False Summit: Gender in Mountaineering Nonfiction by Julie Rak (review)
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
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| Description | This review of Julie Rak's False Summit: Gender in Mountaineering Nonfiction (2021) delves into Rak's exploration of gender dynamics within mountaineering literature. Rak's work examines how traditional narratives in the climbing community perpetuate the image of the heroic male climber, marginalizing women, disabled, and non-white climbers. The review highlights Rak's use of the "false summit" metaphor to represent the challenges faced by these groups. It also discusses how Rak critiques the Western conception of success in climbing, linking it to hypermasculinity and imperialistic narratives. Furthermore, the review notes Rak’s examination of how mountaineering memoirs contribute to national identity and pride, often intertwined with colonial and capitalist ideologies. Rak’s book is praised for its interdisciplinary approach, drawing on gender and postcolonial studies, and for advocating for more inclusive and diverse narratives in mountaineering literature. This review underscores the book's contribution to lifewriting studies and its call for a reevaluation of what constitutes achievement in the mountaineering world. |