A bleak and gritty novel about a Russian orphan, fighter pilot, and cosmonaut, Yefgenii Yeremin, this story follows the life of a man who is trapped by a repressive society, but who is willing to sacrifice everything to leave his mark on the world. Told in a very spare, bare-bones style, the story still manages to be moving and profound. ( )

Disappointing really after some over-hyped reviews. felt rather flat at the end and somewhat desolated. the Korean war stuff was interesting, especially the covert role played by the Soviets until near the end. ( )

Mercurio writes in a simple, unshowy style that puts plot to the fore and always manages to keep the reader involved. That said, the first half of this novel is much more enjoyable than the second, surprisingly so given that the latter is about a Russian cosmonaut's astonishing ascent to the surface of the moon while the first half recounts his more worldly exploits as an ace fighter pilot during the Korean War. The problem with the moon story is that it is just too difficult to believe. I can go with the conspiracists who maintain that the Russians got there before the US, but for it to have happened in quite such adverse circumstances takes an altogether bigger leap of faith. The fighter pilot stuff, though, is good old-fashioned boys-own entertainment. And somehow it makes you yearn for a not so distant past. Advances in technology meant the close air combat in the Korean War was never replicated in quite the same way (though Top Gun fans might have something to say about that). So a gripping read, but stretches credibility just a little too far. ( )

For a book written in a fairly flat, emotionless voice the story in Ascent is incredibly moving and intensely rendered. The character's motives and feelings are rarely mentioned, but it is remarkable how vivid the narrative is and how immersed the reader becomes.

A fictional account of a Soviet fighter pilot who forges a legendary reputation in the Korean War only to lose it all in the dying days of the war. His previous prestige saves him from the Siberian labour camps, but he is exiled to a remote base in the Arctic circle for ten years. One more legendary exploit rescues him from this obscurity and secures his ultimate ambition – a spot on the team for the Soviet space program.

Since finishing the book a few weeks ago I keep finding myself returning to its themes and images; the ending still haunts me and will stay lodged in my brain for a long long time. ( )

Ascent started off engagingly enough with the tale of the protagonist as an orphan child, beaten and kept submissive by a autocracy of bullies. We get a keen insight into the characters ambition as he learns that the only way out of his torment is to become the best--through his superior knowledge, through his willingness to attack his enemies, and by getting noticed.

The story then moves through years and years of Yefgenii Yeremin's life as a Soviet fighter pilot in the Korean War. I nearly put the book away for good at this point as the author bogs the story down in minutae and repeated character assertions. But one thread or another kept me going somehow.

By the third part of the book, we see Yeremin's character finally make it into the Soviet space program, rapidly becoming a prime candidate for the launch to the Moon. Soon he finds himself in a last-ditch attempt to make a successful landing before the Americans in 1969.

This book, at its best, is a fascinating character study of a desperate man. Reflecting his nation in several ways, he's determined to be the best, to stand out, to win--but is held back by flaws and shortcomings, mostly within the system in which he is stuck. The ending is gripping and finishes poignantly, but getting there is kind of a slog. ( )