By Joe Simpson
I really enjoy non-fiction adventure stories. Tales of daring and courage. I love reading about Polar expeditions and mountain climbing is a close second. A few years ago I read Into Thin Air, about another mountaineering disaster. And who could forget Alive
? Recently retold in Miracle in the Andes
.Also a few years ago when the movie Into the Void came out I remember being interested in it but alas I never saw the movie or read the book. Fast forward to present day and I borrowed this book from a friend (at the same time as Z for Zachariah.) I shouldn't have.
While the content was gripping the telling of the story wasn't. The writing didn't really hold my interest. The main part of the book gave a highly detailed retelling of the journey up and down the mountain. Covering the placing of each crampon, ice screw, etc. It was a bit too much and fairly dry reading. The story was told by Joe Simpson, the guy who this happened to, but it might have been better had we gotten more of the perspective of the other climber or a bit more about the aftermath. I persisted reading and was rewarded by the last 30 or so pages of Joe's one legged trek down the mountain after he was left for dead.
If you've exhausted all other options pick up this book. Even having not seen it, you're probably better off watching the movie.
