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The Ascent Of Rum Doodle (Vintage Classics) by W E Bowman (1-Apr-2010) Paperback
First published in 1956, The Ascent of Rum Doodle quickly became a mountaineering classic. As an outrageously funny spoof about the ascent of a peak in the Himalayas, many thought it was inspired by the 1953 conquest of Everest. But Bowman had drawn on the flavour and tone of earlier adventures, of Bill Tilman and his 1937 account of the Nandi Devi expedition. The book’s central and unforgettable character, Binder, is one of the finest creations in comic literature.
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First published January 1, 1956
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June 2, 2012
For reasons associated with but not limited to having no friends, I arrived one night alone and at very short notice in Kathmandu. The prehistoric taxi from the airport was assembled from many previously fossilised taxis, and after only a few hundred exhilarating yards, violently disassembled on unsurprisingly crashing into what I assumed was the target motorcycle. The ensuing melee moved almost seamlessly into my trek on foot, carrying a rucksack (passably similar to an American ‘backpack’) containing poorly assembled and tragically selected inappropriate items, through rival protest marches of bandana swathed Communists and Maoists, who seemed unwilling to accept my entreaties based on a firm belief that Maoists were Communists and vice versa. I eventually made the deserted safety of narrow threatening streets swathed in the comforting deathly blackness of a randomly scheduled power blackout, and was lured at the point of a dehydration induced delirium tremens to the twinkling candlelit balcony of a bar – the world famous Rum Doodle Bar (height 40,000 and 1/2ft). Over a bottle of Ghurkha Beer emblazoned with the famous Tenzing Norgay Everest photo, I was inspired on reading from the blurb scrawled on the strangely moving wall that the bar was named after a famous 1950’s mountaineering ascent documented in an equally famous book. Ghurkhas came thick and fast, as elephants in a Dumbo nightmare, and I lapsed into something like the vomit inducing exhaustion of altitude sickness and forgot Rum Doodle as the illusion of a terrible Himalayan ague.
I came across this book recently, now rediscovered by Bill Bryson who forwards this edition, wandering friendless in a charity shop sheltering from the rain. The elation of seeing the name again provoked a gagging flashback of emotion so vivid that the smell and taste of Ghurkha Beer filled my senses, seeming to hang in the back of my throat as a portent of some imminent effusion of memory that would come straight from the pit of my stomach. As I’d previously been thrown out of this charity shop for a similar incident I hurriedly snatched the book.
An antidote to ‘Into Thin Air’ syndrome, I can see why Bryson loves it. His semi-anglophile mentality reflects but is not the same as this humour. Nor is it Monty Python, although perhaps Michael Palin’s Ripping Yarns is close. Actually, given the era it was written in, it is Goon Show - Spike Milligan, Sellers et al. Very funny spoof of expedition mountaineering that evidently became cult in those adventuring communities, meaning that several landmarks are now named after it.
If you need a break from serious books, give this a go. Very funny and you don’t need to be a mountaineer, although I personally have seen ‘Touching The Void’ and understand enough to know that when you are tired, hung-over or just plain can’t be bothered, always mumble something about altitude sickness.
Deserves its renaissance. Will be appreciated by anyone who realises that the best achievements in life are those that are futile and achieved to great acclaim under the banner of teamwork whilst at the expense of the efforts of other unsung people.
Great little book.
P.S. Disclaimer: Ghurkha Beer is very nice…ish.
I came across this book recently, now rediscovered by Bill Bryson who forwards this edition, wandering friendless in a charity shop sheltering from the rain. The elation of seeing the name again provoked a gagging flashback of emotion so vivid that the smell and taste of Ghurkha Beer filled my senses, seeming to hang in the back of my throat as a portent of some imminent effusion of memory that would come straight from the pit of my stomach. As I’d previously been thrown out of this charity shop for a similar incident I hurriedly snatched the book.
An antidote to ‘Into Thin Air’ syndrome, I can see why Bryson loves it. His semi-anglophile mentality reflects but is not the same as this humour. Nor is it Monty Python, although perhaps Michael Palin’s Ripping Yarns is close. Actually, given the era it was written in, it is Goon Show - Spike Milligan, Sellers et al. Very funny spoof of expedition mountaineering that evidently became cult in those adventuring communities, meaning that several landmarks are now named after it.
If you need a break from serious books, give this a go. Very funny and you don’t need to be a mountaineer, although I personally have seen ‘Touching The Void’ and understand enough to know that when you are tired, hung-over or just plain can’t be bothered, always mumble something about altitude sickness.
Deserves its renaissance. Will be appreciated by anyone who realises that the best achievements in life are those that are futile and achieved to great acclaim under the banner of teamwork whilst at the expense of the efforts of other unsung people.
Great little book.
P.S. Disclaimer: Ghurkha Beer is very nice…ish.
January 30, 2021
Read for the 2nd time, January 21. I enjoyed this so much last year that I just had to read it again. It’s perfect lockdown cheering up material.
This book is a gem! It’s a spoof on every mountaineering expedition book or documentary you’ve ever read or watched. There are so many quotable absurdities that I wouldn’t know where to start and the illustrations are just as much fun as the book. It’s always funny, sometimes even laugh out loud funny which isn’t something I experience often. If you enjoy off the wall British humour then this is for you, especially if you’re a fan of mountaineering adventure. The book has a cult following with Rum Doodle restaurants and B&Bs across the world and even has its own website. I’ve no idea how it has escaped my attention until now but now that it has, it’s a firm favourite.
Thank you so much to my Goodreads friend, Daren, for reviewing this recently. You cheered up my lockdown!
This book is a gem! It’s a spoof on every mountaineering expedition book or documentary you’ve ever read or watched. There are so many quotable absurdities that I wouldn’t know where to start and the illustrations are just as much fun as the book. It’s always funny, sometimes even laugh out loud funny which isn’t something I experience often. If you enjoy off the wall British humour then this is for you, especially if you’re a fan of mountaineering adventure. The book has a cult following with Rum Doodle restaurants and B&Bs across the world and even has its own website. I’ve no idea how it has escaped my attention until now but now that it has, it’s a firm favourite.
Thank you so much to my Goodreads friend, Daren, for reviewing this recently. You cheered up my lockdown!
August 27, 2021
The Ascent of Rum Doodle is a parody on mountaineers and as with all parodies there are people who love them and others who really don't see anything in them. I'm a bit in the middle of these two. The writing was over the top and there were lots of funny paragraphs - I just didn't laugh as much as I had hoped. My expectations were very high, especially because Bill Bryson in the foreword calls this the funniest book he ever read. It is funny, just not as funny as I thought. Sometimes it was also trying a bit too hard to make people laugh. I think I might have enjoyed it a lot more if I hadn't read the foreword and the caption which both gave away the funniest parts of the book. So I'm not saying anything else about the book‘s content here because I don't want to spoil it for anyone else.
September 29, 2017
The second funniest work of fiction I have ever read... It's a good example of British surrealism. The British never really regarded surrealism as a serious artform and most examples of British surrealism are in fact strange comedies with no especial interest in the concerns of the original Surrealists (Freudian psychology, automatic writing, unpalatable honesty regarding sexual desires, etc).
This novel stands comparison with *Three Men in a Boat* or *Diary of a Nobody* but it's much more extreme and silly and ingenious. An expedition composed of misfits attempts to climb Rum Doodle, which at forty-thousand-and-a-half feet is the highest mountain in the world. First published in 1956, *The Ascent of Rum Doodle* has been reprinted several times but still remains relatively unknown, which is a shame.
*****
I have just reread this novel for the third time (September 2017). It is very rare that I read books twice, let alone three times. I guess that it has become my 'comfort book', one that can be read and read again and again. I still regard it as a tremendous comedy!
This novel stands comparison with *Three Men in a Boat* or *Diary of a Nobody* but it's much more extreme and silly and ingenious. An expedition composed of misfits attempts to climb Rum Doodle, which at forty-thousand-and-a-half feet is the highest mountain in the world. First published in 1956, *The Ascent of Rum Doodle* has been reprinted several times but still remains relatively unknown, which is a shame.
*****
I have just reread this novel for the third time (September 2017). It is very rare that I read books twice, let alone three times. I guess that it has become my 'comfort book', one that can be read and read again and again. I still regard it as a tremendous comedy!
June 10, 2020
This book is a well known parody on mountaineering stories, written about a fictional mountain named Rum Doodle, altitude 40,000-and-a-half feet - around one third again as high as Everest. Set in the Himalaya, in a land that is not Nepal, but very like Nepal, with porters who are 'Yogastani'.
The team, established by the Rum Doodle committee is led by the narrator, known as Binder (not sure we ever learn his real name, as Binder is his radio callsign). As a leader he is the least insightful - unaware of what transpires around him most of the time, but totally dedicated to the party and the task. He is joined by a crew who become somewhat more obvious as the list grows - Tom Burley ex-military, the oversized, endurance man who is a constant victim of an array of lassitudes (heat, valley, etc), radio callsign - Deadweight.
Christopher Wish, scientist, who is constantly carrying out experiments which all seem to be boiling water to determine altitude (inaccurately) - radio callsign - Fiddler
Donald Shute, photographer, who specialises in exposing film and ruining any recorded imagery - radio callsign - Dickie Bird.
Humphrey Jungle - radio expert and route finder, who is constantly lost and requires rescue frequently - radio callsign - Wanderer (although he proposed pathfinder for himself which was not accepted).
Lancelot Constant - linguist, who struggles with the language of the porters creating havoc in the giving of instructions - radio callsign Applecart.
Ridley Prone - doctor, who is constantly struck down with illness, radio callsign - Ailing.
As well as the team, there are the aforementioned porters, numbering 3000 at commencement, but gradually whittled down in number to suit the food stores available and maintain the expedition budget. There are a few main character Yogistanis, who include Pong the expedition cook (who manages to turn any ingredients into inedible filth for the duration of the expedition), Bing, who was the Bang (head porter), Bung a particularly strong porter, So Lo and Lo Too, who stick with Binder for much of the expedition.
As you can see from the above, there is plenty of absurdity, plenty of slapstick, lots of play on words and situations (translations, of course when two words in Yogistani are indistinguishable 'except for a gurgle at the end', inevitable navigation issues, hallucinations, medical situations, a crevasse to escape from, fiance stories to be learned from all the team, porter revolts and much acclimatization to be done. There are basecamps, advanced basecamps, camps 1-5 and all manner of arrangements to be made.
So at 153 pages, it wouldn't have wanted to be any longer, but it was a funny and readable parody. Probably more Goon Show than Monty Python, but very British in its self-mockery.
Worthy of noting - Bill Bryson wrote the introduction, most useful for its background to the book (including explaining the significance of the repeated uses of the number 153 in the text).
Also worth a mention is the Rum Doodle Restaurant in Kathmandu, which carries on the tradition, albeit apparently relocated from its original location in Thamel. I have visited the restaurant when it was in Thamel (I believe I had a yak steak (which is nearly always water buffalo, apparently)), and had a vague understanding of the book, but had not read it.
Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, rounded up.
The team, established by the Rum Doodle committee is led by the narrator, known as Binder (not sure we ever learn his real name, as Binder is his radio callsign). As a leader he is the least insightful - unaware of what transpires around him most of the time, but totally dedicated to the party and the task. He is joined by a crew who become somewhat more obvious as the list grows - Tom Burley ex-military, the oversized, endurance man who is a constant victim of an array of lassitudes (heat, valley, etc), radio callsign - Deadweight.
Christopher Wish, scientist, who is constantly carrying out experiments which all seem to be boiling water to determine altitude (inaccurately) - radio callsign - Fiddler
Donald Shute, photographer, who specialises in exposing film and ruining any recorded imagery - radio callsign - Dickie Bird.
Humphrey Jungle - radio expert and route finder, who is constantly lost and requires rescue frequently - radio callsign - Wanderer (although he proposed pathfinder for himself which was not accepted).
Lancelot Constant - linguist, who struggles with the language of the porters creating havoc in the giving of instructions - radio callsign Applecart.
Ridley Prone - doctor, who is constantly struck down with illness, radio callsign - Ailing.
As well as the team, there are the aforementioned porters, numbering 3000 at commencement, but gradually whittled down in number to suit the food stores available and maintain the expedition budget. There are a few main character Yogistanis, who include Pong the expedition cook (who manages to turn any ingredients into inedible filth for the duration of the expedition), Bing, who was the Bang (head porter), Bung a particularly strong porter, So Lo and Lo Too, who stick with Binder for much of the expedition.
As you can see from the above, there is plenty of absurdity, plenty of slapstick, lots of play on words and situations (translations, of course when two words in Yogistani are indistinguishable 'except for a gurgle at the end', inevitable navigation issues, hallucinations, medical situations, a crevasse to escape from, fiance stories to be learned from all the team, porter revolts and much acclimatization to be done. There are basecamps, advanced basecamps, camps 1-5 and all manner of arrangements to be made.
So at 153 pages, it wouldn't have wanted to be any longer, but it was a funny and readable parody. Probably more Goon Show than Monty Python, but very British in its self-mockery.
Worthy of noting - Bill Bryson wrote the introduction, most useful for its background to the book (including explaining the significance of the repeated uses of the number 153 in the text).
Also worth a mention is the Rum Doodle Restaurant in Kathmandu, which carries on the tradition, albeit apparently relocated from its original location in Thamel. I have visited the restaurant when it was in Thamel (I believe I had a yak steak (which is nearly always water buffalo, apparently)), and had a vague understanding of the book, but had not read it.
Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, rounded up.
April 16, 2015
I have to be really honest about this book. I couldn't enjoy it. To be honest, Bowman's style of writing it is really tiring and I was often drifting with my focus on the book. Although I have to say that's probably my problem and not Bowman's. As a matter of fact his writing is surprisingly good and very well polished. What I did not like about the book it's the fact that almost every part of it seems like a sitcom, everything is happening and nothing seems to happen. The characters are dull and very much two-dimensional (even the main character). Maybe my rating it's very personal, however I must say that I don't think The Ascent of Rum Doodle a bad or bad written book. Only it didn't work for me.
March 19, 2021
Neşeyle okudum, çok eğlendim, şaşırdım. Bowman mizahı öyle ciddiye almış ki saygı duymamak elde değil. Bambaşka bir şey okudum. Tarifi zor. Absürt ile gerçekliğin mükemmel bir karışımı.
Hangi birinden bahsedeyim: Ekip lideri Binder'ın uçlardaki saflığından mı, ekipteki yetenekli(?) insanların yaptıklarından mı, hamallarla ekibin arasındaki ilişkilerden mi, nişanlı meselesinden mi, Pong'un yemeklerinden mi, kitabın sonundaki şoktan mı?
Yeniden okuduğumda zevkimin katlanacağına eminim. Tek okuyuşta tükenecek bir kitap değil.
Farklı bir mizah görmek istiyorsanız mutlaka okuyun.
Çeviri ve editörlükten de bahsetmek gerek: Harika bir çeviriydi, bana garip gelen, düşük gelen hiçbir ifade yoktu; sözcük oyunları Türkçe'ye çok iyi aktarılmıştı, Ali Erdem Çelebi'nin eli zihni dert bulmasın. Bunun yanında yazım yanlışı ve typo da yoktu, editör Emre Yavuz ve düzeltmenler Hande Çelebi ve Özge İpek'in ellerine sağlık. Sade kapak tasarımının sahibi Meltem Çelebi'yi de anmamak olmaz, sağ olsun.
Umarım 16 Metrekare yayınevi Bowman'ın diğer eseri "The Cruise of the Talking Fish"i (evet maalesef sadece iki eseri var) de yayınlar.
Not: Tek üzüntüm Bill Bryson'ın önsözünün çeviride yer almaması.
Hangi birinden bahsedeyim: Ekip lideri Binder'ın uçlardaki saflığından mı, ekipteki yetenekli(?) insanların yaptıklarından mı, hamallarla ekibin arasındaki ilişkilerden mi, nişanlı meselesinden mi, Pong'un yemeklerinden mi, kitabın sonundaki şoktan mı?
Yeniden okuduğumda zevkimin katlanacağına eminim. Tek okuyuşta tükenecek bir kitap değil.
Farklı bir mizah görmek istiyorsanız mutlaka okuyun.
Çeviri ve editörlükten de bahsetmek gerek: Harika bir çeviriydi, bana garip gelen, düşük gelen hiçbir ifade yoktu; sözcük oyunları Türkçe'ye çok iyi aktarılmıştı, Ali Erdem Çelebi'nin eli zihni dert bulmasın. Bunun yanında yazım yanlışı ve typo da yoktu, editör Emre Yavuz ve düzeltmenler Hande Çelebi ve Özge İpek'in ellerine sağlık. Sade kapak tasarımının sahibi Meltem Çelebi'yi de anmamak olmaz, sağ olsun.
Umarım 16 Metrekare yayınevi Bowman'ın diğer eseri "The Cruise of the Talking Fish"i (evet maalesef sadece iki eseri var) de yayınlar.
Not: Tek üzüntüm Bill Bryson'ın önsözünün çeviride yer almaması.
August 27, 2021
An entertaining, humorous, silly, enjoyable short novel about a group of mountaineers who attempt to ascent fictitious Mt Rum Doodle, located in the Himalayas. It has a Monty Python send up style, where absurdity is the norm. The mountaineering team members include Humphrey Jungle, the radio expert and route finder who always gets lost. Christopher Wish, the scientist who tests his equipment on the sea voyage and finds out the ship is 153 feet above sea level. Lancelot Constant, the language expert who, regularly provokes the fury of the native porters by his grammatical and syntax errors.
First published in 1956.
First published in 1956.
July 7, 2017
Absolutely hilarious, giggled like a schoolgirl all the way through. I'm off to meditate on the responsibilities of leadership...
April 21, 2018
Daha ilk sayfalarında beni Catch-22 kadar eğlendiren ve tabiri caizse kahkahalara boğan bir roman okumayalı uzun zaman olmuştu. Hükmedici bir macera ve keşif kültürünü tiye almakla kalmayıp, bir yandan da dönemin ruhunu ve o ruhtan muzdarip "kahraman"ların diğer kültürlere çarpık bakışını bu kadar komik şekilde eleştiren bir eser ölümsüzlüğü çoktan hak etmiştir gözümde.
İnsanın doğa ile mücadelesini yücelten ve kafamıza kafamıza vuran binlerce eserin arasından bir güneş gibi doğan bu mizah abidesi, kendi çapında aşılması zor bir zirve teşkil ediyor dersem, sanırım çoğu kişi bana içten içe hak vermekte bir beis görmeyecektir. Elbette kişinin kültürü ile şekillenen mizah anlayışı, bu sarsıcı komiklikteki eserin algılanmasını da belirleyecektir. Yine de gönül rahatlığı ile diyebilirim ki Catch-22, Douglas Adams ve Aziz Nesin denildiğinde gülmemek için kendini zor tutan nesiller, elbette ki neyi kast ettiğimi anlayacaklardır.
Buna ek olarak, çeviri diline değinmek gerekirse, lafı çok dolandırmadan diyebilirim ki, akıcılığı bozmayan ve mizahla okurun arasına çok girmeme başarısını sergileyen bir çeviri dili söz konusu. Bazı çeviri tercihleri tartışmaya açık olsa da (belli yaş gruplarındaki sözcük ve ifade tercihlerinde bir kayma olduğunu düşünüyorum mesela), ortaya başarılı bir iş konduğu söyleyebilirim.
Bir grup farklı karakterden insanla uzunca bir süre zor koşullarda bir şeyleri başarmaya hevesli herkese bu mizah harikasını "mutlaka okunması gereken" kategorisinde bir kitap olarak ve gülümseyerek tavsiye ederim.
İnsanın doğa ile mücadelesini yücelten ve kafamıza kafamıza vuran binlerce eserin arasından bir güneş gibi doğan bu mizah abidesi, kendi çapında aşılması zor bir zirve teşkil ediyor dersem, sanırım çoğu kişi bana içten içe hak vermekte bir beis görmeyecektir. Elbette kişinin kültürü ile şekillenen mizah anlayışı, bu sarsıcı komiklikteki eserin algılanmasını da belirleyecektir. Yine de gönül rahatlığı ile diyebilirim ki Catch-22, Douglas Adams ve Aziz Nesin denildiğinde gülmemek için kendini zor tutan nesiller, elbette ki neyi kast ettiğimi anlayacaklardır.
Buna ek olarak, çeviri diline değinmek gerekirse, lafı çok dolandırmadan diyebilirim ki, akıcılığı bozmayan ve mizahla okurun arasına çok girmeme başarısını sergileyen bir çeviri dili söz konusu. Bazı çeviri tercihleri tartışmaya açık olsa da (belli yaş gruplarındaki sözcük ve ifade tercihlerinde bir kayma olduğunu düşünüyorum mesela), ortaya başarılı bir iş konduğu söyleyebilirim.
Bir grup farklı karakterden insanla uzunca bir süre zor koşullarda bir şeyleri başarmaya hevesli herkese bu mizah harikasını "mutlaka okunması gereken" kategorisinde bir kitap olarak ve gülümseyerek tavsiye ederim.
September 24, 2014
I think Bill Bryson is one of the funniest authors out there. Bill Bryson thinks Rum Doodle is one of the funniest books out there. Therefore, I should find Rum Doodle extremely funny, right?
Nope.
That was my reasoning when I picked the book up from the library, but no. I could see where the humour was, for sure. I smiled regularly for the first two or three chapters. I probably would have kept smiling if I'd kept reading, but the story didn't grip me, and the humour wasn't sufficient to keep me turning pages on what was (to me) a boring tale.
Perhaps if I'd ever been a climber, I'd have found it more engaging?
Anyway. An okay book, but not one I'd recommend ... except to a mountain climber. Assuming I knew any. :)
Nope.
That was my reasoning when I picked the book up from the library, but no. I could see where the humour was, for sure. I smiled regularly for the first two or three chapters. I probably would have kept smiling if I'd kept reading, but the story didn't grip me, and the humour wasn't sufficient to keep me turning pages on what was (to me) a boring tale.
Perhaps if I'd ever been a climber, I'd have found it more engaging?
Anyway. An okay book, but not one I'd recommend ... except to a mountain climber. Assuming I knew any. :)
July 7, 2017
The Ascent of Rum Doodle
is a jaunty parody of inept mountaineers, who couldn’t organise a raffle at a village fete let alone master the 40,000 (and a half) ft climb to the peak of ‘Rum Doodle’.
These ‘professionals’ have the most ironic surnames like Burley, who was was anything but as he was out of sorts after failing to acclimatise to any step of their journey, the team’s medical assistance was provided by a Dr Prone who contracted everything from mumps to malaria, while Constant unintentionally offended the local porters at every available opportunity with his professed linguistic skill, and their navigator, Jungle, aptly couldn’t find the wood for the trees.
The ‘Rum Doodle’ campaign reaches farcical proportions as their specially selected liabilities hamper progress at every possible turn. The team leader, Binder (his radio code name), is a naïve shepherd with a flock that regularly outwits him. He is blissfully unaware of the reverse psychology they apply in order to avoid sharing a tent with his inexhaustible counsel.
The greatest threat to their party wasn’t in fact Binder, the altitude, or mutiny every time Constant opened his mouth, but Pong, a cook with the most frightful culinary ability to ‘demoralise’ all grown men. Strategies were developed to minimise exposure of his contribution to their endeavour but his presence was ludicrously unshakeable.
And with the exception of Binder’s incessant obsession for dredging up every team member’s fiancée status (regardless of how curious their replies are) this story is completely dominated by men. I can honestly say I hadn’t noticed the omission of female characters until the end as I was busy being carried away by their absurd behaviour and the futility of meticulous planning!
There were memorable gems of recklessness and ridicule throughout, but my absolute favourites were when the team had diagnosed the doctor as having hopes of a recovery on the basis that he hadn’t expired yet, and the moment Binder’s tears secured his face to the ice during a momentary lapse of emotional composure. Plus this one, where the leader is once again trying to raise morale …
Binder’s valiant efforts to provide his calamitous conquerors with the necessary encouragement turned into an ascent of endurance rather than an expedition. I mean, exactly how many people can you lose in a crevasse before something twigs?! Loved it! 😀
These ‘professionals’ have the most ironic surnames like Burley, who was was anything but as he was out of sorts after failing to acclimatise to any step of their journey, the team’s medical assistance was provided by a Dr Prone who contracted everything from mumps to malaria, while Constant unintentionally offended the local porters at every available opportunity with his professed linguistic skill, and their navigator, Jungle, aptly couldn’t find the wood for the trees.
The ‘Rum Doodle’ campaign reaches farcical proportions as their specially selected liabilities hamper progress at every possible turn. The team leader, Binder (his radio code name), is a naïve shepherd with a flock that regularly outwits him. He is blissfully unaware of the reverse psychology they apply in order to avoid sharing a tent with his inexhaustible counsel.
The greatest threat to their party wasn’t in fact Binder, the altitude, or mutiny every time Constant opened his mouth, but Pong, a cook with the most frightful culinary ability to ‘demoralise’ all grown men. Strategies were developed to minimise exposure of his contribution to their endeavour but his presence was ludicrously unshakeable.
And with the exception of Binder’s incessant obsession for dredging up every team member’s fiancée status (regardless of how curious their replies are) this story is completely dominated by men. I can honestly say I hadn’t noticed the omission of female characters until the end as I was busy being carried away by their absurd behaviour and the futility of meticulous planning!
There were memorable gems of recklessness and ridicule throughout, but my absolute favourites were when the team had diagnosed the doctor as having hopes of a recovery on the basis that he hadn’t expired yet, and the moment Binder’s tears secured his face to the ice during a momentary lapse of emotional composure. Plus this one, where the leader is once again trying to raise morale …
"Poor Prone seemed quite low, and to cheer him up I encouraged him to talk about his home. Had he a fiancée? I asked. He said, no, his wife was the unsympathetic kind and his children considered one mother quite enough."
Binder’s valiant efforts to provide his calamitous conquerors with the necessary encouragement turned into an ascent of endurance rather than an expedition. I mean, exactly how many people can you lose in a crevasse before something twigs?! Loved it! 😀
December 30, 2017
As someone who has paged through the expedition diaries of more than one Victorian explorer, I found a lot to like about The Ascent of Rum Doodle, a satire of those very types of people and their writing. But even if you haven’t has the pleasure of reading much in that genre, you may still find something to like within.
Led by Binder, a man desperate to be the type of leader he’s read about but lacking any insight into himself and others and trying to find it by constantly questioning everyone about their fiances, his crew of men and their 3,000 yogistani porters (and the 300 or so boys being porters to the porters) attempt the ascent of Rum Doodle, the highest peak in the Himalayas. And so we find ourselves in the company of Burley (a supposedly strong man who is a constant victim of lassitude), Prone (the doctor, constantly struck with illness), Jungle (the navigator, who couldn’t find his way out of a sleeping bag), Constant (the diplomat, whose struggles with the language of the native porters sees him constantly about to come to blows), Shute (the photographer, whose completed shots are always ruined by his clumsiness), and Wish (the scientist, whose main mission seems to be boiling ice). Menaced by Pong, the cook, who could reduce any potentially decent meal to swill in seconds, the men test the limits of their courage, endurance, and capacity to be around their leader without losing their tempers.
A very slight book, this didn’t take long to read and made me smile throughout – that could have been tested had the book been much longer, but thankfully it knew not to outstay its welcome (unlike Binder) and finished while I still thought well of it.
**Also posted at Cannonball Read 9**
Led by Binder, a man desperate to be the type of leader he’s read about but lacking any insight into himself and others and trying to find it by constantly questioning everyone about their fiances, his crew of men and their 3,000 yogistani porters (and the 300 or so boys being porters to the porters) attempt the ascent of Rum Doodle, the highest peak in the Himalayas. And so we find ourselves in the company of Burley (a supposedly strong man who is a constant victim of lassitude), Prone (the doctor, constantly struck with illness), Jungle (the navigator, who couldn’t find his way out of a sleeping bag), Constant (the diplomat, whose struggles with the language of the native porters sees him constantly about to come to blows), Shute (the photographer, whose completed shots are always ruined by his clumsiness), and Wish (the scientist, whose main mission seems to be boiling ice). Menaced by Pong, the cook, who could reduce any potentially decent meal to swill in seconds, the men test the limits of their courage, endurance, and capacity to be around their leader without losing their tempers.
A very slight book, this didn’t take long to read and made me smile throughout – that could have been tested had the book been much longer, but thankfully it knew not to outstay its welcome (unlike Binder) and finished while I still thought well of it.
**Also posted at Cannonball Read 9**
January 30, 2014
I added this book to my to-read shelf after reading this blog post. After reading it, I fully endorse it as worthy of adding to your to-read shelf as well.
The premise is straightforward. Binder -- who is, to give a modern equivalent, very similar to Michael Scott from The Office -- is leading an expedition to ascend to the top of the Rum Doodle mountain peak. His companions include a translator that appears to not know the native language, a doctor who remains sick with various maladies, a navigator who gets thoroughly lost at every turn, a strongman who is weakened by "altitude sickness," a scientist who is convinced they are 153 feet above sea level while out at sea, and a group of hundreds of native porters, including Pong, a cook that makes inedible every food item he touches. Bedlam, naturally, ensues.
This book holds up very well for a book that's almost 60 years old, as, at its core, it is a comedy about human nature, which hasn't evolved nearly as much as we'd like to believe, despite all our technological advances.
The premise is straightforward. Binder -- who is, to give a modern equivalent, very similar to Michael Scott from The Office -- is leading an expedition to ascend to the top of the Rum Doodle mountain peak. His companions include a translator that appears to not know the native language, a doctor who remains sick with various maladies, a navigator who gets thoroughly lost at every turn, a strongman who is weakened by "altitude sickness," a scientist who is convinced they are 153 feet above sea level while out at sea, and a group of hundreds of native porters, including Pong, a cook that makes inedible every food item he touches. Bedlam, naturally, ensues.
This book holds up very well for a book that's almost 60 years old, as, at its core, it is a comedy about human nature, which hasn't evolved nearly as much as we'd like to believe, despite all our technological advances.
August 18, 2019
Vaig comprar aquest llibre a La llama store, que és una llibreria especialitzada en humor on s'hi ha d'anar a fer gasto sí o sí.
La pega és que no m'ha fet gaire gràcia.
La novel·la parodia el gènere de la literatura d'alpinisme. Potser aquí em fallen els referents, perquè si bé devia estar de moda fa una colla d'anys, ara mateix no en conec cap exemple. No n'he llegit ni un. La paròdia, per tant, no té un model on arrelar, en el meu cas.
L'humor molt british, molt polite, molt subtil. De vegades massa. Alguns passatges (pocs) m'han arrencat un somriure, però per regla general la novel·la m'ha submergit en el tedi.
La pitjor part, sense cap mena de dubte, són les gairebé cent pàgines (de 191 totals) que els personatges van amunt i avall canviant de campaments (encara no sé ben bé per què) i que no s'entenen. És un desgavell d'accions sense sentit, d'anades i vingudes que avorreixen a qualsevol lector.
Llàstima. Hauré d'anar a la recerca d'una novel·la que sí em faci riure.
Tornaré a La Llama Store.
La pega és que no m'ha fet gaire gràcia.
La novel·la parodia el gènere de la literatura d'alpinisme. Potser aquí em fallen els referents, perquè si bé devia estar de moda fa una colla d'anys, ara mateix no en conec cap exemple. No n'he llegit ni un. La paròdia, per tant, no té un model on arrelar, en el meu cas.
L'humor molt british, molt polite, molt subtil. De vegades massa. Alguns passatges (pocs) m'han arrencat un somriure, però per regla general la novel·la m'ha submergit en el tedi.
La pitjor part, sense cap mena de dubte, són les gairebé cent pàgines (de 191 totals) que els personatges van amunt i avall canviant de campaments (encara no sé ben bé per què) i que no s'entenen. És un desgavell d'accions sense sentit, d'anades i vingudes que avorreixen a qualsevol lector.
Llàstima. Hauré d'anar a la recerca d'una novel·la que sí em faci riure.
Tornaré a La Llama Store.
January 5, 2014
An overlooked classic. Read it in a single sitting. Extremely silly, in a good way, and often funny enough to bring tears.
August 17, 2016
A classic British comic novel about a shambolic Himalayan mountaineering expedition. Perhaps a forgotten classic - it's been familiar to me for a long time and I didn't know it wasn't well-known until I read Bill Bryson's introduction. He compares it with Diary of a Nobody - the narrator is similarly incompetent, though perhaps marginally less pompous. (There's an awful lot happening, so less time to be so.) There's also a touch of Goonish / Pythonesque surrealism and a dash of Ealing charm. And quite a lot of comic repetition. The local sherpas may have been given silly names, but they have personalities just as strong as the Brits and are in many cases more competent. There are also various awkward goings on with their trade union, echoing British films of the era like I'm All Right Jack. Knowing the kind of memoirs being parodied may make this funnier, but plenty of reviewers say they enjoyed this regardless of familiarity with climbing books or the sport itself.
October 10, 2017
Rum Doodle is one of the funniest, silliest (in the best sense!) books I've ever read. Bill Bryson's commendation on the cover is spot on: "One of the funniest books you will ever read." A spoof of the mountaineering community in the early 20th century, Bowman's deadpan style of delivery is a sheer delight. Take just one passage; one of the climbers has had a fixation with fiancees ever since a child(!?) To distract his attention his parents give him a catapult. "Except for the additional expenses of broken windows they were quite satisfied with the results. The boy's natural delight at owning a weapon of destruction drew his attention away from the subject of fiancees, thus relieving an inner tension which might have resulted in a political career."
Absolutely ripping!
Absolutely ripping!
September 12, 2015
I love the serendipity of books. 1 month ago I discover this obscure and forgotten spoof on my bibliophilic son's ever growing bookshelves. Today I find a reference to it in another book I am reading... !
In this age of political correctness and sensitivities to all kinds of imagined slights The Ascent of Rum Doodle could never be written.for this reason alone it deserves to be rediscovered and celebrated. Thank God for a time when people could see the funny side of things without taking offence.
In this age of political correctness and sensitivities to all kinds of imagined slights The Ascent of Rum Doodle could never be written.for this reason alone it deserves to be rediscovered and celebrated. Thank God for a time when people could see the funny side of things without taking offence.
May 23, 2023
4.5 ⭐
“Cuando estás colgando indefenso del extremo de una cuerda de 100 pies de largo es importante saber que el hombre que hay en la otra punta es un verdadero amigo”.
“En una expedición de esa naturaleza, los deseos individuales han de estar subordinados a la causa común”.
- Frases del libro "Hasta arriba" de W.E. Bowman
Cuando inicié la lectura de esta obra lo hice pensando que sólo sería una comedia más; sin embargo, conforme fui avanzando en la lectura, me di cuenta de que dentro de esa diversión que nos regala el autor, nos entrega también innumerables enseñanzas y reflexiones aplicables para nuestra vida diaria.
Más allá de las aventuras y contratiempos que vive un grupo de alpinistas para llegar a la cima, encontramos que cuando las personas luchan en busca de un mismo objetivo, implicará diferencias o desavenencias entre ellos, marcadas tal vez por lo que cada uno de nosotros está viviendo, pues cada uno lucha su propia batalla que puede llegar a afectar en nuestro desarrollo personal, físico, laboral y emocional. Sin embargo, cuando llegan a superarse las dificultades, se fortalecen los lazos y se hace más fácil llegar a la meta.
Creo que es un libro que debería ser leído por todas las personas en formación, pues además de hacernos reír, nos hace reflexionar sobre muchos temas de la vida diaria. Inclusive, considero que debería sugerirse su lectura para los equipos deportivos, laborales, funcionarios gubernamentales, etc.
En definitiva, es un libro que me deja con el ánimo y la reflexión de que, a pesar de los obstáculos, siempre podemos llegar con éxito a la cima de nuestra propia montaña.
“Cuando estás colgando indefenso del extremo de una cuerda de 100 pies de largo es importante saber que el hombre que hay en la otra punta es un verdadero amigo”.
“En una expedición de esa naturaleza, los deseos individuales han de estar subordinados a la causa común”.
- Frases del libro "Hasta arriba" de W.E. Bowman
Cuando inicié la lectura de esta obra lo hice pensando que sólo sería una comedia más; sin embargo, conforme fui avanzando en la lectura, me di cuenta de que dentro de esa diversión que nos regala el autor, nos entrega también innumerables enseñanzas y reflexiones aplicables para nuestra vida diaria.
Más allá de las aventuras y contratiempos que vive un grupo de alpinistas para llegar a la cima, encontramos que cuando las personas luchan en busca de un mismo objetivo, implicará diferencias o desavenencias entre ellos, marcadas tal vez por lo que cada uno de nosotros está viviendo, pues cada uno lucha su propia batalla que puede llegar a afectar en nuestro desarrollo personal, físico, laboral y emocional. Sin embargo, cuando llegan a superarse las dificultades, se fortalecen los lazos y se hace más fácil llegar a la meta.
Creo que es un libro que debería ser leído por todas las personas en formación, pues además de hacernos reír, nos hace reflexionar sobre muchos temas de la vida diaria. Inclusive, considero que debería sugerirse su lectura para los equipos deportivos, laborales, funcionarios gubernamentales, etc.
En definitiva, es un libro que me deja con el ánimo y la reflexión de que, a pesar de los obstáculos, siempre podemos llegar con éxito a la cima de nuestra propia montaña.
December 19, 2014
I am delighted to find that after 37 years as a used bookseller, i can still discover a new favorite book and fall in love. Though I am slightly embarrassed that I am only discovering Rum Doodle NOW, but perhaps books come along in your life just when you need them. The Ascent of Rum Doodle can only be described as a Good Show epic running on all cylinders. The conquering of a mountain has never and will never be this funny. Give this book to someone whose never ending devotion you wan to earn, they will follow you up Rum Doodle without question.
April 22, 2014
One of the best comic novels I have ever read. Extremely well observed and deserves to be thought of as one of the true classics of comic literature along with P.G.Wodehouse. I particularly loved the leader of the expedition who exemplifies the stereotype of the optimistic but not at all worldly British ex-public schoolboy.
June 13, 2015
Dieses Buch ist einfach unglaublich lustig! Freunde des trockenen und subtilen Humors werden an dieser Bergsteigergeschichte definitiv ihren Spaß haben. Ich kann es nur empfehlen. Leider ist es relativ kurz :/
July 1, 2017
Una historia de lo más divertida y disparatada a partes iguales. Hacía tiempo que no me reía tanto con un libro y la traducción es todo un acierto... jajaja.
June 2, 2014
This is a farcical story of a group of "climbers" setting out to tackle the daunting (and imaginary) summit of Rum Doodle. It's told in first person by a decidedly non-omniscient narrator who observes the laziness and bickering of his climbing team with unfailingly naive goodwill. I enjoyed the dry, subtle humor--laugh-out-loud in many places. A bit slow at times, but all-in-all a funny read. I'd probably give it 3.5 stars if I had the option, but it deserves to be rounded up rather than down.
July 25, 2017
Recommending it for people interested in:-
Mountain climbing, ropes, crevasses, porters, boys, skunks, gurgles, warples, compasses, thermometers, Rum Doodle, North Doodle, teamwork, champagne, and, of course, the thrill of achieving something together(along with porters that are beyond praise).
Hilarious and succinct; thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Mountain climbing, ropes, crevasses, porters, boys, skunks, gurgles, warples, compasses, thermometers, Rum Doodle, North Doodle, teamwork, champagne, and, of course, the thrill of achieving something together(along with porters that are beyond praise).
Hilarious and succinct; thoroughly enjoyed this one.
November 18, 2016
Very British and very funny. A lovely gentle humour runs throughout much in the vein of 'Diary of a Nobody' and 'Three Men in a Boat'; two other books of which I am inordinately fond. A great read.
I want to watch 'Ripping Yarns' again now.
I want to watch 'Ripping Yarns' again now.
October 24, 2018
LOVE IT! One of the best and funniest books I've ever read. I'd recommend it to everyone who loves a good spoof. My first reaction was that I needed to buy a copy so I could grab it and start reading again anytime I wanted.
January 26, 2011
Loaned to me by a friend who said, "this book is very funny." I couldn't agree with the assessment more. It was a good treadmill read, although I nearly fell off a couple of times.
June 2, 2025
This was the funniest book I have read this year so far, it’s my family’s book club of the month and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more! It had me and my fiancé laughing out loud multiple times, oh to read this book for the first time again.
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