I picked this book up when I had spring fever, hoping it would help. The beautiful descriptions and knowledge of the High Sierras was more fuel though. It's beautifully written, and one that can be picked up and put down as needed.

Coming in at 16 1/2 hours, or 560 pages, fans of Robinson will be surprised that he wrote a short story. : )

Narrated by the author, his passion for the subject comes across in ways that another narrator might not be able to capture.

Part memoir, part natural history, this is a book about "place". This is not a travel guide, and should not be considered a backpacking guide, but read as a reflection of the beauty of the Sierras. As an east coast hiker there were parts of the hiking essays that were hard to read (going off trail and expecting potable water everywhere you need it). I would group this with other trail memoirs: come along for the ride, but do your own research before heading out.

This is a beautiful book. It's part memoir, part history, part travel guide, and more. The author is a magnificent writer. I listened to the audiobook, which is well done, but it benefits from the visuals in the actual book. I got the ebook afterward from my library to see what I'd missed!

The High Sierra contains memoirs and ruminations on life, philosophy, wilderness, and how access to physical exercise outdoors can benefit humanity written by Kim Stanley Robinson. Released 10th May 2022 by Hachette on their Little Brown & co. imprint, it's 560 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out in 2024. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The author is a gifted and renowned craftsman and, as a good friend said, "I'd willingly listen to him read his grocery list". This is certainly a departure; it's not fiction, it's more of a ruminative recollection of a life spent outdoors in a place which he loves deeply, it's not written as a cohesive linear experience, he hops around, and it varies wildly in pace and style from travelogue to non-fiction/science. It is eminently readable and enjoyable however.

There are pictures included in the print version of the book. On the other hand, the unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 16 hours and 30 minutes and is read by the author himself. He has a warm and gravelly baritone voice which is by turns lulling and full of conviction, meaning, and passion for the Sierras and spectacular nature. Sound and production quality were high throughout.

Five stars for both the print and audio formats. I personally think the additional materials in the print version make me lean toward that format as a preference, but he does a good job with narration. Highly recommended for public or school library acquisition, for fans of the author's oeuvre, and for nonfiction/natural history/travel readers.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

So, I was looking forward to this. I like reading travel books like this (I.E. Tracks which is phenomenal). So I was pretty disappointed with this one. It was boring! I didn't finish it. The author talked mostly about rocks instead of travel.

This was a fascinating book. I learnt so much from reading this and who doesn't love travel writings about places you can't visit or want to visit. I just love learning about places in America as I live in the UK and I'm very interested in travel writings and this one didn't disappoint me one bit. The book was so full of fantastic fascinating information about the high Sierra that I wished I could go there but I can't so this book is definitely the next best thing. I listened to the audiobook. Although I loved the authors voice. There was a lack of tone change which ment I didn't feel the excitement of the places visited. It is something I just love to hear in my non fiction books. So I would take the book over the audiobook. But please remember I am just one person others may feel differently. You could always try a sample of the audiobook before you choose between the book and audiobook. I would definitely recommend this book for those that love to travel the world like me from the comfort of their armchairs. This book will definitely take you on a journey of a lifetime. 

Many thanks to the author and publishers for bringing the beauty and joys of the high Sierra to life for us to enjoy from the comfort of our home.
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog
https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/the-high-sierra-by-kim-stanley-robinson-hachette-audio-3-stars

The High Sierra: A Love Story is a rare gift -- an intimate account of wilderness that one might prefer to keep to oneself, for oneself. Robinson has given readers this book, though, and likely ignited desire to spend time in the extraordinarily "gentle wilderness." Reading Robinson discuss his craft, I grow thoroughly lost. He's a deeply thoughtful and accomplished craftsman. That thoughtfulness seems to permeate his outdoorsmanship, too. But, The High Sierra is a completely accessible book, even at its most technical (discussions of gear) and at its most intimate: its portraits of the people with whom Robinson shared the trails.

I chose this book because I like to hike. I've read and listened to a lot of hiking books and this one will be one of my favorites. The descriptions the author created made me want to visit the Sierras. I appreciated the way the book described the level's of the hikes (2, 3, etc.) and what those levels meant. The story line kept me entertained by describing how the hikers felt during the hikes. I felt like I knew the characters and I wanted to backpack with the whole group! The only downside is using an audio format to listen to this book, I listened while I was hiking and wished I had a map of the Sierras in front of me. During the end credits, I learned the book had been full of maps and illustrations.

I was interested in this book because I love the wilderness and because I've read and enjoyed some of Kim Stanley Robinson's science fiction. I was however, a little skeptical that anyone could write a book about a mountain range that would be interesting for over 16 hours. So, I'm happy to report that Robinson has pulled it off. This book is lovely! It is part memoir, part geology, part biography, part travelogue, part ultra-light hiking how-to. The fact that the author narrates the audiobook makes it even better! After listening to The High Sierra, I feel like I know this little part of the world despite having never been there. I imagine that those who have been or are planning to go would also really enjoy listening to this book. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book. Listening to this audiobook was very relaxing and was a great way for me to unwind in the evenings. I also loved that as the reader I could feel the love that the author has for these mountains. It really made me want to visit them and enjoy the beauty for myself.

This love letter to the Sierra Nevada range is part history lesson, part geography lesson, and part travel journal of the author Kim Stanley Robinson. If you have visited the Sierra Nevadas you will want to go back and if you have never visited you will be ready to plan a trip.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this audiobook for review.

I enjoyed listening to this one and hearing the authors escapades through many different hiking and camping adventures. As a lover of the outdoors, this was a great book to read. It captured so much emotion - but the book is more than just a "outside lovers" novel. Friendship, life, kids, - all make up this novel, which almost reads like an autobiography.

Overall, fabulous and fun.

I'm a Brit who's only been to the Sierras once (Yosemite), but I've been avidly consuming anything to do with the Pacific Crest Trail the last few years, so I jumped at the chance to listen to this.

KSR is a giant in the science fiction world, but he only ever mentions this in passing and where it's relevant, which I think is the right choice. He's also the narrator - again, the right choice, because there's a pleasing geniality to his voice.

The book is a meandering exploration of what the Sierra means to KSR, and the joys open to anyone who goes there. It's a pretty fun, educational and satisfying mix of geography, history, ecology, and culture, and I found myself equally enjoying the section on the author's experiences hiking and climbing in Switzerland; I also loved that he uncompromisingly spoke of the wildlife of the Sierras as people in their own right.

I guess the one thing that disappointed me was the near lack of PCT mentions (I mean, I know I'm biased here). I was quite surprised, given how totemic the PCT is, and how often KSR must have encountered thru-hikers. Still, we can't have everything.

(With thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review)

I too love the Sierra Nevada Mountains, so I loved listening to the audio version of this book. I appreciated that it was read by the author himself. His enthusiasm for hiking the Sierra range came through in his voice. I could not help but wish I'd spent as much time in the mountains as he has! I've been there, but not as frequently.

The chapters that recounted details of his hikes always fascinated me, but I liked that in between there were other chapters describing the geology of certain features, or sharing biographical information about famous hikers and others who wrote about the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

All this combines to make me want to go back to the Desolation Wilderness, or the John Muir Trail. I'm not so likely to go off-trail as the author and his friends did, but I liked hearing about his adventures with hiking trail experimentation.

Thanks so much for giving me an opportunity to audio-read this book! I would have appreciated getting the PDF that normally goes with the audio version, as I'd love to see the photographs. I might buy a copy of the hardcover version of this book so I can see them. It is something I'd keep for reference.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of The High Sierra by Kim Stanley Robinson in exchange for an honest review. I was born and raised in the Sierra Nevada mountains and even named after them. I've been backpacking and camping in the mountains my whole life and even my best friend owns Dardanelles Resort. Yet this novel took me by surprise and gave me a whole new perspective on the mountains.

I knew Kim Stanley Robinson as a sci-fi writer but I appreciated this work that is a mix of experiences, travelogue, and science information.
He did a good job in explaining and illustrating placed and was a good narrator.
I'd like to visit the places and this could be a good guide.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The high sierras, a love story by Tim Stanley Robinson is about of course hi see ours in California. Anyone who loves hiking all the great outdoors will totally appreciate this book. He started his love affair with the mountains in the 70s and it goes on until today. Throughout his different hikes the people he went with have changed slightly but for the most part have stayed the same. The two best friends he started this adventure with have a love affair with the mountains as well. Although I do think Terry has since passed away. I did love the chapter on the different names and how they got their names and how they get new names in the region. I wish there was more about the law in legends that are all around the mountain range. No matter what places in the world I read about I seem to always go back to the Sierras it reminds me of the wild west and an unchanging playground for those who love the outdoors. I really enjoyed this book and thought Mr. Robinson did a great job narrating it and although it was long it was nice feeling like a castaway in his backpack throughout the mini hikes in the book. I was given this book by Nat Galli and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any grammar or punctuation errors as I am blind and dictate my review, But all opinions are definitely my own.