- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (Sep 22 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0316020702
- ISBN-13: 978-0316020701
- Product Dimensions: 15.9 x 2.5 x 24.1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 522 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #239,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
PRAISE FOR A CHANGE IN ALTITUDE:
"Visual and sharply focused....Shreve knows how to keep a reader engaged." (Washington Post Valerie Sayers )
"No one is better at gently, but thoroughly probing the interior life of her characters than Anita Shreve....A Change in Altitude reflects many of Shreve's familiar themes: loss and grief, the relationship between a man and woman, and how one moment can change a life forever. Shreve weaves a strong mix of exotic Africa and interesting characters, producing a potent story that will keep readers thinking about them long after the last page of the novel." (Newsday Mary Foster )
"Shreve takes readers from Nairobi's lush suburbs to its fetid slums, from the drawing-room world of the white gentry to that of its black servants....A Change in Altitude rises a few thousand feet above typical women's fiction." (USA Today Olivia Barker )
"Prepare to cancel all your appointments as you race through this dramatic saga....Enthralling. The mountains Margaret must climb-literally, and figuratively-are difficult ones. Readers will be eager to learn if she successfully scales the peak." (Bookpage Eliza Borné )
"A winner. Once again, Shreve's fans can approach her book with the confident anticipation that she will provide yet another satisfying experience. A Change in Altitude is an unusual kind of page-turner, part whodunit, part adventure story....Readers will vicariously enjoy all facets of this adventure in Africa from the safety of their own armchair." (Free-Lance Star Diane Makovsky )
"Visual and sharply focused....Shreve knows how to keep a reader engaged." (Washington Post Valerie Sayers )
"No one is better at gently, but thoroughly probing the interior life of her characters than Anita Shreve....A Change in Altitude reflects many of Shreve's familiar themes: loss and grief, the relationship between a man and woman, and how one moment can change a life forever. Shreve weaves a strong mix of exotic Africa and interesting characters, producing a potent story that will keep readers thinking about them long after the last page of the novel." (Newsday Mary Foster )
"Shreve takes readers from Nairobi's lush suburbs to its fetid slums, from the drawing-room world of the white gentry to that of its black servants....A Change in Altitude rises a few thousand feet above typical women's fiction." (USA Today Olivia Barker )
"Prepare to cancel all your appointments as you race through this dramatic saga....Enthralling. The mountains Margaret must climb-literally, and figuratively-are difficult ones. Readers will be eager to learn if she successfully scales the peak." (Bookpage Eliza Borné )
"A winner. Once again, Shreve's fans can approach her book with the confident anticipation that she will provide yet another satisfying experience. A Change in Altitude is an unusual kind of page-turner, part whodunit, part adventure story....Readers will vicariously enjoy all facets of this adventure in Africa from the safety of their own armchair." (Free-Lance Star Diane Makovsky )
Product Description
Margaret and Patrick have been married just a few months when they set off on what they hope will be a great adventure-a year living in Kenya. Margaret quickly realizes there is a great deal she doesn't know about the complex mores of her new home, and about her own husband.
A British couple invites the newlyweds to join on a climbing expedition toMount Kenya , and they eagerly agree. But during their harrowing ascent, a horrific accident occurs. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Margaret struggles to understand what happened on the mountain and how these events have transformed her and her marriage, perhaps forever.
A Change in Altitude illuminates the inner landscape of a couple, the irrevocable impact of tragedy, and the elusive nature of forgiveness. With stunning language and striking emotional intensity, Anita Shreve transports us to the exotic panoramas ofAfrica and into the core of our most intimate relationships.
A British couple invites the newlyweds to join on a climbing expedition to
A Change in Altitude illuminates the inner landscape of a couple, the irrevocable impact of tragedy, and the elusive nature of forgiveness. With stunning language and striking emotional intensity, Anita Shreve transports us to the exotic panoramas of
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not One of Shreve's Best,
By
This review is from: A Change in Altitude: A Novel (Hardcover)
I LOVE Anita Shreve and have read everything she has written. But the past few novels have not been her best, this most recent one included. I didn't like the ending(and I don't want to comment any further on that, as it will spoil it for those who have not yet read this book). Normally, Shreve's novels are the type that I cannot put down and if I have to, I can't wait to get back to it. Don't get me wrong - this was a decent read but it didn't have the same interest for me as her earlier works. I will give her this though - when she writes a book, she must spend a great deal of time on background information regarding the locale. This book takes place in Kenya and although I haven't been, her descriptions of the country side and cities make me feel like I have travelled there.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Hate the ending,
By
This review is from: A Change in Altitude: A Novel (Hardcover)
I recently climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania so reading a novel about climbing Mt. Kenya intrigued me. I enjoyed reading the author's description of life in Kenya and I also enjoyed the personalities of the various characters in the book. What ruined it for me was the ending which was a real disappointment.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.1 out of 5 stars (131 customer reviews) 56 of 60 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Now you are just all right.",
By Luan Gaines "luansos" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Change in Altitude: A Novel (Hardcover)
Shreve consistently delivers well-conceived novels, drawing from her understanding of character and the all too human flaws that inhabit each of us. The canvas for this novel is Africa in the late 1970s, Patrick a doctor, Margaret wielding her camera, taking in the variety of the country. Patrick absorbed in his research, Margaret is left to her own resources, by chance- and a broken-down vehicle- stumbling on an English expatriate couple, Arthur and Diana, who offer the newlyweds a charming cottage on their property. When the more sophisticated Brits announce a planned trek up Mt. Kenya, Margaret experiences some trepidation, but is soothed by Patrick's confidence. Tragically, the adventure ends in a shocking accident that changes all their lives.Mischance, conflict, the emotional shifts of relationships: this is familiar territory for this author, who builds the first part of the novel with a sense of expectation and a frisson of danger. The signs are ominous, any number of problems poised to derail such a mission, serious physical issues that result from the changes in altitude while climbing the mountain. Unfortunately, it is the unknown that proves the undoing of the climbers, the small emotional disturbances that remain etched in the mind, the doubts and resentments that can't be dislodged by time. Struggling to keep their marriage intact after the accident, Patrick and Margaret withdraw from conflict, each seeking resolution through time and concentrated effort. But the doubt has been planted, a subtle shift in the foundations of the marriage. Margaret throws herself into her photography, redefining her identity in this time and place, her work a source of income, validation and pride. But everything since the accident registers as anticlimactic, the great drama followed by a series of aftershocks. While Margaret explores Africa in all its beauty and complexity, her marriage continues to totter. How Margaret deals with her marriage, her place in the world and her perceived part in a tragedy drives this story, whether it is possible to survive such blows or if grievous faults are impossible to mend, even with the best of resolutions. A young married woman caught in a faraway place and sideswiped by fate, Margaret absorbs the beauty and depth of the continent, her lesson: "All losses are the same loss. Each has encompassed the others." Luan Gaines/2009. 45 of 49 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Expected more from Ms. Shreve,
By mzglorybe - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Change in Altitude: A Novel (Hardcover)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
One thing she usually does so well is to get us involved and caring about the characters early on. That didn't happen for me in this one. Her last novel Testimony reeled me in from the get-go, as some of her others have also done, but with this one I just couldn't find myself caring one way or the other whether they made it up the mountain or not (and later on whether their marriage survived or not).Granted, reading about Africa, especially the Nairobi area is not one of my favorite settings. The thievery, the poverty, filth, disrespect of women and violence toward them and children, just all of it is depressing. Also the main gist of the novel, a young recently married couple trying to stay connected in strange circumstances, is not the most enthralling subject matter either. I stayed with it anyway, so I could lend my "Vine Voice" to the pre-release for this review, but it didn't get very interesting until about the end of Part Two - which is about 2/3 of the way through. The ending was a little odd too, it just kind of stopped... the main protagonist, Margaret, seemed to resolve a couple of issues within herself, but it left some loose ends. As of this writing, the other reviews are 5 stars, so I am in the minority with my so-so review. Let me say however, that many will enjoy this. She can write well about relationships, and that is what this is really about, not the climbing of Mt. Kenya, or even Africa and her culture. Her description of Africa does show us the various facets of the country, not just the unattractive sides, but the beauty of it as well (I still have no desire to visit there, however). The second half is better than the first, but it is not something I will remember for very long, reading as much as I do, whereas with Fortune's Rocks, The Last Time They Met, or Testimony, I don't think I will ever forget. 25 of 27 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very disappointed, expected much more,
By Denali - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Change in Altitude: A Novel (Hardcover)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
I have read only 1 other book by Ms. Shreve. And I am disappointed with this one in comparison to the other.I liked the setting - Africa - in the 1970s (I believe). It was interesting to read about the dynamics between the local tribes and the British/American residents. Margaret, follows her husband, Patrick, to Africa from New England. Patrick is a doctor studying disease. Margaret is a photographer. Early on in the story, Margaret and Patrick join a British couple on a climb of Mt. Kenya. The climb ends in disaster and since this event, Margaret and Patrick lose ground on their marriage. The story continues with Patrick and Margaret's strife. At one point, they think their marriage is better and then it is not. Overall, I had absolutely no compassion nor feeling toward Margaret. I found her to be quite annoying. She constantly dwells on the tragedy and lets it affect her marriage to Patrick. Instead of trying to resolve the conflicts, they both just plod along hoping things to get better. Patrick, to me, was awful! A quite 2-dimensional character seeming to have been inserted into the story to only add grief and irritation to Margaret. The marriage was also lacking substance. The ending? HORRIBLE! I couldn't believe that we would go through all that trouble to read the story only to be left with an ending that didn't resolve anything and seemed too abrupt. (I don't want to give any spoilers). |
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