SYNOPSIS: The Himalayas, 1935. Kangchenjunga. The sacred mountain. Biggest killer of them all. Five Englishmen set out to conquer it. But courage can only take them so far. And the higher they climb, the darker it gets.
I was recommended this one in a thread where people were asking about winter horror. I'm a sucker for isolation/survival themed horror, so, trifecta. ;) This one reminded me a bit of Saturday Night Ghost Club-- completely different settings and themes, but very character-driven and the ghost story is something deeply tied to those characters. It's a slow-burn horror story, which I love (though for a while the scariest thing about it was all the racism. There was an author's note at the back about it--given that it's set in the 30s, with a bunch of white climbers who're dependent on their Sherpas but not wanting to admit it, the racism is accurate but still makes for a rough read at times). Not that some climbers treat the Sherpas any better now... Quotes/Lines: ((spoilers below!)) -- Me, reading the intro: 'this Sir Edward is a douche'. Next page- 'Edward Lyell is a pompous windbag'. Thank you for the agreement, other character. -- 'She guards Charles Tennant like a dragon'. No wonder, with people reacting with 'perhaps I shall be the one to persuade him to break his famous silence!' If he wants to talk he will; don't hassle the poor guy. -- "What problem could there possibly be," he rasps, "on the most dangerous mountain in the world? Know the Himalayas, do you? Climbed here before?" "No, sir. First time in India." "Good God in Heaven." Same. O___o -- "What were you doing, blundering in on Captain Tennant? And why the hell didn't you fetch me?" ...I do not like you -- 'A couple of years ago, someone came upon Irvine's ice-axe on Everest's northwest ridge, and Kits sulked for weeks. Why wasn't he the one to find it and get the glory?' I am sure this mature, well-adjusted person will be a wonderful companion when shit hits the fan. -- "I hear there's a rather jolly bazaar. Have you been?" Kits snorts. "Usual native rubbish." Heeeeeere, yeti yeti yeti -- 'and is the only one of us who's done any climbing in the Himalaya'. You are all going to die. -- 'Charles Tennant didn't think we could do this. I want to prove him wrong.' Do not let your brother's dumbassery rub off on you. -- "it's the coolies' wretched superstitions" If the people who live around here are freaked out by what you're planning to do, might want to listen? Esp. since a guy you admire seems to agree? -- 'He gave me a cool look. "I do know these people, Dr. Pearce. The coolie is half child, half devil, and an inveterate liar. You'd do well to remember that." I do hope the yeti is hungry today -- They only carry what they need for the day while each of their workers carries at least eighty pounds. 'God knows what it's doing to their cervical vertebrae'? Are you going to pay for their medical visits or pay them enough to prevent them from having to do this again and again if they don't want to? -- 'I slipped the man twenty rupees-- that's about three weeks' pay--' You at least tried, and so may live. -- 'I'm worried about the coolies, most of whom are still barefoot.' They are WHAT -- "Time to call a half and issue those boots," I tell McLellan. "Not till Nepal," he pants. DIE FIRST. -- 'while Cotterell, who's prone to rheumatism, crossed on the back of his servant: a six-foot Englishman atop a small, staggering Sherpa.' I've read about this in other mountaineering books and I'll never get over how gross it can be. To save someone's life, yes, absolutely, but just as a "well, this is too hard for me"? And then some of these guys dare to be all "Look, we conquered the mountain!" and don't take the time to thank the people who not only made it possible for them to get to the top, but are likely the reason they didn't die trying. -- I like that he added some small stones to the cairn and added one to replace the one his asshole brother took. -- ''Like seen music', some climber once said.' <3 -- Oh no. McLellan got hurt. *plays tiny violin* -- If anything happens to the dog I riot -- 'and there was a glitter in his close-set eyes that made me wonder if his feelings for Kits mightn't run deeper than friendship'. *Potential Queer Character Radar engaged* -- 'What matters is the fellows I'm with, and the knowledge that if I have a near thing, I can count on them--as they can count on me.' As much as I want to thwap most of this group, I do love the camaraderie. -- 'Kits is miffed because Garrard's near thing has brought me into the fold. He'd rather keep me on the outside of the cosy little coterie he's found with Garrard and Cotterell. It makes me wonder what he said about me before I joined them in Darjeeling.' :( -- ...asthma cigarettes? -- 'Besides, I like these people, and they could do with a good doctor. ... I came across lots of inflamed eyes and chest infections, and I did what I could with those supplies I could spare, but there's so much more I could do. When all this is over, why shouldn't I stay on in India, or Nepal or Sikkim?' <3 -- 'The first surprise is that I can't stand Lyell.' It shows you have good sense. -- 'When I was a boy, the avalanche was my favorite part of the story, but reading Lyell now, I find it nauseating. He makes it sound as if he and Tennant managed the rescue practically single-handed: digging their comrades from the snow, raising a cairn on the knoll for Freemantle and Knight, bearing the injured Stratton and Yates back over the Yalung. There's scarcely a line about the two hundred coolies who did the actual work. Or the four coolies who'd also lost their lives in the avalanche.' -- "He (Ward) had it with him. So there's every chance that the body's down there, too! Now d'you see? We've got to go back and find it!" While you're at it how about you walk out into the woods at night after saying 'I'll be right back'? -- "For you, Doctor Sahib. For the climb." I'm astohished. It's the white ribbon-like scarf he wears around his neck, the one with the prayers.' That's so nice of him. I love the friendship they're building. -- "But why does it haunt? ... And why is it angry?" My guess would be that his death wasn't quite the 'oh oops and now we can't retrieve the body' that Lyell said. I'm guessing someone killed him, or that he didn't die in that fall: could've been saved but Lyell didn't help him. Seems like the kind of thing that creep would do. -- Yaaaay the dog has left to a lower camp. -- 'Isn't it strange that we laugh at the Sherpas for putting their faith in amulets, when we're really exactly the same, except that with us it's a whole rabbit's foot, or a crucifix?' <3 -- 'The truth about Arthur Ward.' CALLED IT -- 'That was when I realised. We all knew. We knew that Ward was alive up there, and yet none of us spoke out. Perhaps we felt that it was easier to keep quiet, to let nature take its course.' No WONDER he's haunting everybody Jesus H. Christ -- 'The expedition leader had taken matters out of our hands.' ...yeah. Lyell might be (okay, is) the worst, but you guys don't exactly come out smelling like roses either. -- 'I've assumed it must have a reason-- to right some wrong, or be avenged-- and that once I knew why, I can fix it, and this will all be over. But how can you right this wrong?' -- 'The others had collected what they could find, but it wasn't enough to fill a coffin. Only a small packing crate. Or maybe a rucksack.' Oh god. -- It's really a testament to Paver's writing in the last section here that I was legitimately sad about the death of a character who had to that point been nothing but an asshole.
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A WORLD WITH A BLUER SUNMy reviews are set up a little like live-tweets: I write down lines I like/impressions as I read, and then transcribe. Reviews will contain spoilers, but I'll give a warning before they start. Archives
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