Erling Kagge walked to the South Pole and during that time he experienced complete silence. In our modern lives this is not something we are accustomed to and Kagge philosophises about the nature of silence and the need to accept it into our lives. This is a thin but profound book which asks us to step back from what we think we know and want and consider our own mental health.

I found this book deeply unsatisfying. Whatever it's about, it's not really about silence. Erling Kagge is a well known explorer and traveller. My expectations, based on the book's summary, was that he would be writing about his experiences of silence journeying to the North or South Poles and that he might reach some profound conclusions. But no!

Full of quotes and examples from philosophers, other explorers and writers, it's as if Kagge has Googled up 'quotes on silence' and written a few words of his own around them. The result is an unstructured rambling that occasionally focuses on silence but is really about taking time to smell the flowers, to use a hackneyed expression. He very briefly mentions that he takes pleasure in practising mindfulness, yoga and meditation. He says 'I lie there hovering a couple of centimetres above my bed every afternoon'. Yes, I feel sceptical about this but he could have explored this in more detail than a few sentences. THAT might have been interesting.

He finishes with 'Now and then someone asks me what the most difficult thing about skiing through Antarctica was, and there is no doubt in my mind about the answer: my arrival at the South Pole. Having to speak again.' Aha! I thought. Now we're getting somewhere, not realising I was reading the third last page. Then he finishes with a mawkish sentiment, 'You all need to find your own South Pole.' Pullease!!

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books (UK) for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.