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Post by elliej84 on Jan 2, 2018 21:46:12 GMT
Ooh only 2 days late, go me! Anyway you all know what to do, let us know your thoughts on the book and remember to white out any spoilers.
Hope you enjoy x
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Post by rosemary3 on Jan 3, 2018 19:19:38 GMT
Mine is waiting at the library - I'll collect on Saturday but may not start immediately.
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Post by geminii on Jan 5, 2018 17:14:50 GMT
Looks like I'm first up reviewing this one ..
" I don't know whether this was the right time of year to read this book, or not !! Brrrr!! Although quite a short read that I finished in two sittings, I found myself feeling decidedly cold reading this .. Not in an emotional sense, more from the aspect of trying to keep warm and snuggled up at home, whilst imagining the sub-zero temperatures 'outside' as wind and snow battered the thin canvas tent, attempting to sleep on thick ice and wondering if they were all going to get down alive. It was pretty obvious one wouldn't, but who had drawn the short straw ?
I liked that the book was concise and didn't keep repeating the day to day survival aspects of mountaineering (like removal of socks & boiling of ice etc.) which would have lost me .. and although the atmosphere created was good, it is one of those situations where you just cannot really imagine being there and let the Author take you by the hand ..
I thought that being set in the 1930's was a good choice, pre technology era meaning the relationship between the main group and their 'employed locals' could be explored. The relationship between the brothers was quite predictable, if ultimately sad.
I know that it is billed as a ghost story, but whist attempting to survive the stresses of altitude and the constant freezing of your body, the mind has plenty of dark places it can take you. Whether you believe Stephen was seeing ghosts or that his oxygen starved mind was showing him the snowy equivalent of a mirage, only you can decide ..
In reflection, did Stephen even really want to be there .. was he just running away from a failed engagement and his brothers' summons came at a time when he was desperate for a way out ?? Seeing this as an opportunity to 'show his worth' to his older brother, and prove to himself that he could finally stand up to him ?? .. Really enjoyed this one .. "
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Post by rosemary3 on Jan 7, 2018 19:26:07 GMT
Finished already! Here are my thoughts (spoilers included):
I enjoyed it. I found the spooky bits thrilling and there was just enough horror to make me shiver without giving me nightmares. Like Suzanne, I found this a fast read. I know Michelle Paver writes YA and the language was at that kind of level, I thought. It was very like her Arctic ghost/horror story "Dark Matter" in atmosphere.
The two central themes seemed quite separate and didn't really feed into each other as they perhaps might have until the end, i.e. the ghost story and the rivalry between the brothers. However, it still packed a fair emotional punch, especially when Kits walked towards what he thought was Stephen.
Was Stephen a reliable narrator? I'm not sure. He paints himself mostly as the 'good guy' of the brothers, the underdog, the younger one who is picked on and made fun of, but at the end Garrard claims it was the other way round at school, and clever, devious Stephen always made Kits look stupid. Several people blame Stephen for what happened, because surely if Kits had heard Stephen's voice behind him, he would have turned round ... but according to Stephen it was all down to a ghost ... hmm.
A couple of years ago I read the similarly-titled "Into Thin Air" by John Krakauer, a non-fiction book about a 1990s Everest expedition in which several people died. That had a lot more description and detail about base camps, sherpas, equipment, conditions, and altitude sickness and its effects on the brain. I recommend that book if anyone wants to read more about Himalayan climbing and disasters after this (!)
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Post by geminii on Jan 8, 2018 8:40:51 GMT
Finished already! Here are my thoughts (spoil ers included):
Was Stephen a reliable narrator? I'm not sure. He paints himself mostly as the 'good guy' of the brothers, the underdog, the younger one who is picked on and made fun of, but at the end Garrard claims it was the other way round at school, and clever, devious Stephen always made Kits look stupid.
I like your thoughts there .. " Although I didn't completely buy the 'good guy' status of Stephen, I also didn't think that he planned the outcome. But perhaps as I am the older sibling, I don't have the resentment of always having to join in with my older siblings friends .. I also think that the blame he received from others would have been an inevitability whatever the true circumstances, and are no less that what he puts onto himself .. Kits' desire to be a 'legend' far outweighed any warnings that Stephen may have voiced before they left and ultimately had a momentous effect on all those he left behind .. " |
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Post by pennyt on Jan 8, 2018 8:46:41 GMT
I read this book last September and like Rosemary have also read Dark Matter which is very similar in theme/intention. However, I felt that Thin Air was in some ways the better novel, partly because of [spoilery bit....:the points Rosemary makes above about the ambiguity surrounding the reliability or otherwise of Stephen, and of what actually happened on the mountain. ]
I can't remember enough detail to make better comments, but here's what I wrote about the book in my September monthly round-up:
I thoroughly enjoyed this story of a 1930s expedition to climb the world's third highest mountain that's overshadowed by the death and disaster that has stricken previous attempts. It's a nicely spooky story in which the tension ratchets up (very similar to Susan Hill's The Woman in Black), and in which there's just the right amount of ambiguity about the borderline between what's "real" and what is the product of the narrator's fevered imagination.
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peppercricket
Book Assistant
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Post by peppercricket on Jan 8, 2018 9:29:03 GMT
Really enjoyed this, nice and spooky. My only issue was it could have been a bit longer. Liked the era it was set in.
Will put that book you recommended on the WL Rosemary, as there is something quite horrifying and fascinating about Everest, etc.
I have a copy going spare if anyone wants it for postage.
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Post by pennyt on Jan 15, 2018 11:11:34 GMT
On the back of Rosemary's recommendation (above) I've been listening to Into Thin Air on audiobook over the past few days. This is the Jon Krakauer's account of the ill-fated 1996 ascent of Everest that he undertook in his capacity as a journalist, on which in one day eight climbers died in a storm. The book traces some of the history of Everest expeditions as well as describing the events, errors and misjudgements which led to the loss of life on that day in 1996. He also describes in very moving detail his own anguish and sense of personal responsibility about some of the events. As Rosemary said there is a lot of detail about the physical challenges climbers face as well as the strange effects on the brain of high altitude and low oxygen levels. All in all a fascinating account that includes some very eerie moments which make it a perfect companion read to Michelle Paver's book.
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Post by elliej84 on Jan 27, 2018 19:55:25 GMT
Well this was right on the cusp of being too scary for me, blimey it was tense at times!! I really liked this book, I liked the main voice of Stephen and how he interacted with Kits. It was so atmospheric at times that I could clearly picture the surrounds and the coldness. The supernatural aspect was done really well, leaving me now still not knowing whether it was altitude sickness or whether there was something really there. It just ended really suddenly, switching to past tense rather than present and it annoyed me so I dropped a star.
Now to read everyone else's comments and see what you all thought  |
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Post by jen on Feb 2, 2018 9:51:50 GMT
Wow! Thank you to my Book Fairy who sent me this book! I'm going to put up a proper review on my blog next week.
I could not put this book down. The characters are believable and the dialogue is realistic. I felt at first as thought I was reading an adventure novel, or a classic until the tension started to build.
For me it starts to get quite spooky when Dr Pearce finds the grave.
I loved the slow build of tension and the mentions of the superstitions and the past expeditions, the way you’re never quite sure if it’s really happening or if it’s just altitude sickness.
I loved the way that the jungle was described and I loved the atmosphere you do feel as though you are right there and can hear exactly what Dr Pearce hears and feel his fear.
Really wish it was longer but it's handy as a quick read.
Chilling
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Post by geminii on Feb 3, 2018 6:29:11 GMT
For me it starts to get quite spooky when Dr Pearce finds the grave. I was ok until the Rucksack ..  |
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Post by jessieloo22 on Feb 9, 2018 18:17:04 GMT
I'm a bit late but I think I'll download this one!
Edit: Just ordered the paperback as it was only £2 on Amazon rather then on Kindle. I am scared though as I am a big wuss about ghosts!
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Post by geminii on Feb 9, 2018 18:24:45 GMT
I'm a bit late but I think I'll download this one! Edit: Just ordered the paperback as it was only £2 on Amazon rather then on Kindle. I am scared though as I am a big wuss about ghosts! You'll be okay .. there's no such thing as Ghosts !!  |
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Post by elliej84 on Feb 27, 2018 19:51:09 GMT
Sorry guys, just realised I didn't reply to you all. Seems like people are enjoying this one. There is still a month to go and these threads always stay open for anyone who reads them after the quarter. It's nearly time for the next reveal, I may even do it a bit early for this quarter |
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Post by geminii on Feb 27, 2018 20:24:58 GMT
It's nearly time for the next reveal, I may even do it a bit early for this quarter Yes, please .. You know I am running out of books to read ..  |
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