by Damien O’Brien
I perceived that the general consensus was very positive around the Ger O’Donnell book. Limited expressions of concern with its stylistics and varying degrees of details (with a tendency not to present as much about the actual experience of a climber save the excerpts chosen by a non-climber) were carried by the story itself and all reported being glad to have taken the time to read it. I was struck that respondents found that the back and forth engagement with 2008 events and past events was something that caused more initial question than continuing and most reported that they simply got used to or had it drop away as the narrative went along and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I write this being the low outlier of 3.5/10 and awards ranged to a high of 7 I recall. So good mix of reactions to it with the desire expressed to go on and read other accounts of the same events by Pat Falvey and ‘Surviving K2’ by Wilco van Rooijen.
There was a sense that the driving intent of this edition was to set the record straight and respond to initial media fixation on the first accounts to emerge from the Italian climber that simply suggests that Ger was disoriented and wandered off never to be seen again. The evidence presented seemed to safely substantiate that both past behaviour and more widely based observation that h did, in fact, give his life attempting to save others.
Despite my own 3.5, I was personally glad to have read it although in my opinion is rather reduced to being the fond recollections of a family member. I a struck however at the nature of the social commentary that that renders in itself about the importance of community and public face (assume I am taking reporters privilege in expressing this last bit).
Thanks all for the discussion. I hope that I do it some justice.
As to onward…the book chosen for this month’s read is The Undertaking by Audrey Magee.