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The Condition of Ice

On sale

20th December 2012

Price: £4.99

Selected:  ebook / ISBN-13: 9781780879550

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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.

Reviews

Daily Mail
'Excellent, exquisitely crafted... one of Britain's finest writers' Daily Mail.
Independent
'That rare thing: a novel of action and emotion which is also a novel about the way people think … it is a tremendous achievement' Independent.
Kazuo Ishiguro
'Christopher Burns' harsh, beautiful novel employs a number of unforgettable mountaineering images to dig deep into the condition of the European soul on the eve of war' Kazuo Ishiguro.