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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
I liked the premise and I did manage to finish it, but the actual story itself is too ridiculous to take seriously. I don't think the epistolary format really works here; we're supposed to believe this guy is writing long letters to his niece in the middle of hiding from monsters? While huddling under a rock during a blizzard, where it's so cold it's all anyone can do just to survive? This dude still somehow has the physical dexterity in his fingers to hold a pen and write legibly with his frozen hands?
And I just didn't get the main character at all. From his brother's POV he's always been an aloof stranger, even when they were kids. In the main character's POV, he's just...basically a normal guy? Who is estranged from his family for Reasons? He doesn't even tell them when he gets married and adopts a kid. I never understood his weird reluctance to have anything to do with his family. He even asks himself that a couple times in the book but never has an answer. I'm also not sure why the narrative had him become a medical doctor before going into physics. Just to show that he's a super genius or something? I think being a world-renowned physicist shows that all by itself. No need to overdo it. Plus this guy doesn't actually do any physics OR medical stuff while on the mountain? The only thing he does is figure out the map. Oh, and I guess explain in small words what a tesseract is to a group of other really smart people who would probably already be familiar with the concept even if they aren't physicists.
I also like that this guy has all these revelations about the importance of human connection and not running away from his problems, when from the very beginning of the book we know he spent the last several decades of his life hiding in a nursing home and never talking to anyone ever again. He so completely disappeared that his family assumed he was dead and held a funeral for him! So that's great.
I'm just not sure what the point of this book is.
And I just didn't get the main character at all. From his brother's POV he's always been an aloof stranger, even when they were kids. In the main character's POV, he's just...basically a normal guy? Who is estranged from his family for Reasons? He doesn't even tell them when he gets married and adopts a kid. I never understood his weird reluctance to have anything to do with his family. He even asks himself that a couple times in the book but never has an answer. I'm also not sure why the narrative had him become a medical doctor before going into physics. Just to show that he's a super genius or something? I think being a world-renowned physicist shows that all by itself. No need to overdo it. Plus this guy doesn't actually do any physics OR medical stuff while on the mountain? The only thing he does is figure out the map. Oh, and I guess explain in small words what a tesseract is to a group of other really smart people who would probably already be familiar with the concept even if they aren't physicists.
I also like that this guy has all these revelations about the importance of human connection and not running away from his problems, when from the very beginning of the book we know he spent the last several decades of his life hiding in a nursing home and never talking to anyone ever again. He so completely disappeared that his family assumed he was dead and held a funeral for him! So that's great.
I'm just not sure what the point of this book is.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Similar to [b:Annihilation|17934530|Annihilation (Southern Reach, #1)|Jeff VanderMeer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403941587l/17934530._SX50_.jpg|24946895] in that a group of scientists explore the sudden appearance of an uncanny alien environment that appears on Earth, Ascension is less dreamy and haunting. I appreciate that this one provides an explanation for the phenomena, and within one book too (the Annihlation trilogy basically explained away the phenomena as a shard of cosmic horror that just happened to land there, which was deeply unsatisfying). Not that Ascension's ending necessarily makes complete sense, but it at least feels like an explanation.
Harold Tunmore is a renowned British physicist who once upon a time was a medical doctor. It is never explained why he left medicine to be a physicist, or how he became so famous so quickly (as I get the sense he is supposed to be in his 40's or so during the events of the book). When Harold goes on a personal investigation of why there are reports of bird migrations returning early (is this something physicists do?!? Not biologists?) - as if they were running from something - two mysterious seemingly military men appear in his hotel room to recruit him to investigate a strange phenomena. John McAllister, an epidemiologist who Harold had worked with previously, is in a secure facility acting strangely. He appears to be able to see the future. Harold is brought into talk to him, which does nothing to lessen the mystery. This leads Harold into an even bigger project: a mountain taller than Everest has suddenly appeared in the Pacific Ocean. Harold joins a group of other scientists (a chemist, geologist, biologist and anthropologist) along with a handful of military men and women and an arrogant mountaineer. Also on the mission is Harold's ex-wife, Naoko, one of the only survivors of the previous doomed mission up the mountain. The mountain, of course, is full of the strange and awful - time does not work in the linear way humans are used to and there are hostile alien forces who view the mountain as theirs.
Much of this book was very compelling, although I would put it more in the "horror" category than "thriller." When Harold is trying to figure out the mountain's secrets and the negative effects it is having on the scientific expedition it is a page-turner. There is much horror and violence that takes place on the mountain's hostile slope.
When it focuses on Harold's past domestic drama, it is much less compelling. I understand what Binge is going for here. The mountain and its challenges force Harold to confront his past and finally embrace the things that really matter: love for Naoko and their adopted child. I just didn't care much for Harold or for his clear guilt surrounding his adopted child that lead him to abandoning Naoko. I actually was much more invested in the no-nonsense, practical biologist Poly Volikova than I was in Harold. I would take her as the narrator over the wishy-washy Harold any day.
I also did not think that use of an epistolary novel worked in this book. Harold's letters were honestly far too long and detailed to make any sense as letters, especially when he was high up on the mountain (wouldn't the ink freeze and the paper blow away? And when there was limited carrying capacity, paper is heavy and he was basically carrying a book of letters by the end). He was writing to a niece he barely knew detailed explanations of his love for Naoko. Those would be honestly bizarre letters to receive. If it had to be a written chronicle, a journal would make more sense (although I do understand it was basically a journal, just addressed to a third party because Harold had run from himself for so long he couldn't even pretend to write to himself).
Spoilers for the ending here:
Harold Tunmore is a renowned British physicist who once upon a time was a medical doctor. It is never explained why he left medicine to be a physicist, or how he became so famous so quickly (as I get the sense he is supposed to be in his 40's or so during the events of the book). When Harold goes on a personal investigation of why there are reports of bird migrations returning early (is this something physicists do?!? Not biologists?) - as if they were running from something - two mysterious seemingly military men appear in his hotel room to recruit him to investigate a strange phenomena. John McAllister, an epidemiologist who Harold had worked with previously, is in a secure facility acting strangely. He appears to be able to see the future. Harold is brought into talk to him, which does nothing to lessen the mystery. This leads Harold into an even bigger project: a mountain taller than Everest has suddenly appeared in the Pacific Ocean. Harold joins a group of other scientists (a chemist, geologist, biologist and anthropologist) along with a handful of military men and women and an arrogant mountaineer. Also on the mission is Harold's ex-wife, Naoko, one of the only survivors of the previous doomed mission up the mountain. The mountain, of course, is full of the strange and awful - time does not work in the linear way humans are used to and there are hostile alien forces who view the mountain as theirs.
Much of this book was very compelling, although I would put it more in the "horror" category than "thriller." When Harold is trying to figure out the mountain's secrets and the negative effects it is having on the scientific expedition it is a page-turner. There is much horror and violence that takes place on the mountain's hostile slope.
When it focuses on Harold's past domestic drama, it is much less compelling. I understand what Binge is going for here. The mountain and its challenges force Harold to confront his past and finally embrace the things that really matter: love for Naoko and their adopted child. I just didn't care much for Harold or for his clear guilt surrounding his adopted child that lead him to abandoning Naoko. I actually was much more invested in the no-nonsense, practical biologist Poly Volikova than I was in Harold. I would take her as the narrator over the wishy-washy Harold any day.
I also did not think that use of an epistolary novel worked in this book. Harold's letters were honestly far too long and detailed to make any sense as letters, especially when he was high up on the mountain (wouldn't the ink freeze and the paper blow away? And when there was limited carrying capacity, paper is heavy and he was basically carrying a book of letters by the end). He was writing to a niece he barely knew detailed explanations of his love for Naoko. Those would be honestly bizarre letters to receive. If it had to be a written chronicle, a journal would make more sense (although I do understand it was basically a journal, just addressed to a third party because Harold had run from himself for so long he couldn't even pretend to write to himself).
Spoilers for the ending here:
Spoiler
I did not understand all the explanation, but basically the mountain is in the 4th dimension, and us puny 3rd dimension humans cannot conceptualize it all. The mountain has appeared in our dimension on and off through the centuries, and is likely the basis of our many myths (i.e., Mount Olympus). It is apparently some kind of test by a (I assume, 4th dimension) alien race to see if humans have "advanced" sufficiently to make it to the top and therefore have "earned" the right to evolve to the next level. They had previously passed the "test" (can't tell if it's the same or a different version) that allowed them to be deemed ready for the first stage of evolution (from homo erectus to homo sapiens I guess?) The alien who has been monitoring this group of humans had embedded himself as their anthropologist named Neil Amai ("I am alien"). The monsters on the mountain ("leviathans") are more-or-less mind flayers who were early alien experiments, and like the angels are jealous of "God's" second creation, humans. That is why they attack any homo sapiens who make it up the mountain. The person who reaches the top of the mountain gets to level up to homo altior. It is a frankly bizarre choice of a test. Since Harold and arrogant mountaineer Bettan both reach the mountain together, they have to decide which of them gets to level up. They agree on Bettan, who takes the "seed" that causes the change and then promptly shoots himself, because he won't be anybody's experiment. Sadly for these seemingly super advanced aliens, they only made one seed and "it cannot be made again." Seems kind of bad to have no fail-safe McGuffin, so maybe these aliens aren't as superior as they think they are.
This is a fantastic page turner which hooks you in from the start, the narrative pulling you forward just as the characters are inexorably drawn towards the summit of the mysterious ice-swept mountain that looms at the centre of the plot.
The epistolary style works well and I loved the Gothic/Lovecraftian/MR Jamesian elements - the mysterious disappearances, the confessional letters in which the troubled but brilliant narrator acknowledges the unlikeliness of the events he has experienced and works through the emotional traumas of his life, the surrounding sense of impending madness and doom, the general mood of uncertainty and ambiguity and so on - as well as the philosophical reflections which question issues such as the nature of belief, existence and love.
Above all, it’s a great read and it cracks along apace complete with cliffhangers (!), revelations and twists all wrapped up in what, in the end, is a cracking thriller with elements of sc-fi. Great fun and highly recommended.
The epistolary style works well and I loved the Gothic/Lovecraftian/MR Jamesian elements - the mysterious disappearances, the confessional letters in which the troubled but brilliant narrator acknowledges the unlikeliness of the events he has experienced and works through the emotional traumas of his life, the surrounding sense of impending madness and doom, the general mood of uncertainty and ambiguity and so on - as well as the philosophical reflections which question issues such as the nature of belief, existence and love.
Above all, it’s a great read and it cracks along apace complete with cliffhangers (!), revelations and twists all wrapped up in what, in the end, is a cracking thriller with elements of sc-fi. Great fun and highly recommended.
I'm really not sure how I feel about this one. I love the concept. I found the flashbacks distracting and overlong. It really needed something from Harriet in addition to, or even instead of, Ben.
3.5 stars, at least for the moment.
3.5 stars, at least for the moment.
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"Nobody spoke. Words felt insufficient, out of place. In the face of its magnitude, simile and metaphor felt ridiculous.
This mountain - it rejects language. It renders it impotent. All that exists in its place is an utter disbelief, and an almost religious awe."
An engrossingly tender, chilling and devastating venture into the intricacies and depths of grief, loss and guilt.I truly felt as if I were spiralling into insanity alongside Harold. Subsequently, being torn from the escalation was shocking, bringing the novel into satisfying completion.
Every moment, character, imagination and memory felt taut with significant emotional gravity. A novel that achieves horror as well as genuine sorrow.
This mountain - it rejects language. It renders it impotent. All that exists in its place is an utter disbelief, and an almost religious awe."
An engrossingly tender, chilling and devastating venture into the intricacies and depths of grief, loss and guilt.
Every moment, character, imagination and memory felt taut with significant emotional gravity. A novel that achieves horror as well as genuine sorrow.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death