Ascension

There were definitely several moments when I had to suspend my disbelief, but I really enjoyed reading this book.

The mysteries kept me curious, and the various reveals and twists were satisfying. There's enough science there that it all seems somewhat plausible (if you don't think too much about it).

The protagonist was interesting - not particularly likeable but a genius-type who I found myself rooting for. There's an unusual reveal near the end that tells us something about his past that I found shocking.

There are some plot holes that don't spoil the story but made me less invested in what was happening.

It wasn't perfect but I liked it. I think most sci-fi fans and speculative fiction enthusiasts would enjoy reading it. I'd read more by Nicholas Binge.

Entretenido, con misterios interesantes pero un final muy flojo.

A huge mountain suddenly appears in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and a group of scientists and some people with guns are sent to investigate. In the end everything is explained in a name and the name is..(huge drumroll).... Neil Amai. Nobody could quite believe it when they worked it out, and my eyes, they rolled like mad things, just like they did with the Sutekh reveal in Dr Who.

Anyway, told in series of rambling letters, this is an insane mix of adventure, science and theology. The start of the book, especially the foreword, is beyond good, it really draws you in. The more the story unfolds, and unfolds is the correct term, the madder it becomes, and yet it is incredibly readable, even the science bits. On the whole, most of it works, some of it doesn't, some of it is incredibly corny and so much is left unanswered, but I really enjoyed it anyway. (even the science bits)

If you liked any of these you will probably enjoy it

The Sphere by Michael Crichton
The Mountains of Madness by Lovecraft
Dr Who & The Seeds of Doom
Abominable by Dan Simmons

I slogged through this book so you don't have to.

I've had this one on my to-read list since its publication I think, and as luck would have it, one of my regular library patrons had just finished reading it and was dropping it off at our swap shelf. I asked if they liked it, and they hedged a bit and finally committed to a half-hearted "....yeah?" And with that rounding endorsement, I decided to give it a go.

It's a mess. First off, the story is told through letters the main character sends to his niece. Highly, highly detailed letters he manages to pen with exact dialogue, scene movement, and adult topics to his kid (at the time) niece, between highly dangerous/incredibly wild scenes climbing a dangerous mountain. That took me right out of it, as I couldn't suspend belief enough to accept it.

Second, while the actual mountain climbing story starts out intriguing, it's really only for the first third or half or so before things start getting crazy weird and hard to follow. Even now, having just finished the book, I'm not really sure about that ending. There's actually a neat idea in here, if the author could've stuck with it and didn't lay so hard on the monsters on the mountain plot.

Third, and I'm putting this in spoilers, (character/plot spoilers here) the guy's name being a reverse of "i am alien"? Really? My eyes rolled super hard at that one. Why would an alien bother?

Dunno, definitely not my cup of tea. I gave it a star for the intriguing premise and interesting beginning, but it falls hard on its face not far in.

Synopsis: An enormous snow-covered mountain has appeared in the Pacific Ocean. No one knows when exactly it showed up, precisely how big it might be, or how to explain its existence. When Harold Tunmore is contacted by a shadowy organization to help investigate, he has no idea what he is getting into as he and his team set out for the mountain. The higher Harold's team ascends, the less things make sense. Time moves differently, turning minutes into hours, and hours into days. Amid the whipping cold of higher elevation, the climbers' limbs numb and memories of their lives before the mountain begin to fade. Paranoia quickly turns to violence among the crew, and slithering, ancient creatures pursue them in the snow. Still, as the dangers increase, the mystery of the mountain compels them to its peak, where they are certain they will find their answers. Have they stumbled upon the greatest scientific discovery known to man or the seeds of their own demise?

Thoughts: From the outset, the novel had me captivated and managed to sustain my interest until the last page. The prose was finely crafted, and the intricate blend of science, theology, and emotional depth was compelling. The narrative choice of framing the story as letters to a young relative felt somewhat forced and lacked a clear direction or purpose. Some of the characters felt formulaic, though one could argue that certain roles necessitate specific personality types. To be candid, only a handful of characters resonated with me, and the main players fell short of making a lasting impression. The conclusion, however, left me puzzled. It's unclear if even the editor fully grasped the intended outcome, as it could have benefited from some refining. Despite these critiques, the book offers a riveting experience, and I'd recommend it. Just be prepared for an ending that's open to interpretation.

*2.5 stars. There are some brief passages of exceptional writing. There are ideas here that have so much promise and are pretty interesting and unique concepts. There are slight flickers of James Hilton and H.P. Lovecraft. But there is also a lack of cohesion. There is poorly executed epistolary style. There is B movie drama blanketing poorly developed characters, despite what seems like great pains to give them depth but ultimately makes them hollow. I was intrigued, then disappointed.

Ik heb de laatste tijd echt pech met de sci-fi boeken die ik uitkies.
Ik zag keihard uit naar dit boek en was ervan overtuigd dat het me van mijn sokken ging blazen, maar uiteindelijk viel het tegen, ondanks het opwindende uitgangspunt en een aantal coole ideeën (ik vond bijvoorbeeld het fragment over heilige bergen en hoe die in quasi al onze mythologieën en religies voorkomen heel intrigerend). Helaas ontbrak het in de uitvoering, ik vond het veelal saai en bepaalde onthullingen bleken op het randje af belachelijk.

Ik zie in andere recensies veel opmerkingen over de verteltechniek en ik kan de algemene consensus hierover alleen maar bijtreden, gezien dit ook één van mijn eerste opmerkingen was toen ik het boek begon.
Het verhaal wordt verteld aan de hand van extreem gedetailleerde brieven die ons hoofdpersonage naar zijn tienernichtje schrijft, en zowel het niveau aan details als de ontvanger zorgden dat dit helemaal niet geloofwaardig overkwam. Het zou waarschijnlijk beter hebben gewerkt als een persoonlijk dagboek of als brieven aan zijn zoon, waardoor de onthulling van zijn dood meer impact zou hebben gehad.

Wat me ook stoorde was het inconsistente gebruik van eenheden. Dit zou een internationale wetenschappelijke expeditie moeten zijn, dus het gebruik van het Brits-Amerikaans maatsysteem voor bijvoorbeeld afstanden voelde echt onnatuurlijk voor mij. Dit is misschien wat muggenzifterig, maar kijk, ik ergerde me er aan.

En als dat mijn enige probleem was geweest, dan had ik daar zeker over kunnen kijken, maar uiteindelijk heb ik me vooral verveeld in dit boek en voelde ik me geen enkel moment emotioneel geïnvesteerd. Het teleurstellende en onbevredigende einde bezegelde de deal van een flauw, tegenvallend boek voor mij volledig.

I'm gonna sort this with [b:Dark Matter 27833670 Dark Matter Blake Crouch https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1472119680l/27833670.SY75.jpg 43161998] into the category “Scifi books for the masses that make proper scifi lovers mad”. It didn't take its own metaphysical mysterious seriously, added melodramatic character back stories that felt out of place, and then took some really goofy turns in the end. My original grievance with the book was that it chose to tell its story in the form of letters. We are to believe that someone in the middle of the most dangerous and mindblowing and sleep-depriving adventure of his lifetime, sits down while freezing in a tent on snowy cliffs to write hours and hours of polished detailed prose???

This book has little to recommend it. It is an epistolary novel and the setup is not unique at all–it remeinded me immediately of A Princess of Mars. The SF concept is also old–see Heinlein's “And He Built a Crooked House”, for example. There are monsters–who would have thought it?–and a quest for understanding of a big idea–which isn't so big or clever–and on and on. Binge gives us little that is new or particularly creative, and the story line and characters are not special enough to make be care more than two stars worth.

I did finish it, although I am not sure why.

4.25

3.5 stars!