The worst journey in the world by Apsley Cherry-Garrard

Book set in Cape Evans, Antarctica. Reviewed on 2019/03: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bur_y2Mno99/

And here I was thinking that #theworstjourneyintheworld was my daily subway commute. Hehehehe What does it mean to fail something? Who gets to define our #failure and ultimately tell the story? We all know that #scott and his #terranova crew did not manage to become the first to reach the #southpole . However once you read #cherrygarrard ’s book, the word failure becomes meaningless. These men were ambitious, adventurous and intrepid apparently without a single doubt of the importance of the work they were trying to achieve and under their leader’s blind spell, cult-like. I think that the crew’s psychological and emotional swings at different stages of this #journey need to be taken into consideration. And #apsleycherrygarrard does that to some extent on this book. Although I feel he does it in retrospect, relying on other crew members’ diaries and arguably trying to detach himself from the tragedy or any feelings of guilt. Personally the most important aspect of this book is how it emphasizes the importance of the path taken, instead of the final outcome. What if we give the process of achieving our goal the same or even more importance than actually reaching any goal at all? I think the #winterjourney is the perfect example of how the conditions and experiences lived trying to reach the #emperorpenguins turns more crucial than managing to obtain any eggs. I also enjoyed this chapter the most because it showed a more poetic and literary Cherry-Garrand. As a librarian myself, I couldn’t help but to rejoice when I saw their ideal reading list which would have helped them through their ordeal. This is without a doubt a #highlyrecommended book and one I might reread for my next year’s #antarctica reading month. A #memoir to read and fight against without any clear answers at the end. #rfscott#britishantarcticexpedition #mcmurdo#rossiceshelf #capevans #blizzard#capecrozier #victorialand#carrollandgrafpublishers