George James Grinnell

So far, I have to say that I am not overly impressed by the book (I have read about half at this point and am pondering if I want to continue). Mr Grinnell spends quite a bit of time talking, sometimes rambling, about his family's glorious history and his past time at Harvard. I would think that if I were in a situation of survival the last thing I would talk about would be things like that.

... I have now finished the book. I am going to be nice and not downgrade it, but I seriously am tempted. There are much better books on the market. As others said, the pacing is off. The important things are not mentioned and things that are mentioned don't need to be there. It is quite obvious that the press is a non-profit.… (más)

This book took me nearly two years to read. I set it down frequently and read other books, but always felt compelled to come back and finish the story. The author spends a lot of time in the book with the characters and the trials and tribulations of his group of 6 assorted companions getting through the Canadian Barrons.

While his narrative was interesting, I wish the last 1/4 of the book hadn't seemed so rushed. It was as if he didn't want to dwell on the accident and the tour leader's death, and yet, there would have been no story at all if they hadn't encountered that tragedy. I would have liked to know more about how they were physically cared for at the end and whether there were any long-term damage from frost-bite, etc. I would also have liked to hear more about Grinnell's companions after this trip was over.… (más)

I read DEATH ON THE BARRENS almost immediately after receiving it, and found the story compelling. So, why my 8-month delay to review it? It may be related to the reasons the author waited so many decades before penning this epic memoir. This is not a "macho" story; it details very human fallibilities on many levels. Grinnell’s journey was a profoundly personal one; it took him many years to understand the experience and place it in the context of his life. His sojourn’s transformative impact is not one that could be easily articulated. Thus, I was greatly moved in highly personal ways and have had difficulty knowing how to write this review.

I’ve spent a lot of time in the outdoors, including extensive mountaineering and serious rock climbing. Like anyone else who spends time in the wilderness, there have been times I feared for my life, as well as that of my companions. Some of the experiences Grinnell had, and issues he addressed, were ones my companions and I have encountered – but not often discussed.

This is a beautiful and evocative story, and Grinnell tells it well. My biggest criticism is the book’s pacing. Early on, the story lagged – but this may have been a stylistic decision, to reflect the dangerously deceptive languor that beset Grinnell’s expedition early on. Another example is that after the culminating episode of the book, Grinnell rushed through the last weeks of his epic travails so rapidly that I had a hard time fully comprehending what I knew had to be great physical and emotional suffering.

Even so: eight months after reading this book, I still think of it frequently and doubt I will ever forget it. Reading DEATH ON THE BARRENS is uncomfortable, but the time invested in pondering its lessons is time well spent.… (más)