Higher, further
Dan Simmons is one of the world’s most versatile fantasy writers. On the one hand, epic cosmic epics like Hyperion , on the other hand, chilling Arctic landscapes of Terror , or the spirit of the 60’s enchanted in the Summer Night . The American’s portfolio is extensive. Although he sometimes has novels that stand out from the rest, like Drood , he never goes below an equal, high level.
It is no different with the recently published Abomination by Vesper , due to the subject matter often mistakenly identified with the spiritual heir of the aforementioned Terror . And of course, there will be snow, and the struggle to survive in hostile conditions, there will even be a hint of horror. Despite these apparent similarities, equating the items mentioned above is the greatest harm that an Abomination can do before reading it. The book is kept much of the time in a much lighter, adventurous tone, and what is supposed to disgust us stems directly from human nature.
This time Simmons takes us to the 1920s – the period when mountaineering was just beginning, and climbers like George Leigh Mallory and Sandy Irvine who made pioneering attacks on the eight-thousanders were highly esteemed. The central characters of the story are other daredevils trying their luck: Richard Davis Deacon, Jean-Claude Clairoux and Jake Perry, from whose perspective we get to know the whole story. Thanks to their acquaintances, a tragic twist of events and their own determination, the three of them soon face a considerable task – to organize and lead a search and rescue expedition to the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest. While trying to unravel the circumstances of the disappearance of the heir to one of the aristocratic fortunes, the heroes will come across a secret that is as repugnant as
These lovely details
Abomination is a book thoroughly steeped in references to history. From the very beginning, the form itself is stylized as a barely enhanced manuscript of the aforementioned Jake Perry, with whom the writer was to meet in the 90s. The main character and his companions are constructed on a global level – so ingeniously that Simmons forced me to browse the Internet to confirm their authenticity. In fact, after Terror, perfectly positioned among the real events, it should not be surprising, but still – what was my surprise when it turned out that it was the first of several clever American tricks that were supposed to give his novel a historical twist.
It is not the end of the heroes themselves. The writer cleverly uses the opportunity to outline the geopolitical situation of the world. However, even when it touches upon an extremely sensitive subject, it does not have to resort to a dramatic, authorial commentary – for the fact that it is aware of the quality of its story and believes in the power of a writer’s story. The authenticity of his book is also enhanced by the almost encyclopedic devices used by the heroes, characteristic of the era. Simmons’ style is the dream of every fan of prose, the unlucky master of technothrillers, Michael Crichton. Lots of large blocks of text, focusing on the smallest details, but each time fully deliberate, not filling the next pages, but rather increasing the reader’s curiosity.
If you combine this with the large size of the Polish edition of the book, written in small type, you can expect at least a few moments when the action will stop. And here is another surprise – while you just have to like this writing technique, the downtime in the AbominationIt is virtually impossible to find, and at every turn, another turn awaits us in the already defined – it would seem – direction of the plot. Not only extreme situations are fascinating here, but most of all how the characters react to them – and this state of affairs lasts until the emotional finale. So it seems a truism to say that Simmons builds tension in a model way. Everything in his novel happens so naturally that while reading the considerations on the structure of the text simply fade to the background.
The perfect novel?
To properly summarize my feelings for the Abomination , I need to allow myself a little privacy. Recently, more and more often I find myself interrupting the reading of a specific item and not returning to it anymore. I am irritated much faster than in the past by paper characters, the lack of logic in their actions and the predictability of history. So why do I still love reading after all? Well, because once in a very long time you can fish out a real pearl from the publishing ocean filled with mediocrity. One that will not only draw me into the world created by the author, but with a bit of luck, will force me to verify the list of the best novels I have read so far. In the event of an Abomination such a situation took place well after midnight, when the rest of the household had long since embraced Morpheus.
Fans of Terror or Hyperion will probably want to eat me alive, but bearing in mind the above, I have to write it – In my opinion , Abomination is the best novel in the American output. It is very likely that I will not read anything better this year. Because that’s what Simmons’ book is about – extremely refined in terms of historical details, arousing fear and fury, and at the same time not deprived of healthy doses of effortless humor. Just perfect *.
* As long as you are able to approach it without expecting it to be a “successor” to Terror .
