Book Review:The Greater Fool - Brad Gobright and the Blinding Shine of Originality
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Book By Lucas Roman
Review By Dave Barnes |
Book Review:The Greater Fool - Brad Gobright and the Blinding Shine of Originality
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Book By Lucas Roman
Review By Dave Barnes |
Brad’s becoming was provided by what he could do on rock but just as important to him, belonging to a community that made him feel valued, something as a kid he did not experience readily. Not by any fault of anyone, it was more his inability to think things through with logic and flat-land reason. Brad was more at home in moments, and these directed his flow. His climbing was made of some pretty large moments, and these are chronicled well in the text. Brad needed many moments to maintain his flow. The author dives into this side of Brad’s personality, and even the way he moved on stone is examined in poetic form.
Brad’s death in a rappelling accident at El Potrero Chico, Nuevo León, Mexico, is given both a forensic and ephemeral examination. The read needed this, as all of us have had a take on what happened. The truth is out there somewhere. Lucas respectfully retraces that day, but leaves you to arrive at your own conclusions. Brad’s mum’s words to the partner of her son soon after that day had me in tears. Which gets me to the final arch of this biography. Family. Family comes in many forms: nuclear, extended, even a group of dirt baggers. Brad’s family features thoroughly. Pam Gobright, her husband, and Brad's sister, shine in this testimony. Pam, like The Virgin Mary herself, saw her broken son after his fall and subsequently felt his presence afterwards. Mary was one of the first to see her son Jesus rise after his death and his Apostles were visited soon after. Brad’s family are similar to Mary and those Apostles. It is the same with Brad’s family and friends who feel Brad’s presence even today and feel his flow. Many of Brad’s other family, his climbing friends, are recognised. I won’t go through them other than Alex Honnold, who also introduces the novel. Alex offers heartfelt words, and he articulates the loss of his friend, but in turn the gains he made by having Brad as one. Lucas treats all of Brad’s friends delicately and with great respect. It just reads like one big loving family, only now, a chair is empty at the camp table. |
The Basics
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