SOLVED. Town at base of very high wall, no one ever leaves. [s]

[Jason]

Read or at least portions of it in the early to mid 90s. Not sure if it was new then or not. What I remember is vague. It was a fantasy novel. A town and it's residents lived at the base of a very large/high wall and no one ever attempted to make the journey to the top. I can't remember the reason but the "hero" I believe was in his teens or early adulthood. He decides he must brave the mountainous wall and all the wonder and horrors that might entail. I don't think I ever finished it as a teenager and it has always been one of those books I've tried to figure out and have had no luck.

[Justanotherbiblophile]

When were you a teenager?

_Escarpment_ and _Mainspring_ and the third, have a large wall - it's the path that the sun rolls around, the gear which rotates the Earth around the sun: day/night (equator-following: and separates northern and southern hemispheres).

One book has a boy/teen who ends up stranded on the wall. Eventually he reaches the base of the wall and meets a girl in a poverty-stricken town there. And in the next book, she leaves the town (I think he ends up getting trapped by domesticity). Adventures ensue.

[Merrilee]

Stardust has a wall that no one goes through except for every 10 years (I think) when they have a market.

[Ja]

Was it maybe a village at the base of a huge "cliff" and mountains? Can't recall the book at the moment, but it "seems" like a festival is held and people from multiple villages at a certain age try to make it to the top? (hope that doesn't muddy the water as now I am sketchy on the book I am talking about)

[Jason]

As stated in the beginning of my post. I read it in the early/mid 90s.

Not Stardust, that was just a wall with cracks in it. I do appreciate any help.

[Jason]

ObxGhost, it may be the one you mention. Sorry I'm so light on details. For some reason I still feel compelled to figure out what it was.

[Kate]

The White Mountains could be your book.

Also, has an extremely tall mountain that divides the world. It's steampunk.

[Justanotherbiblophile]

I don't recall a wall in _The White Mountains_, yes they were headed to Switzerland, and tall mountains, but that doesn't make it a wall...

Heh, and yeah I mentioned _Mainspring_, but didn't get a response :P And that mountain range is called "The Wall" since it's 100s of thousands of times taller than anything else on Earth. And much closer to vertical than anything natural, even though the bronze of it is covered in granite blocks and earth, vegetation and stuff - and houses whole civilizations on its crust, at differing elevations.

Hmm, should also add that the refugee town at the base of the one part of this wall doesn't really prevent anyone from leaving, it's just that nobody has anywhere they want to go - limited ambition / all running from other problems. Called Nova something, IIRC?

[Jason]

Wouldn't be The White, the book I'm seeking as definitely Fantasy, no real world locations. Not Mainspring from titles I saw when searched.

[Jason]

Also far too new, came out in 2007. Book I am seeking was read in the early-mid 90s

[Justanotherbiblophile]

Hmm, can you describe this wall more? You said 'journey to the top'... how do you travel on your wall?

Also, do you remember anything (besides the very tall wall & 'no real world locations') that makes it fantasy?

To be fair, I don't think the WM mentioned Switzerland very much (if at all), they mentioned English language on an island, crossing the channel, and French language speakers, and journeying to the very high mountains where the historically free people live(d)... So, not many 'real world locations' were much-referenced in the WM either...

[Michele]

Not an exact match, but possibly Gormenghast? The village is clustered at the foot of a huge wall that surrounds the castle, and much of the book involves a young man climbing around on the wall and on/in the castle itself.

[Jason]

I really wish I could remember more details. I believe it was a young man, possibly teen but maybe early adult. I don't remember if he took a companion or if it was something he planned to do alone. It very well could have been a walled city at the base of an enormous mountain. I recall the wall/mountain being a treacherous journey with lots and lots of switchbacks and potential dangers at every "level"

[Jason]

Thanks Michele , premise sounded promising and I may add Titan's Groan on my to-read. I don't believe the book I'm thinking of was a series but if it was, it would have been the first book.

[Ja]

Jason, as i recall, part of the trial was actually finding the way up the mountain and often having to backtrack. And one of the first things that happens at one of the levels has to do with rocks coming down on the hero??? Although.......... that doesn't help you at all. I will consult the oracle, aka my oldest sister, tomorrow. (She is not on this site because it would take time away from her reading) I believe I got the book I am talking about from her.

[Cumbling Michael]

Jason,

I believe the book you're looking for is very likely to be Robert Silverberg's Kingdoms of the Wall.

(view spoiler)[ “THIS IS THE BOOKof Poilar Crookleg, I who have been to the roof of the World at the top of the Wall and have felt the terrible fire of revelation there. I have seen the strange and bewildering gods that dwell there, I have grappled with them and returned rich with the knowledge of the mysteries of life and of death. These are the things I experienced, this is what I learned, this is what I must teach you for the sake of your souls. Listen and remember.” (…)

“The Wall was coming into view in all its immensity. It had, of course, been hidden by the murkiness of the morning air, but now it appeared above us, climbing and climbing and climbing. It pierced the sky and disappeared into the immeasurable heights. People fell trembling to their knees and began to weep and pray, stricken as they were by fear and humility at the sight of that gigantic mountain suddenly revealing itself.”! (…)

“Of course you will,” said Traiben, staring at me very intently. His eyes were like huge dark saucers with slits of light at their centers. “You’ll go up there the way so many others have before you, and you’ll climb and climb and climb, and suffer and suffer and suffer. And more likely than not you’ll die somewhere up there, the way most of them do, or come back a babbling madman. Well, what’s the good of it, then? What’s the point? What value is there going to be in all your hard work, Poilar? If all you do is go up there and die. Or come back crazy.” (hide spoiler)]

Mike

[Jason]

That sounds like it may be the one. The "reveal" I'm guessing you removed from your comment doesn't sound like the book I remember but it could just be the years since muddling my memory. I will report back when I have procured a copy and read in to it enough to know for sure.

[Justanotherbiblophile]

Kingdoms differs from your description:

"...and no one ever attempted to make the journey to the top."

The village (group of villages) sends 40 pilgrims every year, after winnowing them down from ~4,000 applicants and 3 years of training.

And of those 40, next to none return from their trip to attempt the summit, and pay homage to the gods. Those that do, invariably come back as madmen (or women).

The HC's race are shapechangers of some sort. Normally neuter.

MC and his buddy decide that the purpose of going up to the summit, is what the first guy did - bring back knowledge from the gods (ie: and remain sane).

So, lots of people attempt, but none has come back sane from the attempt.

But yeah, when I spotted this book on my TBR pile and started in on it, I thought like Mike that this might be your book.

Rocks did fall, and they've had to backtrack once already (day 3?) But, we've not had a death yet, I'm at the witch predicting a grim male death right now.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Jason, was "Kingdoms of the Wall" your book?

[Jason]

Might be pointless this long after to report that yes, Kingdoms of the Wall was in fact the book I was searching for. Life happened, I forgot I had been trying to find the book in this forums etc. Thank you to all that assisted. You are all truly amazing in the collective literary knowledge concesiousness.

[Justanotherbiblophile]

You can mark this request as solved by clicking the 'edit' link next to the subject line / title, and then selecting one of the "Solved" folders. This will help save our moderators some time.

You should also change the subject line / title to start "SOLVED: [then your existing title]" which helps people still find your request later.

Solved requests are almost as important as unsolved requests (eg, eg, so don't delete your info :D Otherwise it looks like this, which completely doesn't show how you generated *so* much interest for your book). The requests continue to exist in the archive, and people looking for your book end up on that page via search engine because of your description/keywords - which improves the whole world :)

[Jason]

Thank you Jab. It has been updated.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Jason wrote: "Might be pointless this long after to report that yes, Kingdoms of the Wall was in fact the book I was searching for.."

Oh no, it's not pointless. There is a special satisfaction in seeing older threads get solved, and it gives hope to the desperate.