Snow Leopard Revisited
Review of The Snow Leopard
I read this gem by Peter Matthiessen several years ago and set it aside. Shocked at how much my memory had changed the original text, I have just completed another read.
The beauty of Crystal Mountain and Shey Gompa were fresh in my mind, but I had left out the arduous hours of trekking, the miserable conditions in the towns were they camped along the way, and Matthiessen and Schaller’s high handed treatment of the Sherpas, porters and local people. Although I remembered the portion of the final entry (December 1) in which the author describes his failure to find the Sherpa Tukten at their appointed reunion, I had forgotten the harrowing tale of Schaller’s departure from Shey. He is lucky to have survived.
Clarity in this reading brings to life the Sherpa Tukten. Matthiessen relied heavily on this man during the journey out and recommended him as a head Sherpa to the trekking company on their return to Katmandu. The company representative to whom he spoke at the end of the journey wanted to hear no word of Tukten, pointing out his many failings on expeditions as a brawler, and one whose language offended other Sherpas. Tukten shows no surprise when the recommendation is rejected.
Tukten seems to be the sort of savant who performs well at some things but folds under pressure. In this regard, he is an alter ego of the author who frankly admits that he has failed his family when they truly needed him simply by going on an expedition which he regards as a failure. Despite all this, there were bright spots along the way, and Tukten and Matthiessen, each in his own way, hesitates to end the trek.
In the end, Matthiessen left a compelling tale of a journey in which he encountered a remarkable Holy Man, the Lama of Shey and made important self-discoveries. This book is well worth the read.
I read this gem by Peter Matthiessen several years ago and set it aside. Shocked at how much my memory had changed the original text, I have just completed another read.
The beauty of Crystal Mountain and Shey Gompa were fresh in my mind, but I had left out the arduous hours of trekking, the miserable conditions in the towns were they camped along the way, and Matthiessen and Schaller’s high handed treatment of the Sherpas, porters and local people. Although I remembered the portion of the final entry (December 1) in which the author describes his failure to find the Sherpa Tukten at their appointed reunion, I had forgotten the harrowing tale of Schaller’s departure from Shey. He is lucky to have survived.
Clarity in this reading brings to life the Sherpa Tukten. Matthiessen relied heavily on this man during the journey out and recommended him as a head Sherpa to the trekking company on their return to Katmandu. The company representative to whom he spoke at the end of the journey wanted to hear no word of Tukten, pointing out his many failings on expeditions as a brawler, and one whose language offended other Sherpas. Tukten shows no surprise when the recommendation is rejected.
Tukten seems to be the sort of savant who performs well at some things but folds under pressure. In this regard, he is an alter ego of the author who frankly admits that he has failed his family when they truly needed him simply by going on an expedition which he regards as a failure. Despite all this, there were bright spots along the way, and Tukten and Matthiessen, each in his own way, hesitates to end the trek.
In the end, Matthiessen left a compelling tale of a journey in which he encountered a remarkable Holy Man, the Lama of Shey and made important self-discoveries. This book is well worth the read.
No comments have been added yet.
