“Reflections on Mountaineering” by Alan Goldman Receives Acclaim from BookLife
The Fifth Edition of the Author’s poetry collection is celebrated for its insightful exploration of mountaineering and life.
Alan V. Goldman’s final edition of his Poetry Book, “Reflections on Mountaineering: A Journey Through Life as Experienced in the Mountains (FIFTH EDITION, Revised and Expanded) with Addendum” (2024) has garnered high praise from BookLife Reviews for its profound and adventurous poetic journey. This final Edition, which includes ten new poems, in an “Addendum” continues to explore the lore, terror, technique, and emotional depth of mountaineering, building on with Author’s years of climbing experience. Certain poems in the Addendum recognize that there are indeed limits to the scope of “free will” imposed by both Nature (one’s DNA and physical appearance), and Nurture (one’s cultural heritage and values instilled from childhood).
BookLife Reviews highlights the Book’s unique blend of Narrative-style poems, with some poems rhyming, and others as prose-poems, or blank verse. The Author describes the process of Mountaineering as a “meditation on the nature of reality itself, as perceived in the context of exploring the limits of human understanding and achievement”. The Author’s reflections on themes such as awe, wonder, fear, and the role of luck, fate, and chance are notable for making the otherwise, so-called “hidden” truths of mountaineering accessible to the general public.
The review praises Goldman’s ability to make his mountaineering experiences resonate with a wide audience. His poems, inspired by peaks ranging from the Eiger to Kilimanjaro, offer “fascinating glimpses into the nuts-and-bolts of mountaineering,” addressing everything from crampons and carabiners to unstable scree and avalanches. While these details may speak directly to other ‘Seekers’ (Goldman’s term for fellow mountaineers on a similar quest) the verses provide much insight into the sport of mountaineering for those who have never seen a summit”.
The review notes that readers may occasionally hear echoes of Goldman’s years as a Harvard-trained lawyer, evident in his sophisticated vocabulary, cultural references, and precision.
BookLife Reviews also commends the stylistic diversity of Goldman’s work, from traditional poetic forms to robust prose-poems. The review concludes that while summiting a mountain may seem straightforward, Goldman’s work reveals that the preparation, i.e., the packing, and route selection) are an integral part of the climbing experience, just as much as the appreciation of the beauty and complexity of the mountain arena itself.
Alan V. Goldman, a Harvard College (1979) and Harvard Law School (1982) graduate, has had a distinguished career in law and is now retired. All along, his avid avocation was climbing. His extensive mountaineering adventures have informed his poetic works, allowing him to share the so-called “hidden” truths to which climbers are said to have had exclusive access to on a regular basis.
For those interested in hearing more of Goldman’s poetry, his Website, https://www.mountainreflections.art/, features certain poems recorded in his own voice. For those readers who want a copy of “Reflections on Mountaineering: A Journey Through Life as Experienced in the Mountains (FIFTH EDITION, Revised and Expanded) with Addendum”, please note that it’s now available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other global book distributors in paperback, hardcover, eBook, and audiobook formats.
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