isaacfreeman reviewed The High Sierra by Kim Stanley Robinson
Know going in that this is a personal memoir
5 stars
As KSR is primarily a fiction writer, it's worth being aware that this is non-fiction. The core of the book is a personal memoir through the lens of his many trips through the High Sierras. It's interspersed with history, notes on gear, poetry, and amusing opinions on which geographical features have good or bad names, but the thread that runs through it all is KSR's own life, and his evolving experience of the mountains over the decades.
As a huge fan, I devoured this book. It gave me a lot of insight into the origins of KSR's worldview, which I've absorbed through his novels. I've never been to the High Sierras, but I can trace how his personal experiences have affected my life on the other side of the world.
As KSR is primarily a fiction writer, it's worth being aware that this is non-fiction. The core of the book is a personal memoir through the lens of his many trips through the High Sierras. It's interspersed with history, notes on gear, poetry, and amusing opinions on which geographical features have good or bad names, but the thread that runs through it all is KSR's own life, and his evolving experience of the mountains over the decades.
As a huge fan, I devoured this book. It gave me a lot of insight into the origins of KSR's worldview, which I've absorbed through his novels. I've never been to the High Sierras, but I can trace how his personal experiences have affected my life on the other side of the world.
