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Summary: A transcendental description of Mt. Rainier and it's history
Review: A must read for anyone interested in Mt. Rainier or mountains in general. Barcott's eye for detail, introspective psychological analysis, and passionate soul are reminiscent of Thoreau. From the tiny choleptera in the snow to the titanic mudslide which decapitated "the Mountain", I loved the book. It's as spiritual as it is historical in it's examination of "why we climb mountains?"
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Summary: No desire to vist Ranier after this
Review: After slogging through this overwritten and overwrought account of the author's obsession with Mr. Rainier, I lost what little interest I had in ever visiting the place. The mountain is painted as dreary and gray, with grimy little spots of human encroachment. The only moderately interesting part of the book are the chapters on the Himalayas and high altitude climbing, which, if Barcott stayed on point, would not even be in the book. No wonder his girlfriend got fed up with him; he is not just a bore, he is a bore with an ill-defined and pointless obsession.
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Summary: Love affair with a mountain
Review: Author's exploration of most everything having to do with Rainier, history, geology, etc. Extraordinary prose, sharp and earthy wit. Author is a humble character. He begins the book as something of a backcountry rookie but dives into Rainier with all his heart. Hence his point of view regarding mountaineering and hiking, ecology, etc. can be pretty refreshing, as most outdoor writers are acclaimed professionals of one sort or another. I am encouraged by Skip's review below to indulge myself in noting that I, too, have something of an appearance in Mr. Barcott's book: I was on the stage during the performance of Andre Chenier he attended.The style of the book reminds me of other excellent accounts of explorations of natural places by authors such as Richard Nelson, Byron Ricks, Raban, Jack Nisbet. This one is at least as good as books by these excellent authors.
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Summary: A full account of Rainier
Review: Author's exploration of most everything having to do with Rainier, history, geology, etc. Extraordinary prose, sharp and earthy wit. Author is a humble character. He begins the book as something of a backcountry rookie but dives into Rainier with all his heart. Hence his point of view regarding mountaineering and hiking, ecology, etc. can be pretty refreshing, as most outdoor writers are acclaimed professionals of one sort or another. I am encouraged by Skip's review below to indulge myself in noting that I, too, have something of an appearance in Mr. Barcott's book: I was on the stage during the performance of Andre Chenier he attended. The style of the book reminds me of other excellent accounts of explorations of natural places by authors such as Richard Nelson, Byron Ricks, Raban, Jack Nisbet. This one is at least as good as books by these excellent authors.
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Summary: Capturing Rainier in our Lives
Review: Bruce Barcott has written an insightful, fun book about Rainier. He describes the mountain from the perspective of all those it has attracted: scientists, hikers, climbers, and Washington residents who have never stood on its flanks but claim ownership of it as talisman rather than mere scenery. His style is upbeat and conversational. He's a keen observer of his world. And his humor lingers long after you're done with the book.
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Summary: Barcott's view of Rainier educates and inspires
Review: Bruce Barcott has written an insightful, revealing and often touching portrait of his obsession with Mount Rainier. His appreciation of his subject is broad and deep, often approaching reverence. The most refreshing thing about this book is that it is not overly dependent on the "high drama" that seems to fuel so much of the mountain literature out these days. Instead, Barcott relies on his self-deprecating humor, excellent narrative skills and tremendous powers of observation to take us on a close-up tour of this magnificent, accesible, yet utterly mysterious peak. He can never be accused of missing the forest for the trees, or vice-versa. Having just returned from my own first trip to Rainier, after having read many thousands of words about "The Mountain" and the characters that frequent it, this book was illuminating and a joy to read.
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Summary: A good story
Review: Bruce Barcott writes as if you were in the room speaking with him. His style is friendly, to the point (often blunt) descriptive and frequently flowery. He uses such descriptive phrases that I was often left rolling on the floor, tears of laughter flowing from my eyes. It's hard to categorize this book. It's not really about climbing mountains, though there is plenty of that. It's not really about geology, though there is plenty of that as well. It's not about ecology, though ecologists will certainly connect with Barcott, and it's not really about history, even though there are lots of interesting historical tidbits sprinkled throughout the book. The book is sort of a mish mash of all these subjects that Barcott ultimately ties in with the mountain that defines Washington State, and Seattle in particular: Rainier. It's hard to say what part of the book I enjoyed the most. I really enjoyed the stories about the mountain's "real" name. Even though I grew up in Federal Way, Washington I never knew about the battle waged by Tacoma in trying to rename Rainier with it's original (or at least one of them) Indian name. There are other interesting historical footnotes like the military plane carrying marines home for the Christmas holidays that slammed into the mountain. And, of course, there are stories about early climbers like Muir. Barcott describes lots of his hikes around Rainier, particularly the wonderland trail, and he ends the book with an account of his climb to the summit. As it turned out, I had climbed Rainier in June of the same year Barcott climbed it (he climbed in July) and so it was interesting comparing my recollection of the trip with his. Barcott tries hard not to come across as the typical macho, climb-or-die mountaineer. In fact, he has some rather harsh words to say about some of the people who climb - offering physiological analysis that, although insightful and probably close to the mark, is sometimes pretty insulting. But that's Barcott's style - to the point with no BS. I like it. The author presents lots of stuff in the book as factual, but there are no footnotes or chapter endnotes. Consequently, at first I was a little skeptical about how much of the book (especially what appeared to be anecdotal) is just fabricated for its story-telling value. Upon reaching the end of the book, however, I had to conclude that Barcott has probably done his homework and research pretty thoroughly. There is a long list of references (roughly 100) with descriptions about many. Some of the references look pretty good, and I'm probably going to get one or two of them for further reading. The book also has a complete index, which is something the forgetful among us always appreciate. Overall this is a fine book. It's enjoyable, interesting, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes reflective, but always engaging. I read the entire book - all 250 pages - in just a few days. It's a great companion for those cold rainy Northwest nights when there's a log in the fireplace. Duwayne Anderson Saint Helens, Oregon. November 18, 1999
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Summary: Terror of a review (just kidding)
Review: Bruce Barcott's book about Mt.Rainier is a breath of fresh air after reading many of the current crop of books about mountaineering. He writes with a good sense of humor and imparts to the reader the important connection between a lot of the Puget Sound residents and the mountain. Instead of the typical step-by-step base camp to summitt saga that is prevalent in mountaineering books, he gives a good sense of the many faces of "my mountain".
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Summary: Much more to knowing a mountain than climbing it!
Review: Bruce Barcott's riveting book about Mt. Ranier, its geology, history, wildlife and everything else you might want to know is here in this unusual book. If you are a climber however, you may be insulted by the author's tone. He is highly critical of the macho pursuit of climbing, though he does yield to the tempatation of Rainier by the end of the book and climbs it. He calls it the one of the stupidest acts of his life. The lesson is that climbing the moutain is the poorest way to get to know it.Those of you searching for another hair-raising adventure story will be disappointed, but those of you who want a well written, thoughtful and fascianting look at men, mountains and the lure of a place will love this work. Highly recommended!
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Summary: Wonderful Reading
Review: For anybody that is infatuated with Mt. Rainier, this is the book for you. Living in the Pacific Northwest, Rainier is a fact of life for all of us. On sunny, clear days when it towers over the downtown seattle skyline, we say that the "mountain is out" and cannot help but steal glances at its mighty presence. It is readily apparent that this book is a labor of love for the author. He revels in any and all information about the mountain that he can track down. All of his studies of the mountain add flavor to his own wanderings. He sees in the mountain all of the history, geology, native folklore, and danger that it deserves. His respect is palpable and his experiences are priceless. If you want to experience Rainier in a different way than you ever have before, you need to check this out. This book is well written, an easy read, and highly recommended.
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