The Eiger Sanction

By: Trevanian

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Length: 11 hrs

Publisher's summary

In a renovated Gothic church on Long Island lives Jonathan Hemlock, an art professor and a world-renowned mountain climber who finances his black-market art collection by working as a freelance assassin.

Now, Hemlock is being tricked into a hazardous assignment that involves an attempt to scale one of the most treacherous mountain peaks in the Swiss Alps: the Eiger. His target is one of his three fellow climbers. The problem is that the CII can't tell him which one.

This spine-tingling adventure, part thriller and part satire, introduces an intriguing cast of villains, traitors, and beautiful women into a highly charged atmosphere of danger and suspicion that builds to a death-defying climax.

©2000 Rod Whitaker (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Superior suspense on almost every page...the hero is a masterpiece of conflicting qualities - something for everyone." ( New York Times)
"Trevanian can write hoops around Ian Fleming." ( Boston Globe)

I know its a classic but…..

Once u you get beyond the silliness with names (Randi Knickers - really!?!), the climbing sections of novel are gripping and the suspense and twist are great.

Classic

The book is populated by a host of interesting characters and has a unique storyline.

Great story, great narration

No novel by Trevanian is a straightforward matter. Part thriller, part satire, EIGER SANCTION is an extremely well written treatise on mountain climbing, a dig at celebrity culture, an examination of the mind of a killer and in the final analysis; a great story. While a little slow to get going, the novel quietly builds up a head of steam, and while there is lots of diversion along the way,once the tension starts rising the pace never lets up.
The narrator is really good.

Good satire and thriller

I just loved this book. The story is build up very well towards climbing the Eiger. The climbing itself is an awful good chapter with a surprising final. The narrator Joe Barret is really excellent. And folks; I am a girl and did not mind the fancy bits at all.

Loved this book.

Intelligent characters. Believable. Funny as humanely possible. What a good book this was. it was way better than the moviè.

Not Quite Satire, Not Quite Spy Fiction.

The book that this reminds me most of is The Manchurian Candidate. Both books have objectively absurd plots set in motion by absurd spy agencies, yet they still work in part because the characters act like this is all normal.

That so many people didn't realize that this was parody is beyond me. The main character is Johnathan Hemlock, an art professor who moonlights as an assassin to fund his contraband art habit. He spends his time in his private art gallery in his converted Gothic Church. The Bond Girls have names like Felicity Arce, Jemima Brown, and Randie Nickers. I understand not liking it because it's politically incorrect (and that is putting it mildly), but this was clearly meant to be read somewhat ironically.

Highlights include the dry humor, the 70's spy satire, the mountain climb, and the surprisingly effective twist. The reading was excellent.

classic...

... classic material. buy it. savor it. enjoy it. then buy another 1960/70's spy novels

top notch thriller

why can't any one quite like this anymore? well done. highly recommend. I also recommend shibumi, by the same author.

Tension all the way through

I really enjoyed the storyline.
College professor aka assassin on the side to support his art collection, I mean whats not to like?
Great build of characters and backstories, more about climbing than I ever thought to know.
Going on to book 2!

Wanted to read this all of my adult life …

I don’t know why this title has kept coming up all my life, but I guess it’s because it’s a good book, and people enjoy it. I was thrilled to find it in Audible. It’s brilliantly crafted, well written, and especially well read by Joe Barrett, who I would be happy to listen to all day long. He really made this story come to life in my head as I listened, even for the female characters!

I had always thought that this was a spy/espionage novel, and it is, in a way, but it has a different character all its own. I listened to the entire book in 24 hours, and I highly recommend it.

I’m looking forward to trying out my next Trevanian novel!