Good but not great, just good!!
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I read this book after reading 'Touching the Void' and I have a basic level of mountaineering experience so I wasn't to phased by any of the jargon of which there is a little. Having ravished 'Touching the Void' I suppose anything is going to be a let down, but I certainly enjoyed his accounts of various climbs and the picture he paints of the climbing community within this book. I was however disappointed by the first few chapters covering his childhood which to me seemed to fill space and wasn't really anything worth reading, as it was no more than a story of kids getting up to mischief, which most kids do. I also began to tire of his inner questioning of why so many of his friends had perished in their pursuits on the mountains as it came across as repeated and non conclusive. I can understand the inner anguish to him given his experiences but again there were times when I felt he was writing about the tragic loss of friends to fill space because his editor needed more. I don't want to belittle the loss of these people however the book was written to be sold and to make money.
Overall though this isn't, by any stretch of the imagination, a bad book. I think Joe Simpson has a talent for writing and he introduces the reader to a world, and a thrill, most will never know in a very emotional way, and includes a good few highly amusing 'laugh out loud' moments along the way. I read it quickly and there are a lot of good sections and interesting accounts of climbs, medical recoveries and friendships and experiences, there were just a few sections where I read to finish it not to enjoy it though.
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Compelling
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I came to this book after reading Touching the Void and seeing Simpson in the film of the same name. He struck me as such an odd character, a literary man and an adventurer, quietly spoken but a thrill seeker. I was curious to know more. What fascinated me about this book was the fact that the majority of the stories he recounts are about his climbing experiences after the trauma of the episodes in Touching The Void. I remember thinking: 'surely he won't climb again'. How little I knew! Not only did he climb again, but managed to get himself into some comparatively horrible situations. This book doesn't have the narrative sweep of Touching the Void, being episodic in nature. It is however, a fascinating insight into the compulsion to climb and the psyche of the climber. Simpson is a good writer, which makes it all the more memorable and worthwhile a read.
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what happened next...
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This game of ghosts is a valiant attempt by joe simpson to write a sequel to the epic "touching the void", and his honesty and philosophical approach are interesting, but ultimately the book is disjointed and a little repetitive and strangely lacking. upon finishing touching the void, i couldnt wait to find out what happened next, and unfortunately simpson doesnt really linger on this period in any great depth, and there seems to be some reading between the lines required as well, as nowhere is there mention of simon yates contributions to touching the void, other than obviously cutting the rope.
simpson attempts to knit togther the various segments of his life with his motivations and observations on risk and particuliarly mountaineering, but these observations become a little repetitive.
simpson is undoubtedly a good writer, and the mountaineering expeditions he describes again show his simplistic yet effective technique works very well, but lacking the depth and coherence of the previous book.
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Had to read the sequel to Touching the Void
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After having enjoyed Touching the Void a book that claimed to be its sequel was worth a read. Slow in starting, I did not initially understood why Simpson needed to tell us about his childhood, the book gave a good undestanding of Simpson and his addiction to mountaineering. The desciption of the mugging in Sheffield was just as dramatic as the accident on Pumouri. Simpson has that great ability to enanble his reader to visualise what he is going through. The description of the ankle break and the facial injuries was not one for the screamish and i felt "not again". Simpson's account of the loss of his friends and the wonder of why them and not me is sobering. Amother great offering from Simpson and I would recommend this to all that have read Touching the Void.
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Compelling
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By the end of Touching the Void I needed to know more about Joe Simpson and why he does what he does - this book answers many of the questions. It's well written, very readable and utterly compelling. These men are inspired and the book captures that inspiration. If, like me, the most dangerous thing you've done is bivouac in the back garden with a flask of hot tea and a bacon butty you'll be amazed at what goes on up top!
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