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Solo Faces
by
James Salter
This novel exposes the obsession that draws climbers away from civilization to test themselves against the most intimidating and inaccessible mountains in the world.
James Salter captures the adventure of Gary, a roofer of churches, who feels restrained by conventions and flat ground. Unable to find happiness in his life, he travels to southern France to climb to the summi...more
James Salter captures the adventure of Gary, a roofer of churches, who feels restrained by conventions and flat ground. Unable to find happiness in his life, he travels to southern France to climb to the summi...more
Paperback, 228 pages
Published
June 1st 1988
by North Point Press
(first published 1979)
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Rand and Cabot live for the thrill of climbing. Cabot is a natural leader, driven beyond reason. Rand is a tier down, but has enough core belief in himself to take on the most dangerous challenges. This is a very interesting book about these characters, what drives them, how it affects the rest of their lives, what society thinks of such people and ultimately what it all means. Rand changes over the course of the book, comes to some realizations while causing damage, and learns that he has to fa...more
I read about Salter's life after finishing this book and was surprised to find nothing about climbing, because he descriptions of the emotions and drives involved seem more accurate than any author or journalist I've read so far. Id compare this to Hemingway's treatment of fishing & bullfighting. His style, and all the existential activity in Paris make comparison with Henry Miller unavoidable, but, where Miller fully enters the mode of the narcissistic urban dirtbag, Salter's character mere...more
OK, so I gave it two stars, but I still read it to the end. It's a story about a climber who at times directs but mostly follows his way through adventures in the mountains and with women. It moves along well in part because the climbs are suspenseful -- how could getting injured 1,000 feet up a rock face not be? -- and because the hero, Rand, is unpredictable. He lives a completely selfish life, not allowing even the woman he loves any hint of commitment. He seduces, conquers, leaves or is left...more
Another Salter novel featuring a young American man in France, traveling and hardly bothering with a means of income. In this case our hero, Rand, is traveling upwards, ascending the most difficult mountain faces of the French Alps. He has no money, or hardly any, beyond what comes from the odd illegal job or the women with whom he's sleeping. Possessions could not matter less to him; what he desires, mainly, is the climb.
In the morning he woke among peaks incredibly white against the muted sky...more
A book better skimmed than read.
When reading it closely, I found it a bit of a slog, but skimming gave me enough of Rand & Cabot's climbing adventures to satisfy me. Maybe it's partly because every climb (and there are SO MANY) reads almost the same? Maybe (probably) it's because Rand, as a character, just isn't all that interesting until the final ~35 pages?
Speaking of those final 35 pages-- the level of the prose elevates dramatically , particularly in the final Rand/Cabot scene, and it l...more
When reading it closely, I found it a bit of a slog, but skimming gave me enough of Rand & Cabot's climbing adventures to satisfy me. Maybe it's partly because every climb (and there are SO MANY) reads almost the same? Maybe (probably) it's because Rand, as a character, just isn't all that interesting until the final ~35 pages?
Speaking of those final 35 pages-- the level of the prose elevates dramatically , particularly in the final Rand/Cabot scene, and it l...more
Jan 21, 2010
Laura
marked it as to-read
review from slate.com
It tells the story of an American climber, Vernon Rand, who makes a name for himself among the great peaks surrounding Chamonix, France. In a passage near the beginning, when Rand is still in California and getting ready to launch himself toward Europe, Salter captures the gulf between those who have chosen the outdoor life and those who probably never will:
Related on the Web
A breed of aimless wanderers can be found in California, working as mason's helpers, carpenters, par...more
It tells the story of an American climber, Vernon Rand, who makes a name for himself among the great peaks surrounding Chamonix, France. In a passage near the beginning, when Rand is still in California and getting ready to launch himself toward Europe, Salter captures the gulf between those who have chosen the outdoor life and those who probably never will:
Related on the Web
A breed of aimless wanderers can be found in California, working as mason's helpers, carpenters, par...more
If you haven any interest in rock climbing, as I do a little, you will probably like this book. The story follows Rand an isolated young man in his late twenties who seems to have an unhealthy desire to take risks in mountain climbing adventures. The descriptions of the mountain climbing scenes are breathtaking, very tense. Salter puts you right in the moment on the side of the mountain. The character study of Rand is very good. He remains a mystery even to himself, characteristic of Salter. Wha...more
In a 1980's article, James Salter wrote, "Climbing is more than a sport. It is entry into myth." If you understand that you'll have a better idea of what he is trying to capture in this book. While this is a story about climbing in general and one climber specifically, it's more about the lifestyle of a breed of people who are living an alternate life. With this in mind, there are moments that are so accurately and succinctly defined they have a numbing effect. This kind of masterful writing mak...more
Very sparse prose; similar to Hemingway, Robert Stone, Joan Didion, or Richard Ford. It's an interesting look into the lives of mountain climbers, mainly when they're trying to lead normal lives. Overall worth reading, but I don't know whether it merits includiong in Bloom's "Western Canon". I've found that many of the books on the list are rather light best-sellers from 1970-1990, and Bloom may have added them just to seem "with it." That being said, I look forward to checking out Rene Daumal's...more
I have read this book a few times over the last 20 years. The first times that I read it, I read it more as a book about mountains and climbing. I myself was a young climber and read whatever books I could find on the subject.
But now I see the story more about a man struggling with with fear and his own flaws.
A superb book by a great writer. It reminded me of Cormac McCarthy's use of language.
But now I see the story more about a man struggling with with fear and his own flaws.
A superb book by a great writer. It reminded me of Cormac McCarthy's use of language.
I picked this up in a book exchange in a Panamanian hostel, which doesn't surprise me, given the plot: a solo rock climber ascends and decends various peaks in the Alps, sleeps with a variety of women, and then continues his journey elsewhere. Seems about right for the traveler/wanderer type, but for me, it was a bit boring. Salter's narration is beautiful though.
This is a great read. I can't say that I find the hero particularly sympathetic, but I do find him compelling, and his adventures are more riveting than not. Having had a fair amount of rock climbing experience, I can say that Salter does an excellent job of putting those near-indescribable moments into words. Recommended for climbers and those who wish to understand them.
This was a great book. Salter's writing reminded me of a more-accessible version of Cormac McCarthy, with short sentences and limited descriptions of the plot, allowing the protagonists action to speak for themselves. I thought the ending was abrupt and out of character for the protagonist, which keeps me from giving it five stars.
i love salter. the climbing parts of this book are beautiful, but the romance parts read like equal parts hemingway and harlequin. this isn't his best book ( The Hunters is), but i'd read anything by this guy. there's a little ayn rand in his depiction of the hero at his heights (probably no accident his name is Rand) but he's ten times the writer she is, and he has a very different moral agenda.
by the way, the "official" blurb attached to this book by Goodreads was written by someone who either...more
by the way, the "official" blurb attached to this book by Goodreads was written by someone who either...more
I can handle some sexism in this book but this goes too far. Plus, his protagonist reminds me of an Ayn Rand character.
Read my review at my blog.
One of the finest books i've ever read... i reread it again the other day in 2 days and my opinion was only improved...
Very good book. Sad, but powerful, story about a man whose passion for one pursuit overwhelms all other aspects of his life. A lot of driven people will see themselves in this book to some degree.
Such an amazing prose stylist - I was utterly enthralled - perhaps it is that Salter knows - really knows - how to write about heroes!
Terrific tale about a mountain climber and the sport and psychology of climbing.
a book that raised so many questions about the intensity of mans need to follow dreams.
Lesser Salter is still...yeah, uh, Salter
A polished jewel.
Incredible, stark, precise prose, along with a great character driven story.
gripping, understated, elegant prose.
This book has stayed with me for days now. Not an ounce of fat in the prose, and the story so clear and harrowing because of that.
even if ya don't like climbin' you'll dig this book! hard guys doin' hard shit in da alps. based on john harlin--the "blond god" who fell off da eiger nordwand. like i say--shit is freakin' 'core.
Quick fun read. Salter really does a lot with few words. He makes climbing, fame, and the blowback from achieving that fame very poetic without becoming schmalzy.
This book looks at climbing from a whole different perspective. It really gets inside the brains of climbers. And hints at how messed up they can be...?
something about this struck me as very true. you would have to know a climber. Rare to find such naturalistic climbing descriptions.
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James Salter (b. 1925) is a novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. Salter grew up in New York City and was a career officer and Air Force pilot until his mid-thirties, when the success of his first novel (The Hunters, 1957) led to a fulltime writing career. Salter’s potent, lyrical prose has earned him acclaim from critics, readers, and fellow novelists. His novel A Sport and a Pastime (1...more
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