Thin Air: The most chilling and compelling ghost story of the year

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Paver's descriptions of the isolated and intimidating landscape create an eerie, unsettling atmosphere that gets under your skin DAILY EXPRESS Paver's descriptions of the isolated and intimidating landscape create an eerie, unsettling atmosphere that gets under your skin * DAILY EXPRESS *

Thin Air – Michelle Paver

In the first part of the novel, Paver sets up some brilliant foreshadowing for what is to come, and even whilst our characters are in the comfort of company, there is a sense of foreboding building up in the shadows. ⁠ There's just something about the bleakness, the sheer depth of the isolation and the unfamiliarity of this terrain to me that I love in this book. Put that alongside the fact that it's a mix of psychological thriller and ghost story , and you've got a winner. REBEL ANGEL blog This novel was.....good. I say that with a gap because it was also not as wholly impressive as I wanted it to be either, but an entertaining ride all the same. Michelle Paver’s descriptions of Himalayan mountain-climbing are terrifyingly lifelike — the lashing winds, glittering ice: you can see it all. I found the book had a dry humour in parts which worked as I suppose in that sort of situation you would have to try see the dry funny side of things. I am not sure if anyone who has read this felt the same?

No moral relativism here, but lots of action, great characters and a nice big mountainous metaphor rearing above it all. Just fantastic.”

Thin Air by Michelle Paver (9781409163367/Paperback

I could feel the chilly winds and the cold in this one and the eerie feel of the mountain really comes to life in her vivid writing. It seems like the book took way too long to set up the scene and the characters when it was completely unnecessary to do so. Like I said I was about halfway through the book when I decided to stop reading it.Michelle Paver writes about ghastly goings on in on a trek to Mount Kangchenjunga with dextrous flair, flipping between thrilling descriptions of traversing glacial landscapes and chilling revelations of tormented souls. Paver has written a similar book to this one called Thin Air, cold snowy horror, ghosts & isolation etc, so I was worried this one would feel too samey for me to really appreciate it, but boy was I wrong! ⁠ The story is also fascinating on the subject of such expeditions and the attitudes of those who took part in them. The white men on the expedition are essentially gentlemen-adventurers. They are privileged enough to be able to undertake such challenges as amateurs and are disdainful of anyone who might dare to be a professional - thus effective denying anyone other than the wealthy a chance at taking part. They are believers in Empire and their treatment of the Sherpas is, needless to say, appalling. Intellectualism is scorned - indeed, it's Stephen's academic nature that's been the cause of friction between him and Kits for most of their childhood. When the summer is over and darkness sets in, you can truly visualise the derelict trappers hut, the ice, the snow and harsh landscape.