Customer Reviews

The Totem Pole: And a Whole New Adventure

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Although it follows his award-winning work, Deep Play, it cannot be described as a sequel. The Totem Pole is an account of a singular event in the author's life: a climbing accident in Australia that resulted in brain damage and partial paralysis. His rehabilitation is marked by the frightening uncertainty of how much (or how little) progress he will make. Climbing had been the essence of his life, and now no one can tell him if and when he will ever climb again.For an early dropout from school (at his father's urging), Pritchard has an amazing writing talent. "Deep Play" showed signs of his ability, but "The Totem Pole" brings Pritchard's talent to full flower.The only disappointment in the book is the middle section, where he switches from his narrative to a transcription of a taped diary made during his rehabilitation. The transcripts are a noticeable dropoff in the writing, but help reveal the inspired level with which the book begins and ends.A standout in the genre of climbing books, Joe Simpson fans will not be disappointed.

This is the story of a man who was at the pinnacle of his career in the morning, and in the afternoon was lapsing in and out of consciousness, fighting for his life on a sea-swept ledge on a remote Tasmanian sea stack. The account follows the events of that Friday 13th an subsequent memories of the Tasmanian hospital, journey home, and painful experiences during rehabilitation in Clatterbridge.

The whole story ebbs and flows wildly with emotion, and you can only wonder at Pritchard's strength of character, and marvel at his ability to tell his story in such a clear manner.

See also (...)for further details of Pritchard's experiences.

Words like "spellbinding" are thrown around too often, but I truly could not put this book down. It is a rare chance to visit inside the experience of a person with a brain injury, and inside the experience of rehab. Fortunately for the reader, the writer is a man of rare courage and humor, and the trip, while painful, is ...well, spellbinding.

The writing is a little bit uneven, but don't let that stop you. The story is the thing, and he tells it well.

The Totem Pole is an heroic tale of the human spirit in overcoming horrific trauma, told with complete candor, considerable insight, and an ultimate triumphal joy. The Totem Pole is highly recommended, inspiring reading.

After 'Deep Play' I was keen to read more of Paul Pritchard's work. Paul writes with a great deal of honesty and in a way which makes you want to keep on reading - his varied style never becoming dull. The book is less about climbing than his recovery from a horrific brain injury sustained whilst pursuing that passion (although the account of the incident itelf is quite gripping).

His grit and determination to regain a life in some way resembling what he lost in Tasmania is truly commendable but perhaps not surprising given the way he approached climbing and life in general. His account of the physical and mental struggles along with the people (patients and medical staff) who become fixtures of his new world is both humorous and touching.