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Thin Air: A Ghost Story
The Himalayas, 1935
Kangchenjunga. Third highest peak on earth. Greatest killer of them all.
Five Englishmen set off from Darjeeling, determined to tackle the sacred summit. But courage can only take them so far - and the mountain is not their only foe.
As mountain sickness and the horrors of extreme altitude set in, the past refuses to stay buried. And sometimes, the truth won't set you free. .
Kangchenjunga. Third highest peak on earth. Greatest killer of them all.
Five Englishmen set off from Darjeeling, determined to tackle the sacred summit. But courage can only take them so far - and the mountain is not their only foe.
As mountain sickness and the horrors of extreme altitude set in, the past refuses to stay buried. And sometimes, the truth won't set you free. .
223 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2016
About the author
Michelle Paver
53 books2,180 followersMichelle Paver was born in central Africa, but came to England as a child. After gaining a degree in biochemistry from Oxford University, she became a partner in a city law firm, but eventually gave that up to write full-time.
The hugely successful Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series arose from Michelle's lifelong passion for animals, anthropology and the distant past—as well as an encounter with a large bear in a remote valley in southern California. To research the books, Michelle has traveled to Finland, Greenland, Sweden, Norway, Arctic Canada and the Carpathian Mountains. She has slept on reindeer skins, swum with wild orca (killer whales), and got nose-to-nose with polar bears—and, of course, wolves.
The hugely successful Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series arose from Michelle's lifelong passion for animals, anthropology and the distant past—as well as an encounter with a large bear in a remote valley in southern California. To research the books, Michelle has traveled to Finland, Greenland, Sweden, Norway, Arctic Canada and the Carpathian Mountains. She has slept on reindeer skins, swum with wild orca (killer whales), and got nose-to-nose with polar bears—and, of course, wolves.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,164 reviews
November 2, 2020
A spooky and atmospheric ghost story, the Perfect reading material for dark October/November long dark nights. I am always on the look out for a good chilling style story at this time of year. I am not a fan of Horror and or guts and gore just a good old fashioned Ghost Story is what floats my boat.
Thin Air: A Ghost Story fitted the bill perfectly for me, this is more the the sort of story that is eerie and chilling and unsettling as opposed to scary.
Set in the Himalayas, 1935. Five Englishmen set off from Darjeeling determined to conquer the sacred summit of Kangchenjunga.
As the wind dies, the dread grows. Mountain sickness kicks in and the horrors of extreme altitude. Not to mention a past that will not stay buried.
This is an extremely well written and novel and I was captivated from the very first chapter. The author has certainly done her research when it comes such expeditions of this nature and explains in a note a the end just how she researched in order to write this story.
I could feel the chilly winds and the cold in this one and the eerie feel of the mountain really comes to life in her vivid writing.
I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator added to my enjoyment of the story.
A short read at under 250 pages or 6 hours listening time and I think readers who like adventure stories or good old fashioned style Ghost stories will enjoy this one.
Thin Air: A Ghost Story fitted the bill perfectly for me, this is more the the sort of story that is eerie and chilling and unsettling as opposed to scary.
Set in the Himalayas, 1935. Five Englishmen set off from Darjeeling determined to conquer the sacred summit of Kangchenjunga.
As the wind dies, the dread grows. Mountain sickness kicks in and the horrors of extreme altitude. Not to mention a past that will not stay buried.
This is an extremely well written and novel and I was captivated from the very first chapter. The author has certainly done her research when it comes such expeditions of this nature and explains in a note a the end just how she researched in order to write this story.
I could feel the chilly winds and the cold in this one and the eerie feel of the mountain really comes to life in her vivid writing.
I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator added to my enjoyment of the story.
A short read at under 250 pages or 6 hours listening time and I think readers who like adventure stories or good old fashioned style Ghost stories will enjoy this one.
April 5, 2016
Michelle Paver's
Dark Matter
is one of my favourite ghost stories, but I admit, when I heard about Thin Air, I had doubts that she could recreate the same magic. The story just sounded too similar - Dark Matter was about a group of five men embarking on an Arctic expedition in the 1930s; Thin Air is about a group of five men embarking on a mountain-climbing expedition in the 1930s - and I worried that the new story would effectively be a retread of the old one. Inevitably, there are similarities between the two, but Thin Air is so full of atmosphere, so absorbing, that it develops its own character very quickly.
The mountain at the centre of this story is Kangchenjunga; the tale is narrated by the team's doctor, Stephen, writing in his journal. His altogether more successful and glamorous brother, Kits, is the group's fearless leader. They're following in the footsteps of an expedition that went notoriously awry, and from the beginning, their mission is under something of a dark cloud after they're warned off Kangchenjunga by one of the only men to have survived that previous attempt. It's not long before strange events convince at least one of the group that they're not quite as isolated (or as safe) as they think. There is a particular scene that makes a rucksack scarier than you could ever imagine; like Dark Matter, Thin Air plays with themes of isolation and paranoia, and how these feelings can magnify each other.
At a time of high anxiety, reading this (earlier than I intended; it's out in October) was a sort of treat to myself, and it worked perfectly, the sinister atmosphere completely engulfing all other worries. Thin Air is a proper ghost story, the good old-fashioned type, to be read under a blanket with a candle flickering, and every detail of its creepy, compelling tale is note-perfect - the historical detail, the slow build-up, the delicious dread of the spooky scenes. It is scary, but scary in the way the way of things you actively seek out to scare you when you're young; indeed, probably a little more so than Dark Matter, this feels like a book that could be enjoyed by readers of all ages (which makes sense given Paver's extensive back catalogue of children's fiction). I'm so glad Paver has written another ghost story, and I hope it won't be the last.
I received an advance review copy of Thin Air from the publisher through NetGalley.
The mountain at the centre of this story is Kangchenjunga; the tale is narrated by the team's doctor, Stephen, writing in his journal. His altogether more successful and glamorous brother, Kits, is the group's fearless leader. They're following in the footsteps of an expedition that went notoriously awry, and from the beginning, their mission is under something of a dark cloud after they're warned off Kangchenjunga by one of the only men to have survived that previous attempt. It's not long before strange events convince at least one of the group that they're not quite as isolated (or as safe) as they think. There is a particular scene that makes a rucksack scarier than you could ever imagine; like Dark Matter, Thin Air plays with themes of isolation and paranoia, and how these feelings can magnify each other.
At a time of high anxiety, reading this (earlier than I intended; it's out in October) was a sort of treat to myself, and it worked perfectly, the sinister atmosphere completely engulfing all other worries. Thin Air is a proper ghost story, the good old-fashioned type, to be read under a blanket with a candle flickering, and every detail of its creepy, compelling tale is note-perfect - the historical detail, the slow build-up, the delicious dread of the spooky scenes. It is scary, but scary in the way the way of things you actively seek out to scare you when you're young; indeed, probably a little more so than Dark Matter, this feels like a book that could be enjoyed by readers of all ages (which makes sense given Paver's extensive back catalogue of children's fiction). I'm so glad Paver has written another ghost story, and I hope it won't be the last.
I received an advance review copy of Thin Air from the publisher through NetGalley.
May 19, 2017
I really enjoy ghost stories in general, so getting into this modern rendition of a historical mountaineering thriller turned ghost story was pretty fun.
Granted, such stories about climbing mountains in the 30's have a long tradition. And of course, so do ghost stories. But regardless, this mash-up was first and foremost WELL WRITTEN. Modern style, of course.
I had a good time. That's pretty much all. It has brotherly angst, a fight against the elements, tragedy, pettiness, and above all, really great foreshadowing. Most of my enjoyment came from trying to find out what Kind of ghost story it would become, and when I learned, I was mightily pleased. Nuff Said about that.
It was pleasing. Thrilling, full of pathos, and it even included a great dog. What more can we ask for in a popcorn horror?
Granted, such stories about climbing mountains in the 30's have a long tradition. And of course, so do ghost stories. But regardless, this mash-up was first and foremost WELL WRITTEN. Modern style, of course.
I had a good time. That's pretty much all. It has brotherly angst, a fight against the elements, tragedy, pettiness, and above all, really great foreshadowing. Most of my enjoyment came from trying to find out what Kind of ghost story it would become, and when I learned, I was mightily pleased. Nuff Said about that.
It was pleasing. Thrilling, full of pathos, and it even included a great dog. What more can we ask for in a popcorn horror?
January 6, 2018
This is an old-fashioned ghost story, very much in the mould of Michelle Paver’s earlier outing in this genre, Dark Matter. This again involves five men in isolation in extreme circumstances. The setting is a mountaineering expedition in the 1930s to the world’s third highest mountain, Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas. The Guardian review rather neatly sums it up as “Touching the Void” meets Jack London. Central to the story are Stephen, the narrator and team physician who is writing a journal, and his older brother Kits who is a very confident mountaineer. They are following on an earlier disastrous Edwardian expedition where a number of the climbers died. The team have read the account of the expedition and whilst preparing in Darjeeling they visit the last surviving member of the expedition, Tennant, who warns Stephen not to go.
The ghost in question is a member of the previous expedition Arthur Ward. He was an outsider, not being upper class like the rest of the team. He fell and was left to die on the mountainside. Paver builds the tension well, piece by piece using the surroundings very effectively. The contrast with the Sherpas is telling. They respect and fear the mountain and display a great deal more common sense than their western paymasters. Freud argues that the writer can achieve the uncanny by;
“Promising us everyday reality and then going beyond it”.
Paver certainly does that as the narrator, Stephen, gradually perceives that there is someone else climbing with them. The discovery of an old rucksack is significant and Paver manages to make an everyday object like a rucksack very scary indeed. The sheer scale and power of the mountain, which has its own weather systems, add to the feeling of something beyond, as does the cold and the thinness of the air. Then there is the tensions between the two brothers:
“I know my brother. A couple of years ago, someone came upon Irvine’s ice axe on Everest’s north-west ridge, and Kits sulked for weeks. Why wasn’t he the one to find it and get all the glory? That’s what he’s after now: relics of the Lyell Expedition; and a chance to complete what the great man began, by being the first in the world to conquer an eight thousand-metre peak—with the added lustre of planting the Union Jack on the summit, and beating the bloody Germans.”
Paver develops these tensions very well. Then the gradual development of a sense of haunting, initially denied by the empirical Stephen:
“It’s no good, I have to face the truth. There’s something terribly wrong with Camp Two,
What do I mean by wrong? Well I don’t mean ghosts. Not in the sense of disembodied spirits, I don’t believe in them. […] But energy, now. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, so isn’t it at least possible that some kind of energy—perhaps magnetic, or even some force of emotion—may have lingered here for years? And perhaps—perhaps there’s something about me that makes me a sort of physical medium for that energy: like a battery, or a lightning rod?
It’s a hypothesis, and it makes me feel slightly better. I’ve put a frame around the wrongness. I’ve contained it.”
The chills and the horror are very much linked to the characters and their particular sensibilities, which makes the whole more effective. As ghost stories go this was effective.
The ghost in question is a member of the previous expedition Arthur Ward. He was an outsider, not being upper class like the rest of the team. He fell and was left to die on the mountainside. Paver builds the tension well, piece by piece using the surroundings very effectively. The contrast with the Sherpas is telling. They respect and fear the mountain and display a great deal more common sense than their western paymasters. Freud argues that the writer can achieve the uncanny by;
“Promising us everyday reality and then going beyond it”.
Paver certainly does that as the narrator, Stephen, gradually perceives that there is someone else climbing with them. The discovery of an old rucksack is significant and Paver manages to make an everyday object like a rucksack very scary indeed. The sheer scale and power of the mountain, which has its own weather systems, add to the feeling of something beyond, as does the cold and the thinness of the air. Then there is the tensions between the two brothers:
“I know my brother. A couple of years ago, someone came upon Irvine’s ice axe on Everest’s north-west ridge, and Kits sulked for weeks. Why wasn’t he the one to find it and get all the glory? That’s what he’s after now: relics of the Lyell Expedition; and a chance to complete what the great man began, by being the first in the world to conquer an eight thousand-metre peak—with the added lustre of planting the Union Jack on the summit, and beating the bloody Germans.”
Paver develops these tensions very well. Then the gradual development of a sense of haunting, initially denied by the empirical Stephen:
“It’s no good, I have to face the truth. There’s something terribly wrong with Camp Two,
What do I mean by wrong? Well I don’t mean ghosts. Not in the sense of disembodied spirits, I don’t believe in them. […] But energy, now. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, so isn’t it at least possible that some kind of energy—perhaps magnetic, or even some force of emotion—may have lingered here for years? And perhaps—perhaps there’s something about me that makes me a sort of physical medium for that energy: like a battery, or a lightning rod?
It’s a hypothesis, and it makes me feel slightly better. I’ve put a frame around the wrongness. I’ve contained it.”
The chills and the horror are very much linked to the characters and their particular sensibilities, which makes the whole more effective. As ghost stories go this was effective.
September 2, 2024
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. I had to go back to my Goodreads profile to determine whether it was 3 or 4 stars for me. It was well written and I did have a connection with the main character who is also the narrator of this book.
In the 1930’s a group of British hikers are attempting to get to the summit of the 3rd tallest mountain in the Himalayas; Kangchenjunga. A group about 30 years ago attempted to climb the same route and all but 2 of them died.
Michelle Paver did a great job researching the area and her Author’s note at the end is worth reading. She does mention that she kept the language,old spellings and the character’s attitudes (including some racist names for the porters that are assisting the group of Englishmen).
This was not an explosive story that you’ll be tearing through the pages for, but it is a slow and conscious build that turns out to be absolutely terrifying. I won’t be going into the details of the story, that’s for the reader to experience on their own but I will say that I was satisfied by the ending and the dog doesn’t die.
The sections describing altitude sickness, its symptoms and the treatments for it back then were fascinating to me as well.
In the 1930’s a group of British hikers are attempting to get to the summit of the 3rd tallest mountain in the Himalayas; Kangchenjunga. A group about 30 years ago attempted to climb the same route and all but 2 of them died.
Michelle Paver did a great job researching the area and her Author’s note at the end is worth reading. She does mention that she kept the language,old spellings and the character’s attitudes (including some racist names for the porters that are assisting the group of Englishmen).
This was not an explosive story that you’ll be tearing through the pages for, but it is a slow and conscious build that turns out to be absolutely terrifying. I won’t be going into the details of the story, that’s for the reader to experience on their own but I will say that I was satisfied by the ending and the dog doesn’t die.
The sections describing altitude sickness, its symptoms and the treatments for it back then were fascinating to me as well.
December 10, 2018
This was (kind of) a buddy read with Janel at Keeper of Pages.
I always knew going into this book that I was going to compare it to The White Road by Sarah Lotz. Both are books about spooky mountain climbs, and because I loved the former book so much, this one had a lot to live up to. Luckily it didn’t disappoint. It wasn’t quite as good as the Lotz novel, but I think this would be a great introduction to the genre of mountain-horror novels.
This novel felt a little bit slow to get off the ground and I was worried that it wasn’t really going to build up to any sort of crescendo. The beginning of the book focuses heavily on building the characters, all of who are great to get to know. Our narrator Stephen is a likeable guy from the get-go, he’s a little bit clumsy and his self-deprecating humour adds a lighter tone to the novel. We also meet the team with which he’s trekking the mountain, which includes his brother Kits. Kit’s is everything that Stephen is not – he’s successful, well-loved, and confident. It was really interesting to see the sibling dynamic throughout the book. Paver makes it an interesting relationship where they have love for each other, but only due to the fact they’re related, otherwise, they readily admit they wouldn’t get along at all.
Once we get further into the story, and higher up the mountain, the creepiness begins. At the start, there are just small occurrences of unease, a shadow at the edge of Stephen’s vision or the dark shape of a man further up the mountain. But as we read on, weirder things begin to happen. I loved the atmosphere Paver created in this novel, you can really lose yourself in scenario’s and feel the plummeting sense of fear and dread that plagues Stephen.
I loved how the story progressed and the mystery of what was up the mountain unfolded. I thought the premise turned out to be really quite unique in a genre where there isn’t much room for newness. The ending was shocking but enjoyable, and I liked the way there were breaks in the narrative to include a letter and book manuscript.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. If you’re new to horror and are looking for something quick but exciting to read, this is definitely a good choice of book to pick up. I’m definitely going to visit this author again and have already had a lot of people recommend her other horror, Dark Matter.
I always knew going into this book that I was going to compare it to The White Road by Sarah Lotz. Both are books about spooky mountain climbs, and because I loved the former book so much, this one had a lot to live up to. Luckily it didn’t disappoint. It wasn’t quite as good as the Lotz novel, but I think this would be a great introduction to the genre of mountain-horror novels.
This novel felt a little bit slow to get off the ground and I was worried that it wasn’t really going to build up to any sort of crescendo. The beginning of the book focuses heavily on building the characters, all of who are great to get to know. Our narrator Stephen is a likeable guy from the get-go, he’s a little bit clumsy and his self-deprecating humour adds a lighter tone to the novel. We also meet the team with which he’s trekking the mountain, which includes his brother Kits. Kit’s is everything that Stephen is not – he’s successful, well-loved, and confident. It was really interesting to see the sibling dynamic throughout the book. Paver makes it an interesting relationship where they have love for each other, but only due to the fact they’re related, otherwise, they readily admit they wouldn’t get along at all.
Once we get further into the story, and higher up the mountain, the creepiness begins. At the start, there are just small occurrences of unease, a shadow at the edge of Stephen’s vision or the dark shape of a man further up the mountain. But as we read on, weirder things begin to happen. I loved the atmosphere Paver created in this novel, you can really lose yourself in scenario’s and feel the plummeting sense of fear and dread that plagues Stephen.
I loved how the story progressed and the mystery of what was up the mountain unfolded. I thought the premise turned out to be really quite unique in a genre where there isn’t much room for newness. The ending was shocking but enjoyable, and I liked the way there were breaks in the narrative to include a letter and book manuscript.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. If you’re new to horror and are looking for something quick but exciting to read, this is definitely a good choice of book to pick up. I’m definitely going to visit this author again and have already had a lot of people recommend her other horror, Dark Matter.
February 2, 2024
3 stars
short review for busy readers: 85% mountain climb report, 15% creepy-creepy. Some crossover with her masterpiece Dark Matter: A Ghost Story, but not nearly as well done nor is the ghost nearly as convincing/terrifying. 1st person narrator. Diary entry format. Fast read. If you've read anything about Everest climbs - especially the ice corpses- you've read this.
in detail:
This is my 4th Paver. 1 was great (Dark Matter), 1 was good (A Place in the Hills), 1 was okay (this one), and 1 was awful (Wakenhyrst).
This one is decently written and the technical detail/research is very well done, as usual.
There are, however, 3 things wrong with this ghost story.
1. Wrong narrator. The 1st person narrator of Dr Pearce lacks a convincing personality and motivation for doing anything -- even for being in the novel. He seems just there as a way to relate the story. The element of sibling rivalry with his older narcissistic, gaslighting brother Kits as motivation is terribly undercooked. In fact, Kits would have been a much better choice for narrator.
2. The ghost, too, has no clear motivation for bothering the doctor specifically
3. Paver always starts slow with lots of technical detail, but here the technical detail takes over the plot and chokes the supernatural element. Only in the last, oh 25%, are there any good ghostly happenings and the end reveals are very rushed, almost as if the ghost part was an afterthought.
In general, Paver didn't really go beyond the most obvious of scenarios, given the subject matter. Which is a real shame. She could have done a lot more with this one.
short review for busy readers: 85% mountain climb report, 15% creepy-creepy. Some crossover with her masterpiece Dark Matter: A Ghost Story, but not nearly as well done nor is the ghost nearly as convincing/terrifying. 1st person narrator. Diary entry format. Fast read. If you've read anything about Everest climbs - especially the ice corpses- you've read this.
in detail:
This is my 4th Paver. 1 was great (Dark Matter), 1 was good (A Place in the Hills), 1 was okay (this one), and 1 was awful (Wakenhyrst).
This one is decently written and the technical detail/research is very well done, as usual.
There are, however, 3 things wrong with this ghost story.
1. Wrong narrator. The 1st person narrator of Dr Pearce lacks a convincing personality and motivation for doing anything -- even for being in the novel. He seems just there as a way to relate the story. The element of sibling rivalry with his older narcissistic, gaslighting brother Kits as motivation is terribly undercooked. In fact, Kits would have been a much better choice for narrator.
2. The ghost, too, has no clear motivation for bothering the doctor specifically
3. Paver always starts slow with lots of technical detail, but here the technical detail takes over the plot and chokes the supernatural element. Only in the last, oh 25%, are there any good ghostly happenings and the end reveals are very rushed, almost as if the ghost part was an afterthought.
In general, Paver didn't really go beyond the most obvious of scenarios, given the subject matter. Which is a real shame. She could have done a lot more with this one.
January 2, 2017
This is the third book I have read by Michelle Paver and like the previous two; Without Charity and Dark Matter is Thin Air an OK book, but like the previous book does this also lack something to make the book great. Now is this book way different from Without Charity since that book is a historical romance. However, Dark Matter is a horror book just as this one. Or rather both are ghost stories without any horror. At least that's how I feel. And, that's the big problem I have with this book. It's an interesting story, but it lacks intensity.
Thin Air is an interesting book about a group that decides to climb Kangchenjunga in India. I was quite fascinated with the books premise. Horror stories that take place in isolated places are great and I was quite looking forward to being swept off my feet. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. I liked the story, but I didn't love it. There were interesting moments, but I just felt that I never really connected with either Stephen Pearce or his fellow travelers. I liked the idea that one of the men from the previous expedition was left behind and that Stephen Pearce felt haunted. But, it just never got really interesting.
This book did not rock my boat. This is a book that sounded very good on the paper, but ultimately it failed to deliver, mainly because it was just not even a teensy bit chilling to read.
Thin Air is an interesting book about a group that decides to climb Kangchenjunga in India. I was quite fascinated with the books premise. Horror stories that take place in isolated places are great and I was quite looking forward to being swept off my feet. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. I liked the story, but I didn't love it. There were interesting moments, but I just felt that I never really connected with either Stephen Pearce or his fellow travelers. I liked the idea that one of the men from the previous expedition was left behind and that Stephen Pearce felt haunted. But, it just never got really interesting.
This book did not rock my boat. This is a book that sounded very good on the paper, but ultimately it failed to deliver, mainly because it was just not even a teensy bit chilling to read.
October 20, 2017
Absolutely superb. This was a read in one sitting book. I found it utterly spellbinding and somewhat terrifying, whilst at the same time being able to feel the cold and sense the dread on top of a mountain. I loved the idea of the story - that of a group of men following an expedition up to a mountain near Darjeeling in the 1930s where a tragic accident happened to a similar party years earlier. The sense of unease is tangible from the first page and it had me gripped. This really is an author to look out for. She's going to go far.
September 9, 2016
Having really enjoyed, “Dark Matter,” I was keen to read this, new novel, by Michelle Paver. Normally, I dislike comparing an author’s novels, but there is much to compare in, “Thin Air,” to “Dark Matter.” Both deal with remote places and extreme temperatures. Both are, essentially, ghost stories…
It is 1935 and our narrator, Dr Stephen Pearce, has left London, and the woman he was supposed to be marrying, to join his brother, Kit, on a mountaineering expedition. In 1906, Kit’s hero, Sir Edmund Lyell, led an expedition up Kangchenjunga, which ended in disaster. His book, “Bloody but Unbowed: the Assault on Mount Kangchenjunga,” presented Lyell as a hero; even though he and Charles Tennant, were the only survivors of a tragedy, which saw five members of the party perish in the attempt to climb the mountain.
A week before the expedition, Stephen meets the reclusive Charles Tennant himself, but he reacts badly to Stephen’s questions and his news that they intended to follow Lyell’s route. Still, it is obvious that Kit is jealous that it was Stephen who managed to meet one of his heroes. Indeed, the two brothers seem to be carrying old resentments into the present, even as the men set out.
Following Lyell’s route are Kits, Stephen, Major Cotterell, McLellan and Garrard – Kit’s best friend. Despite Captain Tennant’s request that they do not follow the same route up the South-West face, the party ignore his plea and continue as planned. Dr Pearce finds the jungle oppressive and dislikes the superstition and fear which surrounds the mountain. However, it is once they begin the climb that his unsettled feelings gradually turn to fear. Is he imagining things, or is there something - or someone - on the mountain, that is watching them?
This is an atmospheric, creepy read. I enjoyed the characters and thought the author really got the sense of the time period. Stephen Pearce is a realistic narrator; a man who has spent his life being the bookish, younger brother, of the brave, rich brother. The one who inherited the family estate, who had everything come easily to him and who dislikes weakness. There are traces of Lyell everywhere once the group sets out and a real sense of desolation in the landscape. Overall, an enjoyable and atmospheric read. If you enjoyed, “Dark Matter,” you will probably also enjoy this. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
It is 1935 and our narrator, Dr Stephen Pearce, has left London, and the woman he was supposed to be marrying, to join his brother, Kit, on a mountaineering expedition. In 1906, Kit’s hero, Sir Edmund Lyell, led an expedition up Kangchenjunga, which ended in disaster. His book, “Bloody but Unbowed: the Assault on Mount Kangchenjunga,” presented Lyell as a hero; even though he and Charles Tennant, were the only survivors of a tragedy, which saw five members of the party perish in the attempt to climb the mountain.
A week before the expedition, Stephen meets the reclusive Charles Tennant himself, but he reacts badly to Stephen’s questions and his news that they intended to follow Lyell’s route. Still, it is obvious that Kit is jealous that it was Stephen who managed to meet one of his heroes. Indeed, the two brothers seem to be carrying old resentments into the present, even as the men set out.
Following Lyell’s route are Kits, Stephen, Major Cotterell, McLellan and Garrard – Kit’s best friend. Despite Captain Tennant’s request that they do not follow the same route up the South-West face, the party ignore his plea and continue as planned. Dr Pearce finds the jungle oppressive and dislikes the superstition and fear which surrounds the mountain. However, it is once they begin the climb that his unsettled feelings gradually turn to fear. Is he imagining things, or is there something - or someone - on the mountain, that is watching them?
This is an atmospheric, creepy read. I enjoyed the characters and thought the author really got the sense of the time period. Stephen Pearce is a realistic narrator; a man who has spent his life being the bookish, younger brother, of the brave, rich brother. The one who inherited the family estate, who had everything come easily to him and who dislikes weakness. There are traces of Lyell everywhere once the group sets out and a real sense of desolation in the landscape. Overall, an enjoyable and atmospheric read. If you enjoyed, “Dark Matter,” you will probably also enjoy this. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
February 1, 2024
...that lump of rock and ice will be there when the human race has broken and receded like a wave. It will never know what dreams and fears it has inspired, or what fierce desire. It will never know what haunts it.
Thin Air by Michelle Paver is set in 1935 and follows five Englishman on an expedition, along with their local guides, to be the first people to reach the summit of the sacred mountain Kangchenjunga in the Himalayas. The Cotterell expedition is following the largely unused route up the mountain taken twenty years earlier by British climbing hero Sir Edmund Lyell. The Lyell expedition ended in disaster when all but two of the members of that team were killed in an avalanche, but still brought glory to Lyell when he published a book detailing his heroic efforts to save his fallen comrades. What our current team is unaware of, however, is that while they are chasing a path of glory on Kangchenjunga, they are also chasing a tragic secret that's been waiting, buried in the ice for the past two decades.
I recently read Paver's earlier novel Dark Matter, which is also set in the early 20th century and follows a team of young Englishmen on an expedition to a cold and remote area (in that case, Spitsbergen in the Arctic Circle). Thin Air follows a very similar formula to Dark Matter, right down to the relationships between some of the characters, the type of ghost story at the heart of the book, and even the inclusion of a canine companion. Honestly, the similarities go further, but it didn't detract much from my reading enjoyment. The writing here is just as excellent, and you can tell Paver really did her research. There are wonderful descriptions of the awesome and terrible beauty of Kangchenjunga and of the perils of mountaineering. This made for a nail biting read. Ultimately though, I did prefer the earlier novel and found the scares to be somewhat lacking here. I would say that this is definitely a slow burn and the haunting is really a small portion of the story, so readers should know that going in, but when the ghostliness is there, it's quite effective.
Thin Air by Michelle Paver is set in 1935 and follows five Englishman on an expedition, along with their local guides, to be the first people to reach the summit of the sacred mountain Kangchenjunga in the Himalayas. The Cotterell expedition is following the largely unused route up the mountain taken twenty years earlier by British climbing hero Sir Edmund Lyell. The Lyell expedition ended in disaster when all but two of the members of that team were killed in an avalanche, but still brought glory to Lyell when he published a book detailing his heroic efforts to save his fallen comrades. What our current team is unaware of, however, is that while they are chasing a path of glory on Kangchenjunga, they are also chasing a tragic secret that's been waiting, buried in the ice for the past two decades.
I recently read Paver's earlier novel Dark Matter, which is also set in the early 20th century and follows a team of young Englishmen on an expedition to a cold and remote area (in that case, Spitsbergen in the Arctic Circle). Thin Air follows a very similar formula to Dark Matter, right down to the relationships between some of the characters, the type of ghost story at the heart of the book, and even the inclusion of a canine companion. Honestly, the similarities go further, but it didn't detract much from my reading enjoyment. The writing here is just as excellent, and you can tell Paver really did her research. There are wonderful descriptions of the awesome and terrible beauty of Kangchenjunga and of the perils of mountaineering. This made for a nail biting read. Ultimately though, I did prefer the earlier novel and found the scares to be somewhat lacking here. I would say that this is definitely a slow burn and the haunting is really a small portion of the story, so readers should know that going in, but when the ghostliness is there, it's quite effective.
July 18, 2017
This is about the dread and fear of being isolated on top of a mountain.
Add a touch of altitude sickness and you have a scary situation.
Add your climbing companions inadvertently leaving you behind and you have a terrifying situation.
Add a malevolent presence on the mountain that, whether real or not, most definitely wishes you harm and you have Michelle Paver's Thin Air.
Add a touch of altitude sickness and you have a scary situation.
Add your climbing companions inadvertently leaving you behind and you have a terrifying situation.
Add a malevolent presence on the mountain that, whether real or not, most definitely wishes you harm and you have Michelle Paver's Thin Air.
January 11, 2018
This book was a slow burner and didn't really get going until the final quarter of the novel which was slightly disappointing but thats how I saw the novel
May 18, 2021
I was really bored, didn’t like the characters and felt disappointed at the lack of atmosphere. 😬😬😬
June 21, 2022
More sad than spooky, and yet another reason not to climb mountains. Imagine! Not only does one have to worry about altitude sickness and frostbite and falling off the mountain, but malevolent spirits as well now? The mind reels. Also, the dog is just fine in case anyone needed to know.
February 19, 2018
Hmm. I have no doubt at all that Michelle Paver is a talented author, she certainly writes about the cold and snow very well, but... well I wasn’t at all scared. Not once. I felt the same way about 'Dark Matter,' I couldn’t see what everyone else was talking about, I still don’t. The two novels are very similar and sadly I was underwhelmed by both of them.
I really wanted to love Paver's books, the premises sound like the type of fiction that I love but they fail to deliver. Perhaps all the King and Herbert I’ve read have desensitised me to more subtle horror and if that’s the case then I’m deeply sad about it.
I really wanted to love Paver's books, the premises sound like the type of fiction that I love but they fail to deliver. Perhaps all the King and Herbert I’ve read have desensitised me to more subtle horror and if that’s the case then I’m deeply sad about it.
April 6, 2021
Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.
Stephen Pearce, his brother Kits, and a handful of other intrepid explorers have a mission ahead of them. They plan to climb Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain and one of mountaineering's biggest killers. They are following in the footsteps of greatness, using the route tracked by those of the infamous 1907 Lyell Expedition. This, however, ended in disaster. Where their hero failed, they plan to succeed, and make it to the summit together. The mountain, or what roams there, has other plans for them entirely, however.
This is the second of Paver's historical horrors that I have now read, and I remain equally as impressed by both. This, as with my former read, felt suffused with tension throughout, despite the scant sightings of what haunted their dreamscapes and dogged their footsteps. In fact, I believe keeping the apparitions largely off the page aided in ensuring the raptness of my attention and the fear I shared with the explorers.
Asides from the horror that lurked throughout these pages, this also remained a fascinating historical piece and intriguing insight to mountaineering expertise. All three elements combined together to make this a chilling and thrilling read.
Stephen Pearce, his brother Kits, and a handful of other intrepid explorers have a mission ahead of them. They plan to climb Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain and one of mountaineering's biggest killers. They are following in the footsteps of greatness, using the route tracked by those of the infamous 1907 Lyell Expedition. This, however, ended in disaster. Where their hero failed, they plan to succeed, and make it to the summit together. The mountain, or what roams there, has other plans for them entirely, however.
This is the second of Paver's historical horrors that I have now read, and I remain equally as impressed by both. This, as with my former read, felt suffused with tension throughout, despite the scant sightings of what haunted their dreamscapes and dogged their footsteps. In fact, I believe keeping the apparitions largely off the page aided in ensuring the raptness of my attention and the fear I shared with the explorers.
Asides from the horror that lurked throughout these pages, this also remained a fascinating historical piece and intriguing insight to mountaineering expertise. All three elements combined together to make this a chilling and thrilling read.
May 1, 2017
3.5 stars
A tightly wrought tale that keeps the reader wondering to the end whether the terror is merely psychological, or if there is in fact something dark haunting the slopes of Kangchenjunga.
The main character, Stephen Pearce has joined his older brother Kits in an attempt to scale the summit of Kangchenjunga, following in the footsteps of an ill fated expedition some years before. By turns Stephen is innocently naive and darkly fearful, while simultaneously dismissive of the superstious behaviour of the local inhabitants engaged as guides and servants. Throughout the first person narrative he expresses in equal measure excitement but also fear. Fear not only of failure but also fear that his mind is starting to play tricks on him:
Being on a mountain forces us to confront the vast, unsentient reality that's always present behind our own busy little human world, which we tuck around ourselves like a counterpane, to keep out the cold. No wonder that when we trespass into the mountains, we create phantoms. They're easier to bear than all this lifelessness.
Paver's suspenseful tale telling is wonderfully effective, leaving the reader with an increased feeling of unease as the expedition progresses. It's the kind of unobvious horror that slowly creeps up on you, and makes you want to keep reading to the end.
A tightly wrought tale that keeps the reader wondering to the end whether the terror is merely psychological, or if there is in fact something dark haunting the slopes of Kangchenjunga.
The main character, Stephen Pearce has joined his older brother Kits in an attempt to scale the summit of Kangchenjunga, following in the footsteps of an ill fated expedition some years before. By turns Stephen is innocently naive and darkly fearful, while simultaneously dismissive of the superstious behaviour of the local inhabitants engaged as guides and servants. Throughout the first person narrative he expresses in equal measure excitement but also fear. Fear not only of failure but also fear that his mind is starting to play tricks on him:
Being on a mountain forces us to confront the vast, unsentient reality that's always present behind our own busy little human world, which we tuck around ourselves like a counterpane, to keep out the cold. No wonder that when we trespass into the mountains, we create phantoms. They're easier to bear than all this lifelessness.
Paver's suspenseful tale telling is wonderfully effective, leaving the reader with an increased feeling of unease as the expedition progresses. It's the kind of unobvious horror that slowly creeps up on you, and makes you want to keep reading to the end.
October 15, 2016
Having loved Paver's previous ghost story, Dark Matter, I just had to try this new one.
Once more we are in a cold, secluded, location, the Hilamayas instead of the Arctic. At first glance, this is quite similar to her previous story but the feel is quite different. I would guess that this kind of tale requires a remote and dangerous setting, somewhere secluded and cut off the real world. Kangchenjunga, as well as other mountains, are places of wonder, where the immense scale becomes alien, and where euphoria morphs with desolation. Additionally, opting for the 1930s golden era of mountain climbing adds somehow that fashionable 'old' feel to it.
However, the setting on its own would not be enough. Paver creates a small cast, well drawn, but focuses on one man and his difficult realtionship with his conceited older brother. Through this narration, we become immersed not only in the sibling relationship but also the harsh conditions of the expedition. Our group is trying to reach to summit of the yet unconquered third highest peak of the Himalayas, retracing the steps of a previously ill-fated team.
The result is a creepy story in the Victorian style, atmospheric, oppressive, and yes psychological. Is the narrator, as well as his climbing partners, suffering altitude sickness or is there something more nefarious haunting them? Readers seeking true horror won't be satisfied, but if you like M.R. James ghost stories or Hill's The Woman in Black, you'll appreciate this one too.
A note on Paver's research - truly amazing. She went trekking in the Himalayas and used this experience and comprehensive reading to craft her tale.
Once more we are in a cold, secluded, location, the Hilamayas instead of the Arctic. At first glance, this is quite similar to her previous story but the feel is quite different. I would guess that this kind of tale requires a remote and dangerous setting, somewhere secluded and cut off the real world. Kangchenjunga, as well as other mountains, are places of wonder, where the immense scale becomes alien, and where euphoria morphs with desolation. Additionally, opting for the 1930s golden era of mountain climbing adds somehow that fashionable 'old' feel to it.
However, the setting on its own would not be enough. Paver creates a small cast, well drawn, but focuses on one man and his difficult realtionship with his conceited older brother. Through this narration, we become immersed not only in the sibling relationship but also the harsh conditions of the expedition. Our group is trying to reach to summit of the yet unconquered third highest peak of the Himalayas, retracing the steps of a previously ill-fated team.
The result is a creepy story in the Victorian style, atmospheric, oppressive, and yes psychological. Is the narrator, as well as his climbing partners, suffering altitude sickness or is there something more nefarious haunting them? Readers seeking true horror won't be satisfied, but if you like M.R. James ghost stories or Hill's The Woman in Black, you'll appreciate this one too.
A note on Paver's research - truly amazing. She went trekking in the Himalayas and used this experience and comprehensive reading to craft her tale.
February 8, 2017
I love stories about climbing expeditions so I try to read as many as I can. This one focuses more on the ghost story aspect versus a lot of climbing details which is still great but if you are looking for more of a technical perspective then you probably want to read a true account instead of this.
With that said, I enjoyed this story immensely but when it's all said and done, it didn't 'wow' me like I was hoping for. It had all of the ingredients of a good ghost story but I just didn't get that eerie, creepy feeling that I felt like it should have evoked which is why I only gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
With that said, I enjoyed this story immensely but when it's all said and done, it didn't 'wow' me like I was hoping for. It had all of the ingredients of a good ghost story but I just didn't get that eerie, creepy feeling that I felt like it should have evoked which is why I only gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
October 23, 2016
Brilliant ghost story set in the snowy Himalayas of Nepal - I couldn't put it down and read in a day
March 16, 2020
After loving Paver's previous book, Dark Matter I was really looking froward to this, however I found it rather lacking.
While beautifully written I felt a little like Paver had re-written dark Matter (which is set in the frozen Northern Arctic pre-WW2 with a young male protagonist on a last minute expedition, searching for a sense of self. It's snowy and fucking cold. And there's a dog.) Thin Air is set on a frozen Himalayan mountain pre-WW2 with a young male protagonist on a last minute expedition, searching for a sense of self. It's snowy and fucking cold. And there's a dog.
The big differences were, which character was likely gay (it's the 1930's, so always intimated - never stated outright) and that this book is no where near as spooky and did not give me chills, though I did learn a little about mountaineering in the 30's.
While beautifully written I felt a little like Paver had re-written dark Matter (which is set in the frozen Northern Arctic pre-WW2 with a young male protagonist on a last minute expedition, searching for a sense of self. It's snowy and fucking cold. And there's a dog.) Thin Air is set on a frozen Himalayan mountain pre-WW2 with a young male protagonist on a last minute expedition, searching for a sense of self. It's snowy and fucking cold. And there's a dog.
The big differences were, which character was likely gay (it's the 1930's, so always intimated - never stated outright) and that this book is no where near as spooky and did not give me chills, though I did learn a little about mountaineering in the 30's.
March 1, 2017
A slim, taut tale of two ill-starred Kanchenjunga expeditions and a haunting. The voice of a 1930s British narrator is captured incredibly well, to the extent that I initially found it hard going because of the casual racism towards the sherpas who made all these mad imperialist quests in the Himalayas possible. It's a slow build, deeply atmospheric, and quietly devastating.
February 13, 2023
A (frozen) solid 4 stars!
The characters in this story are it’s strength, they are all excellently developed and their back story is real. The brotherly relationship between Kits and Stephen is perfect.
There are about three parts in this that are really frightening. So much so that I found myself actually gasp out loud! More of this throughout and I would have given a 5 star review.
I particularly liked the interplay of the Sherpas and the Sahibs. The Sherpas are laughed at because of their beliefs, it turns out though that prayers and superstition are the only defence against what’s up on that mountain. Shame on you Sahibs 🥶
Even if you do survive and get off a mountain, you never truly leave do you. Paver captured this exceptionally well.
The characters in this story are it’s strength, they are all excellently developed and their back story is real. The brotherly relationship between Kits and Stephen is perfect.
There are about three parts in this that are really frightening. So much so that I found myself actually gasp out loud! More of this throughout and I would have given a 5 star review.
I particularly liked the interplay of the Sherpas and the Sahibs. The Sherpas are laughed at because of their beliefs, it turns out though that prayers and superstition are the only defence against what’s up on that mountain. Shame on you Sahibs 🥶
Even if you do survive and get off a mountain, you never truly leave do you. Paver captured this exceptionally well.
April 16, 2018
2.5 stars. I really wanted to like this book, and it was a quick read however I did not feel anything for the majority of the characters (I didn't mind the main character). The creepiness level was fairly low and the fact that there was no actual conclusion to the paranormal element and we are left to make up our own minds mildly irritates me personally). The ending was dissatisfying and predictable. It is such a shame as I was looking forward to this book as I wanted a slightly spooky read. I was not that scary although I will say that the atmosphere was built up reasonably well. A easy read but not one that I would recommend.
December 25, 2018
I wanted to read a horror book set in winter, so I picked this one up, not knowing much about it. This book combined so many genres that I love: horror, historical fiction, paranormal, and adventure.
Paver's writing style managed to read like a diary or first person tale from an actual survivor of a mountain climbing disaster. She expertly set up a failed 1907 Lyell Expedition and explained the impact it had on climbers in the 1935 Cotterell expedition at hand. Because of this, combined with the likability of everyman narrator Stephen Pearce, I was pulled in from the beginning.
I was especially impressed with Paver's ability to describe different aspects of the mountain's structure without making me yawn with boredom.
I was shocked and enraged by the casual racist attitudes Paver's characters espoused toward the sherpas who were used as guides on the trip. I'm not sure why I was shocked. Pavers' characters were clearly reflective of the Western mountaineers of the time. I just wasn't expecting to be confronted with such blatant attitudes of sneering superiority over the beliefs of people who were native to the region, especially in terms of their spiritual views. Even as something as simple as one of the men in the mountaineering party refusing to provide sherpas with shoes!!! until they reached base camp.
The slowly building sense of dread in this book may not be for everyone. If you're looking for jump-in-your-face scares, you won't find any. I could (and did) read this book alone late at night. But if you're in the mood for a subtle buildup of terror, I think this is a great book. I don't know why I didn't see it coming but . The ending answered all of my questions, which I always love in a thriller and a ghost story.
Stephen's fraught relationship with his brother Kits, was one of the main conflicts of the story. Besides Stephen, and sometimes Major Cotterell, I didn't like any of the white members of the expedition. They were either driven by greed and pride or cowardly in the face of injustice or common sense. It gave me a smug sense of satisfaction when .
I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a historical thriller with a paranormal twist. I can't wait to read more by Paver, including Dark Matter.
Paver's writing style managed to read like a diary or first person tale from an actual survivor of a mountain climbing disaster. She expertly set up a failed 1907 Lyell Expedition and explained the impact it had on climbers in the 1935 Cotterell expedition at hand. Because of this, combined with the likability of everyman narrator Stephen Pearce, I was pulled in from the beginning.
I was especially impressed with Paver's ability to describe different aspects of the mountain's structure without making me yawn with boredom.
I was shocked and enraged by the casual racist attitudes Paver's characters espoused toward the sherpas who were used as guides on the trip. I'm not sure why I was shocked. Pavers' characters were clearly reflective of the Western mountaineers of the time. I just wasn't expecting to be confronted with such blatant attitudes of sneering superiority over the beliefs of people who were native to the region, especially in terms of their spiritual views. Even as something as simple as one of the men in the mountaineering party refusing to provide sherpas with shoes!!! until they reached base camp.
The slowly building sense of dread in this book may not be for everyone. If you're looking for jump-in-your-face scares, you won't find any. I could (and did) read this book alone late at night. But if you're in the mood for a subtle buildup of terror, I think this is a great book. I don't know why I didn't see it coming but . The ending answered all of my questions, which I always love in a thriller and a ghost story.
Stephen's fraught relationship with his brother Kits, was one of the main conflicts of the story. Besides Stephen, and sometimes Major Cotterell, I didn't like any of the white members of the expedition. They were either driven by greed and pride or cowardly in the face of injustice or common sense. It gave me a smug sense of satisfaction when .
I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a historical thriller with a paranormal twist. I can't wait to read more by Paver, including Dark Matter.
March 17, 2020
didn't like this one. it's a slow burn but i didn't feel the reveal paid off.
October 31, 2018
In 1935 Dr. Stephen Pearce and his brother Kits are part of a five-man mission to climb the most dangerous mountain in the Himalayas, Kangchenjunga. Thirty years before, Sir Edmund Lyell led an ill-fated expedition up the same mountain: more than one man did not return, and the rest lost limbs to frostbite. “I don’t want to know what happened to them. It’s in the past. It has nothing to do with us,” Dr. Pearce tells himself, but from the start it feels like a bad omen that they, like Lyell’s party, are attempting the southwest approach; even the native porters are nervous. And as they climb, they fall prey to various medical and mental crises; hallucinations of ghostly figures on the crags are just as much of a danger as snow blindness.
This is pacey, readable historical fiction with a good sense of period and atmosphere. I enjoyed Pearce’s narration, and the one-upmanship type of relationship with his brother adds an interesting dimension to the expedition dynamics. However, I never submitted sufficiently to Paver’s spell to find anything particularly scary. I’ll try again with her other ghost story, Dark Matter, about an Arctic expedition from the same time period.
Favorite passage:
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
This is pacey, readable historical fiction with a good sense of period and atmosphere. I enjoyed Pearce’s narration, and the one-upmanship type of relationship with his brother adds an interesting dimension to the expedition dynamics. However, I never submitted sufficiently to Paver’s spell to find anything particularly scary. I’ll try again with her other ghost story, Dark Matter, about an Arctic expedition from the same time period.
Favorite passage:
“The Sherpas are wrong. This mountain has no spirit, no sentience and no intent. It’s not trying to kill us. It simply is.” [famous last words…]
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
June 13, 2019
A pretty good, creepy story about a group of English mountaineers setting out to reach the summit of Kangchenjunga in the Himalayas. This ended up being a quick read in spite of finding the first couple of chapters a little slow to hook me. Set in 1935, the story portrayed very well the sneering superiority of the privileged British male of that time, the casual racism and their scathing views and treatment of both cultures, and classes other than their own. Both the mountain and the extreme weather conditions also felt very real, I felt I wanted to throw on a few extra woolly layers! The plot itself was very similar to one of the author's previous books, Dark Matter, about an ill fated Arctic expedition - freezing temperatures, blizzards, glaciers, isolation, a mysterious presence - I wondered if perhaps it was a little too similar. I did really enjoy it though, the sense of creeping dread and the whole raving bonkers versus haunted thing had a distinctly gothic vibe going on and I'm always a sucker for that.
November 29, 2022
My second trip on one of Michelle Paver’s icy cold ghost stories, the first being Dark Matter. I loved that one, and this one proved to be just as good.
Like Dark Matter, this is a subtle, brilliantly atmospheric and creeping ghost story taking place in the early 20th century in a remote corner of the world. In this case, we start in Darjeeling, India, at the base of the great mountain Kangchenjunga. Dr. Pearce is our narrator and takes us on a journey to reach the summit of this very special mountain. Previous attempt have failed, some in disaster, so they know the difficulty they are up against.
Except they don’t. Not completely anyways. There is more to this mountain, and all the training and mountaineering experience won’t prepare them for it.
I love Paver’s style of writing. It’s both readable and interesting. Her books don’t spend tons of time on character development, but somehow she fits more than she seemingly should be able to for as short as these books are. Either way, they feel realistic and believable. What she truly excels at is mood and atmosphere. Paver traveled to Darjeeling and the base of the mountain when researching the book, and it shows. The setting is immersive and thorough, and as the characters ascend the mountain, the cold, darkness they experience just about jumps off the page. This all works beautifully when the “otherworldly” elements start, as they fit right in with everything else in the story.
This may be a bite sized historical fiction and ghost story, but it doesn’t feel lacking. There are wonderful historical elements that had me hitting google every few pages initially. The scares are subtle but genuinely creepy. Michelle Paver is an author that should be discussed more in the horror world, as I have been impressed with both books I have read of hers and look forward to checking out her other horror book, Wavenhyrst. 4/5
Like Dark Matter, this is a subtle, brilliantly atmospheric and creeping ghost story taking place in the early 20th century in a remote corner of the world. In this case, we start in Darjeeling, India, at the base of the great mountain Kangchenjunga. Dr. Pearce is our narrator and takes us on a journey to reach the summit of this very special mountain. Previous attempt have failed, some in disaster, so they know the difficulty they are up against.
Except they don’t. Not completely anyways. There is more to this mountain, and all the training and mountaineering experience won’t prepare them for it.
I love Paver’s style of writing. It’s both readable and interesting. Her books don’t spend tons of time on character development, but somehow she fits more than she seemingly should be able to for as short as these books are. Either way, they feel realistic and believable. What she truly excels at is mood and atmosphere. Paver traveled to Darjeeling and the base of the mountain when researching the book, and it shows. The setting is immersive and thorough, and as the characters ascend the mountain, the cold, darkness they experience just about jumps off the page. This all works beautifully when the “otherworldly” elements start, as they fit right in with everything else in the story.
This may be a bite sized historical fiction and ghost story, but it doesn’t feel lacking. There are wonderful historical elements that had me hitting google every few pages initially. The scares are subtle but genuinely creepy. Michelle Paver is an author that should be discussed more in the horror world, as I have been impressed with both books I have read of hers and look forward to checking out her other horror book, Wavenhyrst. 4/5
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