Review by ssnv893 -- The Altitude Journals by David J Mauro
-
ssnv893
- Posts: 7
- Joined: 05 Sep 2018, 12:40
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 16
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ssnv893.html
- Latest Review: Betrayal of Faith by Mark M. Bello
Review by ssnv893 -- The Altitude Journals by David J Mauro
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Altitude Journals" by David J Mauro.]
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The Altitude Journals depicts the author's journey of self-healing and personal growth as he conquers the Seven Summits. As odd as it may sound, he did not begin mountain climbing with the Seven Summits in his sights. Rather, he joined his brother-in-law on a quest to summit his first, and arguably most difficult mountain, Denali, as an escape from the stress of finalizing his divorce. The climb brought Mauro unexpected clarity as to the demons he had been facing, and was the beginning of his journey to rise above them. The story progresses through Mauro responding to several spiritual calls to climb each of the Seven Summits individually, discovering more about himself, love, and the joy of life in the process.
What an incredible adventure! I could not get enough of this book, which is why I gave it 4 out of 4 stars. Mauro's debut novel makes you contemplate your own journey through life. He draws the reader in with beautiful prose, raw honesty, and perfectly timed humor. Mauro continuously used phrasing like:
This book was not broken down into numbered chapters, but that was never missed. Each mountain's journey was sectioned off and then that was broken down into named sub-sections. I would have liked to see a little more creativity in the names of the subsections, but that's being pretty nit-picky on my part.
Mauro talks a lot about breaking through personal boundaries of love and discovering the joy in not only his own life but in the success of those around him. He touches a little on having separate identities as accountant, father, improv actor, and mountain climber. I wondered to myself if maybe he felt a little like a poser as a mountain climber, since he didn't seek it out for himself in the beginning and instead had it thrust upon him. It seemed the way he wrote about it was leading the reader to that conclusion, but there was never a word for word admission. I thought it was interesting to see him grow into an identity that was handed to him and then embrace it entirely after climbing Elbrus, the tallest mountain in Europe.
His climb of Everest was not only riveting, but also extremely educational. I had no idea a climber needed to acclimate themselves to altitude slowly! He spoke at length about that process and then also covered a brief history of the mountain itself.
I am not usually a non-fiction reader, but David Mauro's The Altitude Journals had definitely changed my willingness to expand into that genre. It deserves the highest praise.
******
The Altitude Journals
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like ssnv893's review? Post a comment saying so!
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The Altitude Journals depicts the author's journey of self-healing and personal growth as he conquers the Seven Summits. As odd as it may sound, he did not begin mountain climbing with the Seven Summits in his sights. Rather, he joined his brother-in-law on a quest to summit his first, and arguably most difficult mountain, Denali, as an escape from the stress of finalizing his divorce. The climb brought Mauro unexpected clarity as to the demons he had been facing, and was the beginning of his journey to rise above them. The story progresses through Mauro responding to several spiritual calls to climb each of the Seven Summits individually, discovering more about himself, love, and the joy of life in the process.
What an incredible adventure! I could not get enough of this book, which is why I gave it 4 out of 4 stars. Mauro's debut novel makes you contemplate your own journey through life. He draws the reader in with beautiful prose, raw honesty, and perfectly timed humor. Mauro continuously used phrasing like:
These kinds of comparisons always seemed to perfectly depict the situation he described and remind the reader to never take life too seriously.they could only watch as we buzzed away on speedy scooters like beetles flying out of a rotten log.
This book was not broken down into numbered chapters, but that was never missed. Each mountain's journey was sectioned off and then that was broken down into named sub-sections. I would have liked to see a little more creativity in the names of the subsections, but that's being pretty nit-picky on my part.
Mauro talks a lot about breaking through personal boundaries of love and discovering the joy in not only his own life but in the success of those around him. He touches a little on having separate identities as accountant, father, improv actor, and mountain climber. I wondered to myself if maybe he felt a little like a poser as a mountain climber, since he didn't seek it out for himself in the beginning and instead had it thrust upon him. It seemed the way he wrote about it was leading the reader to that conclusion, but there was never a word for word admission. I thought it was interesting to see him grow into an identity that was handed to him and then embrace it entirely after climbing Elbrus, the tallest mountain in Europe.
His climb of Everest was not only riveting, but also extremely educational. I had no idea a climber needed to acclimate themselves to altitude slowly! He spoke at length about that process and then also covered a brief history of the mountain itself.
I am not usually a non-fiction reader, but David Mauro's The Altitude Journals had definitely changed my willingness to expand into that genre. It deserves the highest praise.
******
The Altitude Journals
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like ssnv893's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Betrayal of Faith by Mark M. Bello
