annieb123's Review of The High Sierra

by Kim Stanley Robinson

Kim Stanley Robinson first ventured into the Sierra Nevada mountains during the summer of 1973. He returned from that encounter a changed man, awed by a landscape that made him feel as if he were simultaneously strolling through an art museum and scrambling on a jungle gym like an energized child. He has returned to the mountains throughout his life-more than a hundred trips-and has gathered a vast store of knowledge about them. The High Sierra is his lavish celebration of this exceptional place and an exploration of what makes this span of mountains one of the most compelling places on Earth.

Over the course of a vivid and dramatic narrative, Robinson describes the geological forces that shaped the Sierras and the history of its exploration, going back to the indigenous peoples who made it home and whose traces can still be found today. He celebrates the people whose ideas and actions protected the High Sierra for future generations. He describes uniquely beautiful hikes and the trails to be avoided. Robinson's own life-altering events, defining relationships, and unforgettable adventures form the narrative's spine. And he illuminates the human communion with the wild and with the sublime, including the personal growth that only seems to come from time spent outdoors.

The High Sierra is a gorgeous, absorbing immersion in a place, born out of a desire to understand and share one of the greatest rapture-inducing experiences our planet offers. Packed with maps, gear advice, more than 100 breathtaking photos, and much more, it will inspire veteran hikers, casual walkers, and travel readers to prepare for a magnificent adventure.

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The High Sierra contains memoirs and ruminations on life, philosophy, wilderness, and how access to physical exercise outdoors can benefit humanity written by Kim Stanley Robinson. Released 10th May 2022 by Hachette on their Little Brown & co. imprint, it's 560 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out in 2024. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The author is a gifted and renowned craftsman and, as a good friend said, "I'd willingly listen to him read his grocery list". This is certainly a departure; it's not fiction, it's more of a ruminative recollection of a life spent outdoors in a place which he loves deeply, it's not written as a cohesive linear experience, he hops around, and it varies wildly in pace and style from travelogue to non-fiction/science. It is eminently readable and enjoyable however.

There are pictures included in the print version of the book. On the other hand, the unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 16 hours and 30 minutes and is read by the author himself. He has a warm and gravelly baritone voice which is by turns lulling and full of conviction, meaning, and passion for the Sierras and spectacular nature. Sound and production quality were high throughout.

Five stars for both the print and audio formats. I personally think the additional materials in the print version make me lean toward that format as a preference, but he does a good job with narration. Highly recommended for public or school library acquisition, for fans of the author's oeuvre, and for nonfiction/natural history/travel readers.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

The High Sierra

by Kim Stanley Robinson

Reviewed by annieb123 on Jun 26, 2022

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