The Condition of Ice

by Christopher Burns

In 1936 Ernest Tinnion leaves England for Switzerland to climb, with his childhood friend Hansi Kirchner, the awesome north face of the Versucherin. As they prepare the ascent, unforeseen pressures mount: from Tinnion's lover, who has left her husband to join him; from a too curious, menacing German photographer; and from a rival Italian team. In a breathtaking climax, Tinnion is forced to weigh survival against loyalty, neutrality against love and friendship, and to recognise ominous parallels with the looming global conflict.

172 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

NARRATOR:

Christopher Burns has performed in the London and Broadway performances of Stones in His Pockets and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in acting from NYU and a Bachelor of Arts in comparative literature from Colorado College. In addition to Broadway, Christopher has appeared onstage in numerous New York City and regional shows as well as on TV and film.


(source: Dreamscape)


Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm surprised this hasn't been reviewed on Goodreads. It's an interesting read, much better in the descriptions of attempting to pioneer a route up an ice wall on a mountain in the Alps in 1936 than in the often melodramatic private lives of the protagonist and his lover; particularly ringing false are the political and metaphysical conversations in the immediate aftermath of the tragic attempt. The post-war epilogue is well done as is the portrayal of the 1930s atmosphere in Switzerland and the depiction of the physical demands of pre-war Alpinism. It's flawed but compelling in places