Jaunty, artless dispatches from some very unusual skiing locales -
Iran, northwestern China, Bolivia, etc. - by outdoor writer Finkel.
The most outrageous skiing venues are Finkel's chosen terrain, and
as skiing is often an unknown activity thereabouts, he fancies
himself part powderhound ambassador without portfolio, part merry
prankster, forever trying to ignite a gag about the circumstances.
It feels almost accidental that he also conveys a sense of the
remote, or at least wild, landscapes he engages with, but he does,
after a fashion: a roof-of-the-world herder's encampment where he
gives ski lessons to Kazakh horsemen; a flash down the snowcap of
Kilimanjaro; the northern lights zapping his circuitry as he skis
the night above Yellowknife; hairy tree-dodging on the diamond
slopes of Mad River Glen in the Green Mountain State; testing the
properties of friction on the PVC bristles in the Pentland Hills of
Scotland, where people ski despite the absence of snow, and where
his tumble "was relatively minor, though remarkably painful," and
"a vicious fall can not only leave permanent scars but also destroy
a ski outfit." Finkel doesn't display a subtle intellect in his
writing; he reports things as he sees them, which can be
refreshingly without pretense and maddeningly ignorant, the result
being a historical, decontextualized snapshots that suffer from
frivolity when overexposed. His visit to the ski resorts north of
Tehran is a rich opportunity to investigate the diverse culture of
the slopes, but he squanders it with a litany of old jokes about
Islamic restrictions. Then he will redeem himself with some
straight reportage on snowboarding the verticalities - rock-strewn
deeply crevassed 60-degree slopes - of Alaska's Chugach range, or a
disarming tale of off-piste powder runs in the north of Iceland.
Finally, Finkel's adventures, no doubt fertile ground for
soul-stirring, life-changing episodes, come off as unadorned
tomfoolery. (Kirkus Reviews)
Michael Finkel has spent more than a decade journeying across six
continents in a quest to unearth the wonders and eccentricities of
the world's snowy regions. These are his remarkable discoveries. In
this collection of seventeen mesmerizing, often uproarious tales,
Finkel ventures from the underside of an avalanche to the summit of
Mount Kilimanjaro - capturing the joys, the mishaps, and the magic
of each trip with rare skill.
From partnering with a gang of Kazak herdsmen in China to flying
off an Olympic ski jump in Lake Placid, he tackles the dangerous
and the bizarre with equal enthusiasm. And whether he is leaping
out of a helicopter to make a first ever descent on a remote
Alaskan peak or challenging the wretched conditions on the world's
highest ski run at 17,130 feet in Brazil, Finkel captures the power
and excitement of testing the limits of exploration.
But Alpine Circus is more than a simple retelling of extreme
exploits. Finkel also vividly describes what it is like to be alone
beneath the Northern Lights and how it feels to be an Olympic
torch-carrier; throughout he searches for more than thrills,
revealing the parade of strange and dynamic people and places that
he encounters along the journey.
Part seat-of-the-pants adventure, part cultural investigation,
and peppered throughout with humor and insight, Alpine Circus is a
stirring and brilliant trip from one of the brightest new voices
exploring the far reaches of the planet.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
