(Nominated for the National Book Award) In the summer of 1897, Swedish scientist Gustav Crispin and his two travelling companions set out for the Arctic in a hydrogen-powered balloon, hoping to be the first to set foot on the North Pole, in this 1976 novel. As they make their ascent, however, Gustav's thoughts return to the beautiful, enigmatic Luisa and the passionate affair that transformed them both; is the would-be explorer really ready for this perilous trip? The author of the His Dark Materials trilogy penned an affectionate introduction for this edition.

"Every so often, one discovers a novel that simply stays with you, that haunts your imagination for days after it's closed and put back on the shelf. [This] is that kind of book."—Michael Dirda, Washington Post