Subterranean by James Rollins: A Book Report

A group of scientists were hired by the United States Government in order to explore the world beneath Mt.

Erebus in Antarctica. Ashley Carter, Linda Furstenburg, Khalid Najmon, and Ben Brust were expected to work as a team in order to further investigate the cavern found under Erebus. It is the team’s responsibility to carry on with the research Dr. Blakely had started.As the group goes on with the research, they have discovered a civilization that had been living beneath, as well as other creatures that harmed their lives and turned a simple research into a quest of survival. Bearing with them their own individual reasons for joining the team, they had been separated at the same time wounded.

There were the beasts they have to fight for with their own lives. Furthermore, there were also the cave dwellers with whom they need to prove their innocence of their accusations of being murderers of their tribe.Every individual in the book has a distinct characterization that plays truly significant roles in the progress of the story. The dominant characters in every human being are represented by the characters in the book. Physical and intellectual strength, as well as fear, were obviously identified within the personalities of the characters of the book. It was at the same time amazing that Rollins was still able to demonstrate and talk successfully about love among the characters in the story.

Ashley, a mother who was so tired of “keeping food on the table and a roof over their heads with an assistant professor’s salary barely covering their living expenses, let alone her research projects,” (Rollins, 1999) decided to join the mission for barely such reasons. Ben, another main character in the book has his own reasons as well. Aside from the big amount of money offered, he will be set free from prison for an innocent crime he had against the Australian government laws. Other supporting roles in the story who had illustrated the weaknesses of human characters were Linda, a claustrophobic biologist; and Khalid, a terrorist and fake geologist who was assigned by his country for the mission adding up to the challenge and adventure of the main characters.The building up of the other characters in the story were amazing although was not as surprising. Khalid’s revelation of his fanatic mission to his country turned further excitement in the story as well as Ben’s discovery of his ancestors who were the cave dwellers.

It is far more exciting than the fights that they had with other creatures they had encountered through the mission. Linda’s honest admission of her fears and her fight against it were also more interesting than the creatures that harmed their lives.Although majority of the book were focused on the team’s fight for survival, Rollins did not fail to illustrate the human characteristics within each of the characters he made. The emotions may not have revealed in every page and eloquently discussed in every situation, they were yet tremendously sketched and marked for every single event that there is. Love, fear, trust and its absence were clearly depicted for any situation that the author feels there should be.

Moreover, even as a science fiction adventure, the book was an easy read such that it uses favorably enough scientific jargons that were not difficult to understand. Every conversation and discussion among the characters was elaborated in order to make its readers understand clearly what they were talking about. It shows therefore that Rollins had a good research upon writing the book. Most probably because, even as the characters were scientists themselves, they still do not know as much as they thought there is as far as the complexity and immensity of science is concerned. The presence of other non-scientist characters may have required the situation to be so.

Unlike any other adventure books, Rollins had a good grip of the characterization and the scenes of the book. The illustration or the description of the details were consistent as well as the turn of every event in the story. He made a good deal out of science, adventure, the government, as well the emotions of the characters in the story.;