The Rope Eater

"A gripping Arctic adventure. . . . The intensity, the dark poetry, of Jones’s writing is stunning." –The Washington Post

"A thrilling story. . . . It is the fine detail of this navigational and spiritual trek, the vicissitudes, confrontations and relationships along the way, that make The Rope Eater a fascinating journey." –The Miami Herald

"Jones describes battlefields as vividly as he does Arctic storms." –The Boston Globe

"A heady mix of Melville’s Moby-Dick and Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49, The Rope Eater melds breathtaking lyricism with gripping realism, producing a page-turning adventure that navigates that heart of darkness hidden within men’s souls." –The Baltimore Sun

"What sets this novel apart from its many adventuring cousins is the stark insight with which debut author Ben Jones charts the emotional journey of his narrator. . . . A fantastic tale. . . . Each detail is expertly selected with an eye to completing a stunning whole. Under this guise of an adventure story, Jones leads his readers on an exploration of the dark corners of men’s souls." –The Denver Post

"With the skill of an old master and the gusto of a newcomer to the trade, in The Rope Eater [Jones] conjures up the feel and spirit of a mid-19th century voyage of exploration. . . . Riveting." –San Francisco Chronicle

"Jones delivers an out-of-this world novel." –The Boston Herald

"A ripping-good adventure yarn marked by heroism and sacrifice." –Time Out New York

"[Jones] has talent to burn." –Outside

“With The Rope Eater, Ben Jones has produced not simply a novel but an entire world both fabulous and mythic, a world rendered in prose both stark and lovely as the landscape and characters within. Although set in the not-so-distant past, this account of the dreams and harsh realities of humanity serves as a clearly distinct fable for our times. I cannot recommend The Rope Eater more strongly–Ben Jones enters the ranks as a storyteller of first note.” –Jeffrey Lent, author of In the Fall