A Deathful Ridge: A Novel of EverestA Deathful Ridge rewrites the life and myth of George Mallory, who disappeared with Andrew Irvine near the summit of Mount Everest in 1924. Mallory was the greatest climber of his generation, but also a Cambridge graduate and friend of Rupert Brooke, Lytton Strachey, Viginia Woolf, Robert graves, and others. he moved in cultural circles that were at the heart of critical reassessments of the old empire, but was known among his friends and associates as Galahad. He was elevated to the patheon of British heroes at his death. A Deathful Ridge has Mallory found alive on the upper slopes of Everest, insisting that he has killed his younger climbing companion. Those who represent the old order close around him to prevent public discovery of a fall far greater than any he could have had on the mountain. He is taken back secretly to Britain, where he lives in silence for another twenty-two years but keeps a journal. The narrator of the novel becomes caught up in stories about Mallory, official and unofficial, and about the vagaries of historical truths. |
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Alps Andrew Irvine arête Arthur Benson ascent asked Base Camp beneath Bergschund breath Bruce Chomolungma climber cold Couloir course Davies death descend Donald Everest everything expedition eyes face feel feet film Galahad Geoffrey Young George Leigh Mallory George Mallory Glacier hand happened Hazard head ice-axe Irvine's Jones journal killed knew Last Climb later letter Llanberis Llanberis Lodge Lliwedd look Madeleine Carroll Mallory and Irvine Mallory's meant morning mountain move myth never night Noel Noel's North North Col Northeast Ridge Norton and Somervell Odell oxygen peak Pen-y-Gwryd Pen-y-Pass porters pulled question remember rock Rongbuk Rongbuk Glacier Rongbuk Monastery rope Ruth Mallory Sandy Second Step slopes snow Snowdon someone story summit sure talk tanks tell tent there's things thought Tibet told took tried turn waiting Wales wall wanted watch wind words wrote