Note: read this during quarantine. Having read The Terror of Dan Simmons, I did expect much from Abominable. There are similarities but In many ways , Abominable just doesn’t deliver the same amount of wonder and suspense.
In fact, it is quite slow moving and quite unlike a typical Simmons, rather predictable. Moreover, I found all that had to do with early nazism a bit ahistorical and cliched.
Be that as it may, there is some good writing and there are points of interests. It is just not in the league of most of Simmons excellent work.
( )

Finally! Can't wait!

Dan Simmons The Abominable cover art and synopsis reveal! ( )

*** ITA/ENG ***
Ero indecisa se scendere a due stelle, ma per ora ne lascio tre in quanto Simmons sa come condurti in una situazione con il cuore in gola... solo che in questo caso ha buttato un po' tutto in vacca e non ho capito perché.

Il libro racconta una delle più famose spedizioni sull'Everest, quella dove persero la vita lo scalatore George Mallory e il suo compagno Sandy Irvine. Nessuno sa se siano mai riusciti nell'intento di essere i primi a raggiungere la vetta, e l'unica prova potrebbe essere in una macchina fotografica, mai rinvenuta, come non lo è mai stato il corpo di Sandy Irvine.

La parte storica è interessante e si vede che l'autore ha compiuto accurate ricerche, e mentre i protagonisti scalano la montagna sono percepibili le loro difficoltà e il pericolo continuo... finché Dan Simmons non decide che è ora di passare a un finale che 007 spostati, sulla cima di un monte dove ha passato centinaia di pagine a dirmi che anche solo uno sforzo mal dosato può uccidere.

Peccato!
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I honestly didn't expect Simmons to lead me where he did, and I didn't like it. It cheapened a book which, before that point, had completely met my expectations. This is the main reason why I still gave the novel three stars.

The narration of the incredible danger that an expedition on the Everest, at that time, must have been is solid. It has a well-renowned historic foundation (George Mallory's last doomed attempt to reach the top of the mountain) and a good amount of research behind it.

Just why, oh why we had to dismiss all the build-up of the first three quarters of the book toward the end, in favour of some cheap action? ( )

This was a weird one. I've never really been one for historical fiction, though I find I'm reading more of it in the past couple of years. And honestly, if this book had been by anyone other than Dan Simmons, I likely would have passed it by.

But having said that, I enjoyed it for the most part. Found out a hell of a lot more about mountain climbing than I ever wanted to, but still, Simmons kept it interesting and the characters drove it.

Then somewhere around the two-thirds to three-quarters mark, it took a bit of a left turn into what I could only describe as Doc Savage territory. Much better written, much more depth, but still, Doc Savage.

I'm still not sure exactly what I think of Simmons turn with historical novels. I enjoyed Drood, I mostly enjoyed The Terror and I mostly enjoyed this one as well. But none would be up there with my favourite Simmons novels like Carrion Comfort, Summer of Night, or the Hyperion series.

But Simmons is a hell of a writer, no question. Even his worst book is always a fun read. ( )

The memoirs of Jake Perry are mainly about the 1925 Expedition to climb Everest. Thoroughly enjoyed the read. ( )