The Beckoning Silence

Rating:
Summary: A more light-hearted Joe
Review: Having read each of Simpson's five mountaineering books, I walked away from this one with the feeling that Joe has finally reached a certain acceptance of himself, the world he is a part of and the dangers that go along with being a climber. Whereas some of his previous efforts have been dark and devoid of humor ("Storms of Silence" and "Dark Shadows Falling" for example), I found myself frequently laughing out loud at this one. Joe has mastered the art of storytelling and this may be his best effort since his classic "Touching the Void," which of course is in a class by itself.

This book starts off as somewhat of a tribute to a friend of his who gave up mountaineering because of a fundamental war-weariness to its dangers only to be killed in a paragliding accident a short time later. This leads Simpson to vow to give up serious mountain climbing himself ... but not before completing a handful of classic climbing routes (a "tick list" as he calls it). Among these is the 1938 route of the North Face of the Eiger, which is the focus of the second half of the book. There seem to be a few phrases in this one that were ripped off right out of Heinrich Harrer's "The White Spider" and Joe tacidly acknowledges some unintentional plagarism at the end of the book, explaining that he's read so many books on the North Face of the Eiger that he doesn't even know where much of his knowledge had its origin. A little lame, but I bought it. And fear not, the reader who has come to expect Simpson (the "Mr. Magoo" of the climbing world) to be in a precarious situation will not be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: What's inside a mountaineer's heart
Review: I have been climbing mountains for 29 years. Been there done that... first climbs, awesome views, friendship, more close calls than I can remember. Yes, I have explored caves and rafted mightly rivers and gone on a winter expedition to the Arctic. But climbing mountains is the most beautiful of them all. Very often people ask me why I climb. I have a very stressful and time-consuming job enclosed most of my days in a building working with computers, and friends tell me that vacation time is to go to a warm place to relax and recharge rather than going somewhere dangerous to get even more tired and stressed. How boring that seems to me. It is very hard to explain why I find climbing so wondeful... and so humbling. I like Joe Simpson's book not necessarily because of the great climbs he describes but rather because he makes a great job in writing about the fragility and the humility... and the awe, the passion, and the intensity with which we love. It is that which wraps a mountaineers heart. We don't believe we are supermen or immortal... we are not arrogant. This book may help non-mountaineers understand us better, and will allow us mountaineers see in written words things we know all too well in our hearts.


Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful mountaineering?
Review: I've been reading a ton of mountaineering books lately, and this is quite possibly one of the best. Up until now, I've really liked Mark Twight's writing, mostly becuase he's really funny. But this book has really made me think about why I like to climb, and if it's really worth it. I think that Simpson's writing also does an excellent job of making you feel as though you are right there, if not belaying him, then standing at the belay watching. In the first chapter, there is a good account of his attempt(s) at Alea Jacta Est (a difficult mixed climb in France) and I could really feel the tension. Not quite the same feeling as you get when you are really running out a lead yourself, but not too far from it.

Anyways, I would heartily recommend this book to the climber and non-climber alike. It isn't so esoteric that non-climbers would feel intimidated, and it really makes one think about the whole point of climbing.

Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful mountaineering?
Review: I've been reading a ton of mountaineering books lately, and this is quite possibly one of the best. Up until now, I've really liked Mark Twight's writing, mostly becuase he's really funny. But this book has really made me think about why I like to climb, and if it's really worth it. I think that Simpson's writing also does an excellent job of making you feel as though you are right there, if not belaying him, then standing at the belay watching. In the first chapter, there is a good account of his attempt(s) at Alea Jacta Est (a difficult mixed climb in France) and I could really feel the tension. Not quite the same feeling as you get when you are really running out a lead yourself, but not too far from it.

Anyways, I would heartily recommend this book to the climber and non-climber alike. It isn't so esoteric that non-climbers would feel intimidated, and it really makes one think about the whole point of climbing.

Rating:
Summary: Good but not great.
Review: If you haven't read Touching the Void...read it first as Joe makes several references to it. I read Touching The Void...and couldn't put it down - outstanding book, and a must read for any climber!

I bought this one hoping for the same. The book was good by all standards but Joe seemed to lose focus on what he was writing about in several places. I think it would have been better if this were divided into two books: one about the flying and one about climbing.

If you're in doubt, buy it...its worth the cover price just for the Eiger history and Joes attempt on it; and Joe is such a talented writer that he can make some mistakes and still create a great book.

Rating:
Summary: Simpson at his best, compelling and honest.
Review: Joe Simpson's writing is compelling, lucid and interesting. As in his previous writing he is refreshingly honest in his story telling of both facts and feelings.

The book deals mostly with the 1938 route on the North face of the Eiger. The historical details alone make this book a must read for mountaineering buffs. But, more importantly Simpson explores the interplay between mountaineering experience and the objective dangers of climbing in big mountains. The balance he contrasts is between the extreme satisfaction of being in the mountains and climbing at standards that challenge, with the feelings of those involved, including concerns over route conditions internal motivation and personal performance.

In days when we are increasingly fed a diet of what I call "Dare and Scare", or "Mountaineering Rubbernecking Exploitation" books, Simpson had written a sensitive personal account that anyone who has ever had the urge for adventure will relate to. I couldn't put it down. Bravo Joe!

Rating:
Summary: Simpson at his best, compelling and honest.
Review: Joe Simpson's writing is compelling, lucid and interesting. As in his previous writing he is refreshingly honest in his story telling of both facts and feelings.

The book deals mostly with the 1938 route on the North face of the Eiger. The historical details alone make this book a must read for mountaineering buffs. But, more importantly Simpson explores the interplay between mountaineering experience and the objective dangers of climbing in big mountains. The balance he contrasts is between the extreme satisfaction of being in the mountains and climbing at standards that challenge, with the feelings of those involved, including concerns over route conditions internal motivation and personal performance.

In days when we are increasingly fed a diet of what I call "Dare and Scare", or "Mountaineering Rubbernecking Exploitation" books, Simpson had written a sensitive personal account that anyone who has ever had the urge for adventure will relate to. I couldn't put it down. Bravo Joe!

Rating:
Summary: Exceeding his reach?
Review: Since I can't do it myself, I love to read about climbing mountains, particularly why those who take extreme climbing risks are willing to put their lives on the line. This recent book by Joe Simpson culminates on his attempt, with another aging expert climbing friend, on the ultimate in extreme climbing, the North Face of the Eiger. The climax (and anti-climax) are worth waiting for. But a great deal of the book seems to be padded -- long descriptions of not-so-interesting preparation and meetings with prominent alpinists. These discourses are interspersed with the author's wrestling with the seduction of the challenge of the Eiger on the one hand, and his rational fear of disaster and death on the other. Is he finally too old for this? Or does he now know too much about the risks? The lead-up to the climb also includes a very strongly worded chapter on Simpson's views on the manner in which the remains of George Mallory were treated and photographed after their discovery on Everest.
The book provides great insight into the competing lure and fear of extreme climbing and human risk. As a narrative on climbing adventure, it is good, but not as compelling as his Touching the Void, or the real classic of the Eiger, The White Spider by Heinrich Harrer.