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Top of the World #2
Iglús en la noche
En esta novela nos sumergimos en la vida de una pequeña familia de esquimales polares que vive en el ambiente crudo y riguroso del 'techo del mundo'. En ella resalta la humanidad de un pueblo que no tiene igual en el mundo y desfila una galería de personajes inolvidables.Cuando los esquimales toman contacto con la civilización de los blancos, surgen dramáticos conflictos donde los blancos salen gananciosos por la fuerza de su ciencia y de su tecnología. Pero los esquimales, con su coraje y su orgullo primitivos, se comportan dignamente.
Hardcover
First published June 1, 1973
6 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
About the author
Hans Ruesch
56 books23 followersHans Ruesch was a Italo-swiss racing driver, a novelist, and an internationally prominent activist against animal experiments and vivisection.
Ruesch was born in Naples on 17 May 1913 to an Italian-speaking Swiss mother and a German-speaking Swiss father. He lived the first 14 years of his life in Naples, where his father was a textile industrialist and a specialist in Pompeian Art. Ruesch attended boarding school in Switzerland. He then studied Law at the University of Zurich but dropped out in 1932 to join the racing circuit.
After World War II, in 1946, Ruesch left the United States and returned to Naples. He married Maria Luisa de la Feld in 1949. They separated in the early 1970s and Maria Luisa died in 2006. Hans Ruesch died of cancer at his home in Lugano, Switzerland, on 27 August 2007. He was 94. He is survived by his daughter, Vivian Ruesch Mellon of Manhattan, his sons, Hans Jr. Ruesch and Peter Ruesch, of Switzerland, and five grandchildren, Diana Mellon, Angela Mellon, Sarah Mellon, Jessica Ruesch and Gina Ruesch.
Ruesch was born in Naples on 17 May 1913 to an Italian-speaking Swiss mother and a German-speaking Swiss father. He lived the first 14 years of his life in Naples, where his father was a textile industrialist and a specialist in Pompeian Art. Ruesch attended boarding school in Switzerland. He then studied Law at the University of Zurich but dropped out in 1932 to join the racing circuit.
After World War II, in 1946, Ruesch left the United States and returned to Naples. He married Maria Luisa de la Feld in 1949. They separated in the early 1970s and Maria Luisa died in 2006. Hans Ruesch died of cancer at his home in Lugano, Switzerland, on 27 August 2007. He was 94. He is survived by his daughter, Vivian Ruesch Mellon of Manhattan, his sons, Hans Jr. Ruesch and Peter Ruesch, of Switzerland, and five grandchildren, Diana Mellon, Angela Mellon, Sarah Mellon, Jessica Ruesch and Gina Ruesch.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 1, 2012
A very informative book concerning the hard and brutal existence of the Eskimo, or ask the eskimos know them selves the Inuit. The difference is covered in the first chapter and the Eskimo is the man of ice whereas the Inuit is The Man. They regard themselves and they alone as the men. They live by a code of a culture that is so hard I am not sure we could describe it or bear it. They virtually live a life of migration constantly looking for food, and like animals during the long days they store up body weight to last they during the long dark periods. This family travels and shows the hardships, they have their confrontations with the outside world. They live by their own system of conduct and laws. This is a very good book, full of excitement and information. It is part of our world and something we should know about, it helps us to understand the culture clashes.
May 30, 2018
En esta novela nos sumergimos en la vida de una pequeña familia de esquimales polares que vive en el ambiente crudo y riguroso del “techo del mundo”. En ella resalta la humanidad de un pueblo que no tiene igual en el mundo y desfila una galería de personajes inolvidables.
"Iglús en la noche" de Hans Ruesch
"Iglús en la noche" de Hans Ruesch
December 10, 2024
Quella era la cima del mondo. Il paese delle ombre lunghe. Dove tutto è diverso: uomini, bestie, e la natura stessa. Il mare è solido. Nevica solo in estate, poiché d'inverno il freddo intenso impedisce qualsiasi precipitazione. Dove il sole è basso anche quando raggiunge il vertice, ma in compenso non tramonta più fino all'autunno. Dove esistono molti uccelli che non volano, mammiferi che vivono in mare, animali acquatici che strisciano in terra, e alcuni esseri umani che il mondo chiama eschimesi, ossia mangiatori di carne cruda, sebbene essi si definiscano semplicemente inuit: gli uomini.
Considerandosi gli unici degni di chiamarsi così.
Considerandosi gli unici degni di chiamarsi così.
December 21, 2016
Fantástico. La novela narra las peripecias de una pareja de inuits, en un periplo de varias estaciones a lo largo del ártico. La novela muestra en todo su esplendor la crudeza de la vida polar, pero de una manera tan elocuente que consigue que realmente te metas en la piel de los esquimales, aún a pesar de ser, muy probablemente, la raza más diferente a nosotros de toda la especie humana. ¿Qué se puede decir de personas tan bien adaptadas al medio, que son capaces de invernar en la estación fría, como si de osos se trataran?
Es de esa clase de obras capaces de sacudirte de tu cotidianeidad y hacer que experimentes la vida de otros, que abren tu mente y te aportan mucha mayor amplitud de miras, y que te enganchan y acompañan hasta el punto final.
Es de esa clase de obras capaces de sacudirte de tu cotidianeidad y hacer que experimentes la vida de otros, que abren tu mente y te aportan mucha mayor amplitud de miras, y que te enganchan y acompañan hasta el punto final.
February 18, 2017
Increíble, me ha encantado.
Le doy las 5 estrellas a este libro porque, en mi opinión, es tan informativo como entretenido, a pesar de hacerse un poco pesado en ciertos momentos, debo decir que me ha resultado súper enternecedor y, además, ha conseguido hacerme empatizar completamente con aquellos que viven la cultura Itnuit.
Me ha hecho reír tanto como llorar y creo que es una interesante lectura que sin duda repetiré en algún momento de mi vida.
Además, considero que el final es uno de los mejores que he leído nunca, no se cuántas veces habré releído ya la última página, y puedo asegurar que es magnífica.
Le doy las 5 estrellas a este libro porque, en mi opinión, es tan informativo como entretenido, a pesar de hacerse un poco pesado en ciertos momentos, debo decir que me ha resultado súper enternecedor y, además, ha conseguido hacerme empatizar completamente con aquellos que viven la cultura Itnuit.
Me ha hecho reír tanto como llorar y creo que es una interesante lectura que sin duda repetiré en algún momento de mi vida.
Además, considero que el final es uno de los mejores que he leído nunca, no se cuántas veces habré releído ya la última página, y puedo asegurar que es magnífica.
March 12, 2019
Novela informativa y preciosa, en la que se ve lo peligrosa que es la sociedad occidental para grupos minoritarios
January 7, 2020
Lo que me encanta tanto de éste como del primer libro sobre el país de las sombras largas, es que da una perspectiva de cómo en el ambiente más hostil se puede vivir, ardua pero satisfactoriamente.
August 18, 2022
Sencillamente un relato de las vivencias del día a día de una familia de Inuits en el polo norte. Ojo, no defrauda en lo absoluto.
Esta secuela (se puede leer sin necesidad de la primera) se basa en los hijos de los protagonistas del primer libro, ya grandes con familias y sus enfrentamientos con diferentes situaciones: lo difícil que puede llegar a ser lograr tener un hijo y mantenerlo con vida, las secuelas de la caza masiva en barcos de los hombres blancos, el comercio y trato con otra cultura, la búsqueda de una pareja para sus hijos y la necesidad de supervivencia constante.
Con una narración bastante sencilla y eso si muy descriptiva en algunas escenas (no recomendable para estómagos sencibles) Se logra a través de sus páginas ponerse esa piel de oso y coger esa lanza para mirar el mundo con la perspectiva de esos hombres y esa cultura tan ancestral como bella, por su respeto a la naturaleza, a la vida y a la muerte, y sobre todo a enseñarnos que por ser diferentes no necesitamos renunciar a eso por simple comodidad y materialismo.
Esta secuela (se puede leer sin necesidad de la primera) se basa en los hijos de los protagonistas del primer libro, ya grandes con familias y sus enfrentamientos con diferentes situaciones: lo difícil que puede llegar a ser lograr tener un hijo y mantenerlo con vida, las secuelas de la caza masiva en barcos de los hombres blancos, el comercio y trato con otra cultura, la búsqueda de una pareja para sus hijos y la necesidad de supervivencia constante.
Con una narración bastante sencilla y eso si muy descriptiva en algunas escenas (no recomendable para estómagos sencibles) Se logra a través de sus páginas ponerse esa piel de oso y coger esa lanza para mirar el mundo con la perspectiva de esos hombres y esa cultura tan ancestral como bella, por su respeto a la naturaleza, a la vida y a la muerte, y sobre todo a enseñarnos que por ser diferentes no necesitamos renunciar a eso por simple comodidad y materialismo.
March 26, 2022
Un magnifico seguito di 'Paese Dalle Ombre Lunghe' che si leggeva come se il primo volume non fosse mai finito. Avevo paura di restare delusa invece è bello quanto il primo. Recuperate questi libri, ne vale la pena💖
October 14, 2018
Good sequel.... interesting and captivating but sometimes underwhelming.....
December 29, 2021
Slow and Boring
October 22, 2025
un mundo que no imaginé que existiera,me gustó mucho
May 27, 2013
(Mild spoilers ahead though I kept it really vague. To understand this you must have read it anyway.)
I like that this book attempts to give an insider's account of what it feels like to be part of Inuit society through the personal experience and world view of a native rather than an outsider's technical description (at time of publishing, as it is likely that people might have been more 'westernized' in recent decades). It is amazing to watch the characters see their world so rejecting of any other perspectives that it is hard not to be reminded of our society where we objectify things and nature under the current scientific paradigm. The world of the Inuit seems much more alive and mysterious than ours and who is to say our world view is any more valid than theirs? Though at the same time the portrayal makes the characters and hence their culture seem quite arrogant and ignorant. Considering this bad light being shone upon them, how representative is that of the Inuit? The clash of two cultures though is an interesting one to watch and experience through the eyes of a society that increasingly is influenced by the powerful materials and traditions that came with the arrival of the white men.
But I am also very skeptic of certain elements describing Inuit society in the book, the getting rid of useless members of society being the most important one. A quick internet search revealed that this may not be necessarily true, certainly not to the extent as the book would make us believe. Another problem I have is that this book does not truly accomplish what it sets out to do. In the description and experience of Inuit culture there always seems to be a sort of judgmental 'Western screen' through which we experience the main characters and their social surroundings. In other words, the story feels a bit manipulated to appeal to us as Westerners. Where the audience might feel that events might go too far for their taste concerning heated, emotional issues like infanticide, compromises are being made in the plot lines as for example when the parents are faced with what to do with the girl. The same happens again with the child's 'husband's' fate later to spare us the consequences should that plot line have played out. Other times it seems some events are described so delicately, rather than bluntly, that one has to interpret what is going on. The story is just scandalous enough in the right places to seem exotic but does not attempt to go further than that. As these mentioned scandalous elements may not, as noted earlier, be entirely accurate, it feels as if they had been selected for their shock value but only to the point in which they serve the tastes of the expected readers and audience. And adding to that, I couldn't help but think of the term 'noble savage' whilst reading at times.. It is as if the book is shaping the brute 'noble savage' into an acceptable human being who respects the rules ('taboos') of Western society and eventually adapts and then succumbs to its dangerous pitfalls.. One the one hand it's a glorification of the 'primitive' old ways admired from afar and on the other a lesson in what can happen once the 'savage' becomes 'civilized'. The Inuit are clearly not being explored in their own context but rather from our very own vantage point despite the insider perspective one has with Papik's family.
To me, while I really enjoyed the characters and their adventures, the story felt a bit unreal and very obviously manipulated by the author who likely read old, not entirely credible ethnographic accounts. Of course any story told is eventually a manipulated construct, however the true art in storytelling is to make it seem natural and authentic in all elements. Here I find that is not the case all the time. Having said this though and having all this in mind, it is a great fictional tale that is truly enjoyable to read. At one point I was even reminded of an Iliad plot in one chapter. Although it was not particularly original, it was a joy to see that translated to the icy north. My point really is that you should not trust in the accuracy of the book, though it is very worthwhile and amusing fiction. A lot goes on in this book and because of that I would certainly recommend it. 'Back to the Top of the World' details not only a clash of two cultures but also reveals how our perceptions influence the way in which we narrate the experience of other societies.
I like that this book attempts to give an insider's account of what it feels like to be part of Inuit society through the personal experience and world view of a native rather than an outsider's technical description (at time of publishing, as it is likely that people might have been more 'westernized' in recent decades). It is amazing to watch the characters see their world so rejecting of any other perspectives that it is hard not to be reminded of our society where we objectify things and nature under the current scientific paradigm. The world of the Inuit seems much more alive and mysterious than ours and who is to say our world view is any more valid than theirs? Though at the same time the portrayal makes the characters and hence their culture seem quite arrogant and ignorant. Considering this bad light being shone upon them, how representative is that of the Inuit? The clash of two cultures though is an interesting one to watch and experience through the eyes of a society that increasingly is influenced by the powerful materials and traditions that came with the arrival of the white men.
But I am also very skeptic of certain elements describing Inuit society in the book, the getting rid of useless members of society being the most important one. A quick internet search revealed that this may not be necessarily true, certainly not to the extent as the book would make us believe. Another problem I have is that this book does not truly accomplish what it sets out to do. In the description and experience of Inuit culture there always seems to be a sort of judgmental 'Western screen' through which we experience the main characters and their social surroundings. In other words, the story feels a bit manipulated to appeal to us as Westerners. Where the audience might feel that events might go too far for their taste concerning heated, emotional issues like infanticide, compromises are being made in the plot lines as for example when the parents are faced with what to do with the girl. The same happens again with the child's 'husband's' fate later to spare us the consequences should that plot line have played out. Other times it seems some events are described so delicately, rather than bluntly, that one has to interpret what is going on. The story is just scandalous enough in the right places to seem exotic but does not attempt to go further than that. As these mentioned scandalous elements may not, as noted earlier, be entirely accurate, it feels as if they had been selected for their shock value but only to the point in which they serve the tastes of the expected readers and audience. And adding to that, I couldn't help but think of the term 'noble savage' whilst reading at times.. It is as if the book is shaping the brute 'noble savage' into an acceptable human being who respects the rules ('taboos') of Western society and eventually adapts and then succumbs to its dangerous pitfalls.. One the one hand it's a glorification of the 'primitive' old ways admired from afar and on the other a lesson in what can happen once the 'savage' becomes 'civilized'. The Inuit are clearly not being explored in their own context but rather from our very own vantage point despite the insider perspective one has with Papik's family.
To me, while I really enjoyed the characters and their adventures, the story felt a bit unreal and very obviously manipulated by the author who likely read old, not entirely credible ethnographic accounts. Of course any story told is eventually a manipulated construct, however the true art in storytelling is to make it seem natural and authentic in all elements. Here I find that is not the case all the time. Having said this though and having all this in mind, it is a great fictional tale that is truly enjoyable to read. At one point I was even reminded of an Iliad plot in one chapter. Although it was not particularly original, it was a joy to see that translated to the icy north. My point really is that you should not trust in the accuracy of the book, though it is very worthwhile and amusing fiction. A lot goes on in this book and because of that I would certainly recommend it. 'Back to the Top of the World' details not only a clash of two cultures but also reveals how our perceptions influence the way in which we narrate the experience of other societies.
September 5, 2022
Non potente quanto il primo ma ugualmente interessante e piacevole. Consiglio comunque la lettura del primo (Il Paese delle ombre Lunghe) e solo successivamente questo, anche se le storie non sono strettamente collegate.
July 31, 2012
I grabbed this novel from my mother's, I thought it was about those dopes who climb deadly mountains. But it is about an Inuit family.
When I was in middle school in the late 70s, my lame school provided a year of social studies curriculum called "MACOS", which, stood for MAN; A COURSE OF STUDY. This curriculum, as I recall, was some sort of evolutionary lesson. We started with pigeons, and then primates, and then we watched movies that followed an Inuit family around as they lived the old way, more or less.
Unlike the films, which were boring, this book is very exciting and intersting. You really get a sense of how the family lives so close to death, one seal kill away from starvation. They use urine as a cleaning agent (so did the Pilgrims on the Mayflower!). Often, the old folks do everyone a favor and kill themselves, but sometimes the younger family members do it. Also, if not carefully watched, the dogs will eat the babies. It is a crazy existance, the parents will even kill a baby if the survival of the group is at stake. Every item is useful, they even eat their sleds when things get really bad.
It seems to be the second of a series, I would read the other one, but I'm not going to go track it down...I will donate or give away this book, it is a good enough read, but not a real keeper.
When I was in middle school in the late 70s, my lame school provided a year of social studies curriculum called "MACOS", which, stood for MAN; A COURSE OF STUDY. This curriculum, as I recall, was some sort of evolutionary lesson. We started with pigeons, and then primates, and then we watched movies that followed an Inuit family around as they lived the old way, more or less.
Unlike the films, which were boring, this book is very exciting and intersting. You really get a sense of how the family lives so close to death, one seal kill away from starvation. They use urine as a cleaning agent (so did the Pilgrims on the Mayflower!). Often, the old folks do everyone a favor and kill themselves, but sometimes the younger family members do it. Also, if not carefully watched, the dogs will eat the babies. It is a crazy existance, the parents will even kill a baby if the survival of the group is at stake. Every item is useful, they even eat their sleds when things get really bad.
It seems to be the second of a series, I would read the other one, but I'm not going to go track it down...I will donate or give away this book, it is a good enough read, but not a real keeper.
March 25, 2015
Devo ammettere che ero cinica nell'iniziare a leggere questo libro; ma pagina dopo pagina mi sono lasciata trasportare nella cultura degli eschimesi, di cui avevo solo studiato pochissime nozioni nei banchi di scuola.
September 23, 2008
Narra las costumbres y la forma de vida de los esquimales
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews