Book Review: The Ascent by Ronald Malfi
Title: The Ascent
Author: Ronald Malfi
Release date: January 1st, 2010
Over the last number of years, I’ve read a number of Ronald Malfi’s books, but the one book that seemed most obvious of his that I’d read, I’d left floundering on my Kindle TBR. I LOVE wilderness books, mountain-based books, and that’s exactly what his novel, ‘The Ascent,’ is. I was so elated to see him mention ‘Into Thin Air’ in the afterword, as that novel from Krakauer remains an all-time fav (even with it being non-fiction) and the pacing and frenetic energy within this one felt like it had been ripped from those pages.
What I liked: Tim was a superstar in the art world, a sought-after sculptor, who seemed to have it all – talent, success, and the woman of his dreams. But after her death, he’s lost his ability to create art and wants to die.
Malfi opens the book up with just that, Tim somehow surviving a caving fall, lead to safety by the ghost of his dead wife. Shattered, he drinks himself stupid daily, until an old acquaintance appears and challenges him to join in in Nepal, in search of a place nobody has ever found, nor seen before.
From there, Malfi takes us on a edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, high up in the mountains of Nepal. The old acquaintance, Andrew, has assembled a rag-tag group of folks to come on the climb with Tim and himself. Each one is slowly introduced throughout the middle section, and, as this is a mountain climbing book, some don’t make it far, accidents occur, Sherpa’s refuse to continue on, and all the while, Malfi dangles the carrot of this mythical location in front of the readers faces. I was hooked. I wanted to know what was there. Why didn’t people manage to climb there? And why was Tim’s dead wife continuing to appear in fleeting glimpses.
Malfi is a masterful storyteller, and that is on full display here. Between pacing, character development and using the environment as a pseudo-antagonist, his ability to create classic stories is showcased and when we get to the very bitter end, all is revealed and shit hits the fan. Of every aspect of this novel, the final chaotic moments are perhaps the most fun, and most nerve-wracking.
I’ll also mention, though not a true epilogue, the final section acts as one, and it was wonderful to see what happens after the big, climatic moment. Often books end with a bang and then done, but not in this case, and I think that really worked to humanize Tim, and his experience even more.
What I didn’t like: If you’re unwilling to suspend belief at all, some parts are potentially going to drive you batty. The most glaring is this random group of people seemingly scaling an impenetrably mountain area with little to no obvious experience. Though Tim himself, is a climber, this is still an extreme undertaking. As well, there’s a moment where impossibly, someone seems to survive an un-survivable fall and returns. But if they didn’t return, where would the fun in that be?
Why you should buy this: Even fourteen years ago, Malfi was showing everyone why he’s one of the best ever, if not of all time, and ‘The Ascent’ is a phenomenal undertaking. As much a story of internal battles as it is external difficulties, we see the lengths characters will go to overcome personal issues, physical set backs and psychological trauma, in an attempt to achieve something they hope will be remembered forever. Or at least see something no one else has ever seen.
Malfi delivers a pulse-pounding novel, one that is a perfect example of why he’s a must-read author.
5/5
