UKC

Ed Douglas takes a look at the long awaited and much anticipated autobiography by Johnny Dawes.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=4205

In reply to UKC Gear:

Well, after that, you can't really accuse Ed Douglas of being biased.

In reply to UKC Gear:


Hmm, not so sure this is fair. To me, the rest of the book did give an exploration of those things.


Ok, better point, it could have been gone over by an editor (the repeated use of "I" where "me" is correct did grate a bit). Though overall it is very well written, of course in an idiosyncratic style, but all the better and more notable for that.

In reply to Coel Hellier:

Yeah, nice to get it first hand, unlike recent efforts by others.

In reply to Coel Hellier:
"Though overall it is very well written, of course in an idiosyncratic style, but all the better and more notable for that."
Agreed nearly finished the book now and it's a joy. Well done Johnny.

I'm about half-way through. Suitably quirky!

In reply to UKC Gear:
I look forward to reading it. Is Cemetery road church still derelict, I could be tempted with a trip?
James

In reply to James Oswald:

Its a Baptist Church I think.

In reply to James Oswald:

Yes it is, it's in quite a bad state.

In reply to jonny2vests:

Anglican chapel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_General_Cemetery

In reply to deepsoup:

Ahh, the old chapel actually in the Cemetery, that sounds more likely. In which case, yes, it is still disused. The photo says 'On Cemetery Road', which fooled me.

In reply to UKC Gear: He is coming to talk in Aberdeen for those of us stuck north of the border!
http://teclimbing.blogspot.com/2011/11/johnny-dawes-comes-to-te.html

In reply to UKC Gear: I'm currently reading the book, admittedly a bit slowly, generally a couple of chapters a night.

Last night I read just one chapter, one page in fact.

The chapter was entitled "A real buzz"

It is one of the most beautiful pieces of prose I have ever read, so thoroughly uplifting that I just put the book down and went to sleep.

And it wasn't even about climbing !

In reply to Chris the Tall: I'm currently reading it. I'm sure HE knows what he means...

In reply to UKC Gear:
Great reviews in Climb and Climber magazines as well.

In reply to UKC Gear:
Another not-entirely-unbiased review here:
http://www.johnhorscroft.co.uk/portfolio/reviews/-/johnny-dawes-full-of-mys...

In reply to deepsoup: Well, I finally finished it about half an hour ago, and unfortunately, If I'm honest, I'm really non the wiser.

This is the trouble with this kind of 'creative' writing style. It leaves me wondering whether the obtuse style is a reflection of a complex mind, or someone deliberately being obtuse in order to maintain the mysticism which surrounds them.

Dawes is unquestionably one of the most brilliant and important figures in the history of British climbing, but like Redhead and 'One for the Crow, I feel the style of writing actually detracts the reader from getting the full picture.

Some people can be both highly creative and original in their writing style, whilst being very accessible. Unfortunately, Dawes, like Redhead before him, is no Ed Drummond!

In reply to Goucho: We may disagree about dry tooling, but I'm with you 100% on this!:-P

I got bored at some point in the book, I can't even remember where. It's under my bed now. I'll pick it up at some point, but the style of writing wasn't for me I'm afraid. It's a shame really because it could have been an unbelievably good book.

In reply to Mike Nolan:

Weird, I didn't think there was anything particularly unusual about the style. I mean, it's fairly informal and loosely written, but it's hardly William Burroughs...

I'm about halfway through and quite liking it - there isn't as much insight into what makes him tick as there might be in a biog by someone else (like The Villain, say) but there's some interesting stuff, and he's also really good at describing individual moves and stuff so you get an idea of what the feel of the climbing is actually like rather than the generic sort of "I pulled up the overhanging headwall on tiny holds" sort of thing you get in a lot of climbing writing.

In reply to Ramblin dave: I can't describe what I don't enjoy about it, I've not looked at it for a few weeks. For example though, the last climbing related book I read was Psycho Vertical by Andy K, and I couldn't put that down, I pretty much read it in 3 days, but Johnny's book didn't hold my interest at all.

In reply to Goucho: Couldn't have put it better than that.

In reply to UKC Gear: I've just finished reading it and, like others, found much of it perplexing and hard going. It's a mix of beautifully-written and novel turns of phrase (like the sort of stuff Fawksey would come out with at his best) and, for me, utterly unfathomable paragraphs that I didn't really understand even after re-reading. You can't have it all though.

What I would say though is that I did eventually find myself being endeared to him as a person, especially the section where he describes helping the kid with Downs Syndrome climb the boulder at Compton Verney.

I might read it again sometime. You do get a bit "dialled-in" to his style of language.

I'm glad I read it.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

Yes, it's a wonderfully frank book about himself ... and very beautiful in parts ...

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:
I bought Full of Myself when it came out and read it from cover to cover without "dipping in". I then read it again, cover to cover. Interesting and engaging throughout and at times gripping. Always making you think. I'll read it again.
Since then I've read two others, one by a man with a 'tache from Embsay and the other by a occasional motorcyclist. Both with ghost support. Both written in a Janet and John style. Anybody want to buy them?
I know what I prefer, and it's not for sale.

In reply to Steve Clegg:

Yes, it's an exceptional book, unlike any other climbing autobiography that's ever been written. Highly recommended for the keen climber, but it will be much more difficult for the non-climber.

In reply to Steve Clegg: I think your comment about 'a man with a tache from Embsay' is a bit disingenuous.

I know there's a bit of a 'love-in' regarding Johnny Dawes, that's verging on canonisation, but Big Ron is still one of the most significant people in British climbing history.

And just because he hasn't written (ok, ghost written) a biography that spends much of it's time wedged up it's own nether regions, doesn't warrant that kind of dismissive comment!

Personally, i wish someone like Ed Douglas had written the Dawes biography. it would probably have been both a better book, and a better legacy for Dawes astonishing achievements.

I shall now sit back and wait for the backlash to my act of heresy.

In reply to Coel Hellier:


There was a "could of" at one point - made me wince!

In reply to Goucho:
Bump for Groucho:
"I shall now sit back and wait for the backlash to my act of heresy."
Tick, tock, tick, tock ....
Eerrr, what would Delia say?
"Where are you? Where are you? Let's be 'aving you. Come on."

Also, I looked up dizeng..., er difengen..., oh, yes, that's it "disinterested"
Methinks you care too much.
Steve Clegg

In reply to Steve Clegg: Does nurse know you've escaped from your room?

In reply to Goucho:
Bitten ...

In reply to Steve Clegg:


I like that

In reply to Steve Clegg: Not really - just bored waiting for Mrs Goucho to get back from Oz.