In a publishing world that is all too full of realist novels written in
undistinguished prose, discernible only by their covers, The Flying
Mountain stands out--if for no other reason than that it consists
entirely of blank verse. And that form is most suitable for the epic
voyage Christoph Ransmayr relates: The Flying Mountain tells the story
of two brothers who leave the southwest coast of Ireland on an
expedition to Transhimalaya, the land of Kham, and the mountains of
eastern Tibet--looking for an untamed, unnamed mountain that represents
perhaps the last blank spot on the map. As they advance toward their
goal, the brothers find their past, and their rivalry, inescapable,
inflecting every encounter and decision as they are drawn farther and
farther from the world they once knew.
Only one of the brothers will return. Transformed by his loss, he starts
life anew, attempting to understand the mystery of love, yet another
quest that may prove impossible. The Flying Mountain is thrilling,
surprising, and lyrical by turns; readers looking for something truly
new will be rewarded for joining Ransmayr on this journey.