE' is one of the realised short stories I know of.

Oh I'd forgotten about White Fang. That's a good suggestion.


Ooh, also forgot The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. The snow is both magical and menacing at the same time. Excellent stuff.

[bouquin]

Snow - Orhan Pamuk
Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson




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Currently reading: The Butcher Boy (Patrick McCabe)

[mal4mac]

Jack London is a biggy. If you can dig classic literature. I found the opening of White Fang very scary and exciting...

Good call... I just read "Call of the Wild", where "the Wild" is Canada, so lot's of snow! Really exciting & meaningful, and the easiest of reads. Don't see how anyone couldn't dig this classic...

You often find Tolstoy playing in the snow... everything from sleighs to frozen Frenchmen...

[The Comedian]

I'll second qimi's recommendation of Never Cry Wolf. And London's White Fang and Call of the Wild are great too and loaded with snow and ice. If you're willing to read some non-fiction, I recommend Barry Lopez's Arctic Dreams, which is an expansive exploration of the arctic region from natural history to science to the cultures of explorers and indigenous peoples. And don't let my bland description of the book mislead; I could not put it down. Seriously.

[Calidore]

I'll add to the chorus for Jack London. You can pick up a huge paperback called The Unabridged Jack London, which contains well over 1000 pages of stories and novels, very cheap.

[Scheherazade]

Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson Always wanted to read that one. One of those titles that draw me in.

Is it good?

[Clovis]

Fictional Yorkshire town in Inspector Banks series is Eastvale not Eastville, woops.

[bouquin]

Always wanted to read that one. One of those titles that draw me in.

Is it good?


Good but nothing really exceptional. Not one of my favorite reads. Plot is excellent but story-telling itself is a little too slow (like snow falling).




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Currently reading: The Book of Evidence (John Banville)