ABOVE ALL THINGS by Tania Rideout (fic)

This is the first novel by Tania Rideout, a Canadian poet.  She has chosen to write a fictionalized account of the ascent of Mt. Everest by George Mallory.  Rideout uses the duel voices of Mallory and his wife Ruth, alternating, as they each in their own way, face the stress of Mallory's last and fateful climb.

George Mallory is certainly an interesting subject. The son of a domineering vicar, he was born in 1886 and died at age 37 in 1924 on the North Face of Everest.  This was his fourth (the third was abandoned because of an avalanche) attempt to conquer the daunting mountain, and it remains a mystery of whether he succeeded to summit or died within 800 feet of achieving his goal.  George Mallory was a golden boy, handsome, tall, athletic, determined, popular and daring.  He was a painter and poet and friendly with the Bloomsbury set, and the author shows us his charm, but also his intensity and focus.

Rideout does a terrific job of allowing the reader to experience the frustrations and setbacks Mallory faced as well as the stress of the unknown that his wife Ruth felt as she cared for their two daughters and a son in Cambridge.  As he reaches the various stages and camps on his accent, we learn of George's background in a series of flashbacks.  We are shown glimpses of his youth, his time at Cambridge and service during World War I, his courtship of Ruth and the deep love they felt for each other.

Mallory's expedition started out in Bombay to Darjeeling then through the Mahabharata Range into Tibet.  Climbing the highest range in the world in the 1920s was vastly different than what we know today.  Though it remains singularly dangerous, modern technology has given today's climber an advantage that Mallory couldn't imagine.  Mallory and his climbing companions wore tweed and layers of heavy wool. If they used oxygen, the tanks were heavy and added impossible weight.  The number of porters and trunks of supplies were bordering on the ridiculous with specialty foods and delicacies and wine that seem hardly believable.  These climbers smoked also.  Imagine climbing to the highest base camps and having a cigarette while taking a break on the way.   Rideout knows her history, and tells her story authentically.  Some of the expressions of her characters are more Canadian than British, but by and large, they are believable and real.

This story ends sadly for Mallory and his climbing partner Sandy Irvine who was only 21.  It was not until 1999 that Mallory's frozen corpse was found by a group of climbers on the North Face of Everest.  Irvine remains lost.  The mystery of whether they reached the summit may never be solved; it makes Mallory's story more interesting and dramatic.

Rideout has written an imaginative and interesting novel, presenting the views of both Ruth and George.  Above All Things is recommended reading whether you are interested in mountain climbing or human nature and love a good story.