'Peaks and Bandits' by Alf Bonnevie Bryn
One of the best things about being a book blogger is that you never quite know what you'll end up reading next. Until Vertebrate Publishing put a call out for reviewers, I would never have believed I'd end up reading about three young men going on a mountaineering trip to Corsica, but read one I did. And I loved it.
A Trip to Remember
In the carefree spring days of 1909, three students - Alf, George and George's younger brother Max - decide to spend their Easter vacation climbing the mountains of Corsica. With Max due to meet them on the island, Alf and George leave their university in Vienna and head across Europe, ready for adventure. Their expedition takes in the glories of snow capped mountains and perilous rock faces, but also the back-street bars of Genoa, the marvel of Pisa's leaning tower, remote forester's cottages, and mysterious, matriarchal villages, not to mention the complex politics of Corsica's bandit country. What the youthful climbers lack in modern equipment and financial resources they make up for with enthusiasm and resourcefulness - which is just as well as things rarely go quite to plan, especially when George is around. But things not going to plan is often a blessing, leading to valuable experiences, fun and friendship.
By George!
'Peaks and Bandits' is a surprisingly accessible book. Bryn is great writer who clearly understood his readership is broader than mountaineering enthusiasts. While there are awe-inspiring descriptions of the boys' derring-do, this is a wider narrative that covers the fun had between climbs too. Though they met by chance, George Ingle Finch is an absolute gift to the writer. Bryn paints a delightfully vivid and affectionate portrait of his Australian friend, whose unique outlook on life is the source of a lot of humour in this story. Likewise, their friendship is also core to the tale. I laughed out loud at the scrapes they managed to get themselves into while admiring their joie de vivre and lust for life.
A Hint of Wodehouse
The style of writing also made me laugh. I was surprised to be reminded of PG Wodehouse and Jerome K Jerome - the former's clever way with words and the latter's knack for absurd situations. Not what I expected from an account of climbing in Corsica at all! Bryn adopts a friendly, tongue-in-cheek style that still works now, a credit to both the author and the translator, Bibbi Lee.
Overall
'Peaks and Bandits' is a mischievous, charming and informative diversion for the arm-chair adventurer. This is the first time that the book - a classic in Norway - has been published in English and it deserves to find its audience here too. It's entertaining and funny and highly recommended. It's only flaw is that it's one of a kind.
Now, what next...?
'Peaks and Bandits' by Alf Bonnevie Bryn was first published in 1943. This edition, translated by Bibbi Lee, was released by Vertebrate Publishing in 2021 and provided to me free of charge by the publisher. An interview with Lee is included on the publisher's website.
