The Ascent: A Novel [Hardcover]

Jeff Long (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1992

In a novel set in the majestic Himalayas, ten men and two women brave the treacherous ``dark side'' of Mount Everest--a high-stakes adventure that pits climbers against their own fears. By the author of Angels of Light. 25,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The memory of a Wyoming climbing disaster 18 years earlier links two members of an expedition striving to conquer Mt. Everest. Long ( Angels of Light ) sets his second novel on the mountain's remote, virtually impassable Tibetan side, where a 12-person team challenging the (fictional) Kore Wall Route must cope with brutal Chinese occupation policies as well as the dangers of the climb itself. Daniel Corder is the expedition's de facto leader, while Abe Burns is the medic. Neither can afford to dwell on the past, but the disaster is never forgotten, leaving readers to wonder throughout how the tension will be resolved. Meanwhile, there's a moral dilemma concerning a Tibetan Buddhist monk who has escaped Chinese torture and who asks the team's succor. The author, himself an experienced climber, firmly establishes the obsessional aspects of high-altitude mountaineering and offers a superb depiction of the physical and psychological effects of ascending imperial heights. Techno-thriller fans will appreciate Long's detailed descriptions of modern high-tech climbing--from the use of specialized ropes to high-priced endorsements--and his frequent, effective use of military metaphors to emphasize the life-or-death nature of his characters' adventure.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The author of Angels of Light (Morrow, 1987) here turns to adventure set in the Himalayas, as a group of American mountaineers attempt to climb Mount Everest. The characters have diverse motivations and backgrounds, and conflicts between the Chinese government and Tibetan nationals provide interesting foils to the Americans' saga of courage and survival. Beneath the conventional plot lies an existentialist drama of human nature and individual responsibility for one's actions. As the expedition begins to unravel, Long describes in sometimes graphic detail medical problems, emergency surgery under appalling conditions, and the constant possibility of death. He reminds us that each person is the product of past choices. The provocative, by no means conventionally happy ending will have readers debating whether the expedition's final acts were courageous and responsible or merely inevitable. Highly recommended for all libraries.-- Stanley Planton, Ohio Univ.
Chillicothe Lib.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 284 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (June 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688108881
• ISBN-13: 978-0688108885
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,082,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Triumph of the Human Spirit, June 21, 2000

By 

Kenri A. Mugleston - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ascent: A Novel (Hardcover)

This novel is not only about the conquest to defeat Mt. Everest, it is about the strength of the human spirit.

While attempting to top Mt. Everest 10 climbers come to grips with their weaknesses and strengths. They come to understand about morality and the things that are truly important in this life.

This novel was a good read on several levels.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you can find it, buy it!, October 28, 1999

By 

K. Freeman (Apple Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ascent: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is a very well-written book -- also harrowing, scary and depressing. You will finish it feeling like you just barely survived. Long, as a climber himself, captures the desperate alienness of the Death Zone. Read it!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book ROCKS!, April 27, 2004

By 

D. A KENNEDY "read ranger" (Santa Cruz, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Ascent: A Novel (Hardcover)

Long is a talented, insightful, and original writer. He's written a story that never lets up, and leads you places you never thought you'd go. Go ahead, try putting it down once you've started. Can't wait for more............