Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19587 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-04
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Synopsis
First published in 1956, The Ascent of Rum Doodle quickly became established as a mountaineering classic. As an outrageously funny spoof about the ascent of a 40,000-and-a-half-foot peak, many thought it 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.

Customer Reviews

A classic. If you don't own it, then buy it!
I very much enjoy humour books and have been reading and collecting them for years. This one is certainly in my top ten. I first read it about 15 or so years ago, after stumbling across it in a bookstore, and remember laughing aloud a lot at some of the wonderfully cosy and subtle humour. In fact, back then I re-read it about four times, and then lent it out to everyone I knew who I thought would like it. I remember my sister finding it hysterical (but then she enjoys subtle humour based on character and found 'Diary of a Nobody' hilarious too).

What prompted me to write this review is that I was surfing through these pages yesterday and came across the entry for the Ascent of Rum Doodle, and looked at the other reviews, and doing that caused me to pop up in the attic and dig out the book and read it again last night. Although it had that 'time gap' quality to it, like watching an old Morecambe & Wise show that you haven't seen for years and so you can't help comparing how you feel now with how you felt when you first encountered it, and although it was so familiar that I could almost recite the jokes in it, I *still* thought it was great. That same cosiness was there, together with that real sense of having stumbled across something very 'different' to the norm - and certainly different to the run-of-the-mill 'comedy' books you usually find churned out.

I won't say much about the storyline, since that's covered already above, but will suggest that everyone give themselves a real treat and buy a copy of The Ascent of Rum Doodle (the Voyage of the Flying Fish - another Bowman book - is pretty good too, but Rum Doodle is the one to curl up with and have a really nice time).

Can't give this book anything but 5 stars!

One of the funniest books you will ever read!
I have just finished reading this book. It's taken me about four hours, although it probably would've taken less time if I hadn't had to keep stopping to catch my breath and wipe my eyes. In his introduction (itself, amusing and informative, as is all his work) Bill Bryson says that The Ascent of Rum Doodle is "one of the funniest books you will ever read". Sure enough, by page 4 I was already crying tears of laughter, which later progressed into choking sobs of hilarity. This book is an absolute joy! Now that I've finished it, I feel at a loss. I might just have to read it again... and again... and again...

quirky and very funny - an unexpected classic
This is just a very funny book, and, rather like 'The Diary of a Nobody', unique in its field. It deserves to be considered a classic. It tells of a mountaineering expedition which could not hope to go right and, indeed, goes wrong in many ways, all most entertaining. It's very hard to describe humour in words ; suffice to say that Bill Bryson in his introdction makes very clear his own admiration for the book. I agree. It would brighten up anyone's day.