Rating: 
Summary: A gripping story
Review: This is the story of Joe Simpson's extraordinary ordeal and miraculous survival while climbing in the Peruvian Andes. While the book is not quite as extraordinary as his ordeal, it's still pretty good. Simpson takes the reader along practically step-by-step as he and partner Simon Yates make a difficult climb up the mountain Siula Grande. He falls and breaks his leg high on the mountain, takes a 100-foot fall while trying to descend, then crawls and hobbles for three days to camp after Yates leaves him for dead. He openly shares his emotions and pain as he repeatedly faces what seem to be certain-death situations. It's an often gripping story. Even though it's clear that Simpson ultimately survives (how else could he write the book?), I still read eagerly on to see exactly how he would do it. A nice addition to the tale are some small portions written from the perspective of Yates. That said, I do have a few issues with the book. First, even though it's only 172 pages, it's too long. This really should be more of a long magazine article, rather than a short book. Most of the first third of the story -- the climb up to the summit, before Simpson breaks his leg -- is probably of interest only to serious climbers. Also, while it is nice to that Simpson shares his experience in so much detail, he overdoes it. As he struggles agonizingly toward camp, his descriptions of his pain, his doubts and his fear of death get repetitive -- I found myself skimming ahead to the next key event. I was disappointed in the photos in the book, which are printed on plain stock, rather than glossy, paper. As a result, many of them are dark and murky. Finally, the book comes to a strange and abrupt end. The brief postscript is too short and rather cryptic, and doesn't include any information on what ultimately happens to the other figures in the book, Simon Yates and their campmate Richard. Still, if you like adventure stories, you'll find a lot to like in this book.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting
Review: Joe Simpson's narrative of his infamous climb in the Peruvian Andes is a fantastic story. If you've read other accounts of harrowing climbs you understand people that climb the great peaks of the world have a different psyche than the rest of us. Simpson is no exception, and it is that very drive that takes him to the top that enables him to survive the unthinkable. But this book is more than just a climb up, a crawl down, whew he's going to live to see another day. It explores some deeper parts of the human experience such as friendship, devotion, suffering, inner strength, and fear. His description of the terrain and the climb make you wonder why on earth anybody would do what he's doing. You almost suffer the cold, wind, and frostbite and you can feel the ice slipping beneath your feet. Knowing disaster looms makes you cringe while reading. Although you know he will survive, that takes nothing away from the experience the second half of the book provides. He pulls you in and you crawl down that icy mountain alongside him, feeling the cold, pain, and sadness along the way. Included are passages written by Simon Yates, his climbing partner. Allowing us to experience his point of view adds depth to the story.
Simpson wrote this book to exonerate Yates, who was ostracized in the British climbing community for his actions during the climb. Simpson vehemently disagreed with anyone who believed Yates did anything short of saving his life. His initial goal was to record the truth, but he discovered he has a gift for writing, and for this we can be grateful. A compelling story, highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Acme art?
Review: This has nothing to do with the contents of the book. Just the book cover itself.
Speaking as a graphic artist, that has got to be the lamest Photoshop job in all of history.
Rating:
Summary: not for the faint of heart
Review: I can sum up Joe Simpson's book Touching the Void in one word: inspiring. This thrilling and harrowing tale of two friends ascending a Peruvian 21,000 foot peak is inspirational to man's tough will to live, and the never ending struggle to survive. As the two climbers face almost sure death, they realize that a minute mistake by either one, and they both could be dead within hours. The two climbers are very similar. Joe Simpson, the author, narrator, and main character is a climber without writing background. However, he does have courage, a cool nonchalant attitude, and he is a man who has dignity. Simon Yeats, his partner, has a strong conscience, bravery, he never panics, and he accepts reality even if it is unfavorable. Together, the two make a great team. The style in which this piece is written is one of great description. The use of vivid adjectives gives the reader an image with DVD lucidity of the ongoing story. The reader feels as if he/she is right in there inside Joe's head, thinking what he thinks, feeling what he feels. If you read the book, you take every step with the two up the mountain and down again. Yet Joe is not the narrator all the way through. After the two climbers are separated on the descent, the story jumps back and forth from Joe's point of view, to Simon's thoughts and his point of view. This allows the reader to juxtapose the two perspectives. This book is great for the mountaineer, and even for those couch potatoes that just need to get a little inspired to start their own adventures. If you like the works of Jon Krakauer, the author of the chilling tale Into Thin Air, a story of the ill-fated 1996 Everest attempts, you will thoroughly enjoy this tale of survival. On the "F" scale -- F1: frighteningly bad, F2 fairly bad, F3 fun read, F4 fine piece of work, F5 fantastic book - I would give this book an F 4.5. It is an inspiring story that gives you a sense of adventure.
Rating: 
Summary: a quick read...
Review: Where to start.... well, the story itself is riveting. LOTS of technical details, which is to be expected, but a bit difficult unless you've had Mountaineering 101! Familiarising yourself with basic mountain-climbling terms would be a help before you plunge into this incredible story.
I found myself asking these questions at the end of the story:
Joe, how was your vision? did you have more surgery when you got home? how was your recovery at home, physically and mentally? have you climbed with Simon again? why didn't Simon write so much as word one for your book? not even the briefest of comments in the intro? why did you abruptly cut off the "epilogue"?
It leaves the reader wondering just what happened to you after you got home? How was the journey home? Why didn't we hear Simon speaking for himself? How is it that you found the desire and strength..inner and outer..to go climbing again? I'm glad I didn't pay full price for this book, and I plan to give it away to a friend who is "into" climbing.
The story is interesting enough, but I was left at the end saying WHAT?! that's the END???? Not in a breathless way, but slightly disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: INSPIRING STORY, A BIT LONG WINDED AT TIMES
Review: Touching the Void tells the story of two mountaineers attempting the first climb of Siula Grande, an isolated peak in Peru. It goes through the usual details of the expedition, with all the preparations and the thrill of reaching the summit after a tremendous effort, until, on the way down, Joe Simpson, the author, falls and breaks his knee. Simon, his partner, tries to lower him down the mountain, but reaches a point in which he can no longer hold Joe's weight and so he cuts the rope, letting Joe fall into a crevasse. And here the real drama begins.. This is an intensely personal story, in which there is a strongly psychological aspect, both to Joe, trying to survive after falling into the crevasse, and to Simon, going over the guilt of having cut the rope. Joe's ordeal is amazing, with a broken leg and left for dead; he makes it through miles of glaciers and rocks to make it back to camp. Overall, it is a very well told story. My only comment is that the ending is a bit longer than it should be. The authors gets the reader very animated about his prospects of survival, then starts some long winded descriptions of a lake or of rock; i just had to skip a couple of the paragraphs to get to the punchline. I highly recommend it to someone who likes mountaineering or survival stories, this is one of the really good ones.
Rating:
Summary: A great read, at any time!
Review: If you want to read a book that will capture your interest from page 1 and keep you reading day and night, I suggest that Touching the Void by Joe Simpson is the book for you. This book is action-packed with adventure, danger, and a story of friendship that survives life and the possibility of death. It is a story that will involve you with the lives of two mountain climbers in the Peruvian Andes. You will experience the intense emotions of these two young men as they climb through fear, physical trauma, depression, and hopelessness.
Joe Simpson and his partner Simon Yates successfully climb a 21,000 foot peak in the Andes mountains and on their decent they are faced with a serious accident as one falls and breaks his leg. The two continue to struggle down the mountain until they are separated as Joe falls into a crevasse. Fear and despair affect both of them. Joe awoke after a night in the crevasse, "All that sobbing and shouting had been too much. Acceptance seemed better. There was no trauma this way. I was certain then that Simon would leave me for dead." Simon also faced desperation the next day, "I had never felt so wretchedly alone. I could not have won, and began to understand the reason for my dreadful sense of condemnation in the snow cave."
The book is filled with incredible description and detail about mountain climbing and its effects on the human body. It is an adventure story not only about two men's struggle against the physical conditions but it is also about the inner struggle to somehow survive fear and desperation. Both men are required to use their internal strength to overcome the conditions in which they find themselves. This is a book that will engage you from the beginning and will take you on an amazing journey where you will experience excitement, fear, terror, sadness, and eventual relief. This is a story not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Crawl, Joe, crawl
Review: A terrific book to read by the fire with a bottle of whisky. Simpson's writing is very plain and direct, and the tone is one of remove. It's almost the story is being told by someone who read it in a book.... and that works for me. I also agree with other reviewers that for a more intense literary read, and a hallucinogenic experience, Peter hillary's In The Ghost Country is an absolute treat.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book with a bit too much detail
Review: "Touching the Void" was very well written. The story itself is compelling and the man who lived it (Joe Simpson) is a perfect example of how the human spirit transcends even the body's own limitations. However, I completely agree with the other reviewers who said that it was written using far too much detail. You really should brush up on your mountaineering knowledge prior to reading the book. Look at pictures of crevasses and mountaineering gear so that you'll better be able to picture Joe's narrative descriptions. Because Joe constantly mentioned every single little movement he made and the accompanying emotions that went with it, the book drags a bit throughout. That said, it was the (at times) painfully micro-attention to detail that ultimately made this book compelling. By the end, I was on the edge of my seat while my heart felt like it was pounding a mile a minute. The epiloque should have or could have explained the fate of Simon Yates a bit more. Overall, this was a great book!!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding portrayal of mountaineering survival
Review: As someone who is active in alpine style mountaineering, I can personally attest to the pure accuracy of the descriptive emotions Joe Simpson so eloquently describes. I could not put this book down once I started reading it and was finished within 24 hours. For those who may struggle with much of the climbing terminology in the book, there is a brief dictionary of terms in the back of the book. Joe has captured in words what I have struggled for years to try and describe to others concerning the pure beauty and phsycial emotions one experiences when suffering on the mountain. In addition, the movie is an exact match of the book in terms of detail and event. I've never seen such a precise replication of a book when it becomes a movie before. In addition, the technical climbing aspects (knots, belays, protection, route finding, weather concerns, et al.) are precise as well. Great book, and if you get a chance, great movie(actually documentary).
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