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Ascent [Paperback]

Jed Mercurio (Author)

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Publication Date: 7 Feb 2008

Yefgenii Yeremin is a flyer and he is a phantom.

In the Korean War, he is the legendary ace dubbed 'Ivan the Terrible', shooting down more American jets than any other pilot in history. But the Soviet Union's involvement in Korea must be kept secret, so Yefgenii is exiled to a remote Arctic base, his name unknown, his victories uncelebrated.

But in 1964, a man arrives from Moscow, from the Space Committee, in search of a volunteer prepared to sacrifice everything for his country...

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Yefgenii Yeremin is a flyer and he is a phantom.

But in 1964, a man arrives from Moscow, from the Space Committee, in search of a volunteer prepared to sacrifice everything for his country...

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Product details

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Vintage (7 Feb 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0099468522
ISBN-13: 978-0099468523
Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 1.4 x 19.7 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 281,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

"In moments of intense action, we're with this protagonist every inch of the way, through every thought, dive, ache, smell, itch, tast and gastric movement... vertiginously thrilling" (Observer )

"Hold on tight and enjoy the ride... Tremendous stuff" (Independent )

"Ascent is a page turning story of a man's ambition to be the very best. Based on real events and using real people, it places this fictitious character in a period when space itself was there for the taking. Beautifully written, it's a book that deserves to be read" (Angela Cooke Daily Express )

"A Russian version of The Right Stuff... Riveting" (Daily Telegraph )

"One of the most potent and unusual works of literary fiction I've read in years... Mercurio's Yefgenii is as real as anyone you've ever cared about. And care you will" (Michael Faber Guardian )

Book Description

A truly stunning novel - spare, powerful and ultimately awesome - Ascent will propel Jed Mercurio into the first rank of British novelists.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

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43 reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The praise is justified 19 Mar 2007

By John Frum

Format:Hardcover

I seldom buy hard-cover fiction at full price. Having said that, I made an exception as the reviews of "Ascent" that I've seen or heard were uniformly enthusiastic - not that uniformity of opinion is a guarantee of anything. I purchased "Cloud Atlas" on a similar impulse, having forgotten that I grew weary of science-fiction by the age of 16, which was some time ago. But I've always been a bit of an aviation enthusiast, even if falling some distance short of the anorak-y, so I stumped up the full cover price for "Ascent".

It's as good as the reviews suggested, written in a sparse and transparent style that's completely appropriate to its subject matter. Jed Mercurio's decision (what a name!) to use technical vocabulary and associated acronyms without recourse to footnotes, glossary or explanatory digression is a bold move which may irritate some readers, but which only adds authenticity to what is, in general terms, a very convincing story.

Which makes a couple of plot points stand out as all the more implausible. Firstly, during air combat in Korea a pilot is said to have been hit in the leg by a ".22" bullet from another aircraft: yet another occurrence in the venerable tradition of the "minor flesh wound"... I haven't checked this out but it seems more than unlikely that such ammunition, more suitable for use on rats at close range, has ever been used in aircraft weapons. In early WW2, even the eight .303 guns used on some British fighters were quickly seen to be underpowered.

The second implausibility is the "push" which the hero imparts to his colleague's fighter after it runs out of fuel. Well, maybe. It's one way of generating a bit of necessary thrust to the plot, but it sounds absurd to me.... Read more ›

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Jed Mercurio has range beyond my expectations - excellent 15 April 2007

By Mike J. Wheeler

Format:Hardcover

The writer behind the brilliant "Cardiac Arrest" and "Bodies" shows here that he is more than a Robin Cook with grit. I had the feeling that Jed Mercurio might be a one-trick pony before I read this, but "Ascent" shows that the writer has breadth beyond expectations.

The book follows the career of Yefgenii Yeremin from bullied, abused Stalingrad orphan to pioneering cosmonaut via flying MIG15s in the Korean War. Yeremin spends his whole life achieving heroic feats but is always unrecognised due to the shadowy politics of Soviet Russia. He is everyman and nobody. A hero of his times yet utterly anonymous. His yearning for success in everything that he does is attempted merely as a challenge to himself. His actions right up to the lonely finale show that it is the deed that is important and not the recognition that goes with it. In a way this is a beautiful refutation of today's shallow instant celebrity culture. Whether Jed Mercurio meant this I don't know - but that's how it comes across to me.

The narrative is simply presented without complicating side plots making "Ascent" an easy and enjoyable read. It's style reminds me of anothe great book from late last year, Cormac McCarthy's The Road. It is a bleak portrait of human life, warts and all - I guess in that way it IS similar to "Bodies".

I'd highly recommend this book, it's a moving portrayal of one man's battle with his own demons to prove that he is the best. Great buy!

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ascent review 18 Mar 2007

By Anne Fraser

Format:Hardcover

I was drawn to Ascent having read Jed Mercurio's rather brilliant first novel BODIES. I don't think I would have picked this book otherwise. I also saw NEWSNIGHT REVIEW where they did a huge rave and a great review in The Guardian.

Ascent surprised me in many ways. It is an incredible story - better even than Bodies and I read it in one sitting which I have never done before! It is a devasting story on so many levels but strangely up-lifting too. It should be on every book clubs' reading list and I am sure it will be one of those word-of-mouth award winners too.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Sparse but hard-hitting 15 Sep 2011

By LOTHAR VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I wasn't sure if I liked this book until I'd finished it. The art style is very muted and bare, and the text is sparse at best. This reflects the emptiness both of the main character and the bleak Siberian landscape, but it can also make it difficult to feel that you as a reader are engaging fully with the story. By the time you've reached the end, though, you will be totally connected and the constant sense of emptiness projected by the words and art serve to drive the sad end of the tale home perfectly. This is a graphic novel adaptation of a novel which I have never read, and I would not be surprised at all to hear that fans of the original book find this version lacking. I got the feeling that large portions, particularly from the protaganist's childhood, have been seriously glossed over or left out completely. Also, I am an avid reader of graphic novels and may be more forgiving of the medium than those who are new to it. I wouldn't recommend it as a first graphic novel, but for those who are comfortable with sequential art, there is a great deal to enjoy in this surprising book.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Stark and Atmospheric, Cold War Graphic Novel. 7 Sep 2011

By Bruce TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I am a big graphic novel fan, although usually my tastes have been for fantasy with a hint of realism, like Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

This is in some ways a fantasy, but it is strongly rooted in the real events of the second half of the 20th Century and the Cold War. What strikes you about this book, is that it is beautifully presented in hardback, but it portrays a bleak and stark world.

Ascent shows you what can be done with the graphic novel format, in terms of conveying an atmosphere that doesn't come from the words, which are quite clipped and functional - but rather with the scenes portrayed and the action presented, sometimes without commentary.

What we have is a grey world, only relieved by the minimal markings of a Mig Fighter plane in washed-out red. This is of course entirely fitting, as we know that the Soviet Union suffered the greatest losses at the end of WWII and the main character here is a complete orphan who has lost every family member and then suffers bullying at school.

No comment is made on these bare facts, but the illustrations elegantly portray a cruel world that is only made sense of, in the dog-eat-dog situation of the fighter pilot. The greys and drab browns show us the emotions that pervade Yefgennii's life and he is throughout, a ghost or phantom - who cannot be acknowledged or rewarded. All he gets are harder and harder missions.

If this all sounds bleak - then it is, in the way that many depictions of Russia or the Soviet Union tend to be, Ascent draws on the culture of Dostoyevsky and Solzhenitsyn, but through pictures rather than words.... Read more ›

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› Go to Amazon.com to see all 8 reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars well written adaptation of the novel...but get the original!

Interesting marketing move...this book is being read and reviewed by non-graphic novel readers. Unfortunately, this means that most reviewers on here are not familiar with the... Read more

Published 2 months ago by M. W. Hatfield

5.0 out of 5 stars first man on the moon

Based on a novel this graphic novel is well worth grabbing. Artwork is more sketch than linear, good plot enough names to make you look at a time from Ivan POV.

Published 13 months ago by john harris

4.0 out of 5 stars Bleak but rather moving

When reading this I had no prior knowledge of Jed Mercurio's work. I used to read a lot of graphic novels however and this looked interesting enough to give a try. Read more

Published 16 months ago by K. Galvin

3.0 out of 5 stars Ultimately dreary

The general premise is that of a forgotten hero, whose exploits are secret and whose desire to be a hero ultimately pushes him towards greater sacrifice. Read more

Published 17 months ago by David Burton

4.0 out of 5 stars An OK adaptation of a fantastic novel

This is a graphic novel adaptation of Jed Mercurio's magnificent `Ascent', the bleak story of an orphaned, bullied Soviet child Yefgenii Yeremin who ascends above all others in his... Read more

Published 19 months ago by V. Warrington

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful story retold in Graphic Novel form

The story of Yefgenii Yeremin is a sad one, but one that also has a sense of achievement and spirit that will stay with you. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Paul B

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully illustrated - but not what I expected at all.

I loved the Graphic Novel Artwork in this but the story was not what I expected at all.

A very sad story of a Russian orphan called Yefgenii Yeremin who suffer abuse as... Read more

Published 20 months ago by I. Mcintosh

3.0 out of 5 stars Fails to reach the stars

I hadn't realised until I read this review that 'Ascent' is a graphic reworking of Mercurio's 2007 novel of the same name. Read more

Published 21 months ago by Quicksilver

4.0 out of 5 stars Dogfights and Dogma

Superficially about dogfights and dogma, this is really a story about the power of fame and the desire for recognition. Read more

Published 21 months ago by The Kinniburgh Kid

3.0 out of 5 stars Ascent?

This is a well produced and printed graphic novel. However this isn't your run-of-the-mill superhero graphic novel, it's about a soviet pilot and his life story. Read more

Published 21 months ago by TheRedBlueBlur

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