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“He can reflect all he wants but will not be able to pilot that flash of inspiration into the harbor of his memory. It has gone adrift and shimmers on the horizon of his imagination.”

Title: Strange and Perfect Account from the Permafrost
Author: Donald Niedekker
Translator: Jonathan Reeder
Pages: 196
Release: May 20, 2025

Based on the true story of Dutch explorers seeking the Northeast Passage, only to be thwarted by the weather, the expedition finds itself marooned in the Arctic. They wisely repurpose their ship into a livable abode to withstand the brutal elements. Our unnamed narrator does not survive the ordeal, but his newly unthawed corpse has enough wherewithal to recount his tale after 400 years on ice. While the story’s premise is rooted in the realities of climate change and our warming planet, it doesn’t dwell on this theme beyond a few subtle mentions. 

Such an odd and fascinating premise gives way to a richly imagined, beautifully translated, and appropriately wry tale. The narrator’s scattershot musings touch on life–his own and otherwise–his career as a poet, why he prefers rivers to seas, the geese’s annual migration overhead his icy grave, the state of exploration in the 16th century, and plenty more. There’s no sensible order or structure to his thoughts as he hops around, eventually admitting that he’s providing a “less-than-coherent narrative.” Agree! 

★★★★

My thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.