a page turner
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I caught half the documentary on the BBC, and was captivated, until I finally got hold of the book. I could not put it down until the last page was read at 2 in the morning.
There is not much which has not been said most eloquently in some of the other reviews, so I wont try it. But for me the fascinating thing was the nature of the voice which kept on pushing him to continue against all odds. Where do these phenomena come from, when we go beyond convention and conception? He never questions it, but in a matter of fact tells the story of a most extraordinary defiance of death. He was truly touched by grace and I love to buy him a pint if ever I get up to Sheffield....
Truly inspirational, I recomend this as imperative reading for anybody who is dealing with a life threatening disease or other circumstances. Such a fountain of inspiration to not give up...whatever
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Better than the film!
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Still immensely powerful 21 years after the event. I read this book 10 years ago and it inspired me to walk the Huayhuash Circuit last year
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A Testimony Of Supreme Endurance.
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Upon completion of this book you'll still be wondering just how Joe Simpson survived this terrible ordeal. All the odds were against him. And after receiving his injury at such an early and hazardous stage of the decent, it's all too easy to think that Simpson should have gone down in the history books as just another victim of mountaineering disasters. Death defying is the only way to summarize this journey that Simpson eloquently depicts. No review can do justice to this great story that must be read first hand. It's one of my favourites. And you'll be hard-pressed to put this book down once you've picked it up.
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Gut wrenching
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I don't know much about climbing and never wanted to. I read this book because I was dragged to see the film Touching the Void by a friend, and came out exhilarated and traumatised in equal measure. The book, which came first, is very similar. It's a total roller coaster ride, telling a true story of a horrific climbing disaster in such a way as to make it the most compelling thing you can imagine, even if, like me, true stories and sporting tales are not your thing. Joe Simpson and his friend and climbing partner tackle a terrifically difficult mountain in the Himalayas. Used only to European mountains, they wildly underestimate their ability and their experience and things go badly wrong. That they survive is clear. Simpson writes his own story. How they survive is part of what makes the story so miraculous.
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just read it
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This book is the only book I have read in less than 36 hours. Not for its simplicity as its wonderfully crafted. It is so compelling, I could do nothing else until I finished it!
The story of Joe's brush with death and Simon's fear of leaving him is a miraculous tale of human endeavor, courage, compassion, skill and bravery. It points out that being brave isn't about not getting scared, but doing it anyway.
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