In High Places : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764203460
Tom Morrissey: http://www.tommorrisey.com/
The Review:
I didn't know what to expect when I cracked open "In High Places."
Would it be a traditional action-packed guy type of read, or would I find something to take with me?
The cover hinted that I might find some richness, and depth, so I took a deep breath and opened it.
From the first paragraph I was pulled into a world of stark beauty and unforgiving landscape. I didn't expect to get as involved with the characters in this novel as I did, and I'm glad I invested the time and heart into their story.
This is not a plot-driven, adrenaline-adventure as much as a character study. Yet it is a fast-paced read because of the constant tension. There was no place that I wanted to set the book down, and I ended up reading late into the night several nights in a row.
From the detailed teaching, and interweaving of mountain climbing techniques and tools, to the richness of relationships, to the agony and ecstasy of the human condition, I was sucked in.
This is a novel for readers who want to savor story.
Tom Morrissey took me to mountaintops and taught me things I never knew I wanted to know.
I'm not into techie stuff, most of it leaves me cold, but Morrissey has done an amazing job of throwing in enough technical jargon and details to make his story crackle with intensity and foreshadowing.
Some might be frustrated with the slightly slower pace of the literary style. If you hate literary, you might not enjoy this book, but then again, you might. Some will be disappointed at the reality of life and how it taints our hopes and expectations. If so, you may want to avoid reading this book that doesn't follow sit-com formatting.
If you want a beautifully penned, powerful story of redemption, one full of sadness, reality, pain and heart breaking starkness, then I believe this book will touch your soul.
I am a new fan. I intend to find his other novels and read them.
