Andrew Greig, Kingdoms of Experience: Everest, the Unclimbed Ridge

David Moses (Ampleforth College)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.3: Scottish Writing and Culture, 400-present.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Gina Lyle (University of Glasgow), J. Derrick McClure (University of Aberdeen), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1986

Places

Scotland (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Non-Fiction
- Guidebooks / Travel writing

Resources

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Kingdoms of Experience

is a remarkable account that allows the reader privileged access to the range of perspectives and opinions documented by members of the 1985 expedition which aimed to climb Everest via the pinnacles of the its North-East Ridge. Though an early example of his non-fiction writing, Greig characteristically orchestrates a range of disparate voices into a balanced narrative whose journalistic objectivity lies in the adroit way that he weighs his own reactions against the narratives of his companions.

In his introduction to the book Chris Bonington refers to it as a very human one. This is a key observation because Bonington clearly recognises that the book shifts the parameters of the genre. Not all mountain literature is as personal or reflective as Greig's, and it can

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1119 words

Citation: Moses, David. "Kingdoms of Experience: Everest, the Unclimbed Ridge". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 August 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=15743, accessed 24 April 2024.]

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