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Jon Krakauer: Into Thin Air
- Thread starter eyez0nme
- Start date
nomadic myth
New Member
The setting?
Ell
Well-Known Member
How clever.
I read it a few years ago, and have to admit that parts of it were truly harrowing. If you liked it, you might want to hunt up a copy of Alfred Lansing's book about the ill-fated Shackleton expedition called Endurance.
I think it makes Krakauer's book read like Mary Poppins by comparison - with no disrespect to Mr. Krakauer or his subjects.
I think it makes Krakauer's book read like Mary Poppins by comparison - with no disrespect to Mr. Krakauer or his subjects.
I'll be happy to hear your reaction to Shackleton's "adventures" - without giving anything away, I can tell you that the survival of any of his expedition depended on accomplishing not one, but two feats which would, even today, be regarded as suicidal.
I am not overly ashamed to admit that there is a scene at the end of the book which nearly had me weeping (and I am not a weeper).
I am not overly ashamed to admit that there is a scene at the end of the book which nearly had me weeping (and I am not a weeper).
I read it many years ago and I loved it! It was interesting to me though because the first movie I ever saw in the omnimax theater was Everest, which was filmed at the same time Krakauer was on Everest that he wrote about in Into Thin Air. I also read another book: Within Reach: My Everest Story by Mark Pfetzer and Jack Galvin and Mark was on Everest at the same time as Krakauer and the crew to film Everest. I love when I read a bunch of different books that are all related.
I really want to read No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs and David Roberts and Between a rock and Hard Place by Aron Ralston. I love mountain climbing books.
I read Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parado which was about the rugby team that their plane crashed in the Andes. It was an amazing story.
Also not an adventure book but I read Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer and it was a really good book and I learned a lot.
I really want to read No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs and David Roberts and Between a rock and Hard Place by Aron Ralston. I love mountain climbing books.
I read Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parado which was about the rugby team that their plane crashed in the Andes. It was an amazing story.
Also not an adventure book but I read Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer and it was a really good book and I learned a lot.
Ell
Well-Known Member
(Thought I posted a reply here yesterday, but it seems to have disappeared. So here goes again. )
I found Into Thin Air to be a gripping story because of Krakauer's emotional investment in the events. Following publication of the book, the facts as presented by the author, have been called into dispute. So the historical accuracy, to me, is less compelling than how Krakauer wrote the book and his reasons for doing so. He wrote it almost immediately afterwards and seemed to have a rather large dose of "survivor guilt" and rationalization in the retelling. I think it's a good case of "truth is in the eye of the beholder".
I found Into Thin Air to be a gripping story because of Krakauer's emotional investment in the events. Following publication of the book, the facts as presented by the author, have been called into dispute. So the historical accuracy, to me, is less compelling than how Krakauer wrote the book and his reasons for doing so. He wrote it almost immediately afterwards and seemed to have a rather large dose of "survivor guilt" and rationalization in the retelling. I think it's a good case of "truth is in the eye of the beholder".
Geo.
New Member
I've just finished reading, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place"
Ralston certainly had some fortitude to do what he did and the actual part of the book dealing with the incident was gripping (pardon the pun
)but I felt there was a bit of padding that wasn't of much interest to me.
Worth a place on the bookshelf for its example of survival though.
If you like Jon Krakauer's writing, have you read "Into the Wild" the story of Chris McCandless? I found this quite haunting and a lesson in not to take the outdoors too lightly. McCandless made some basic errors that unfortunately cost him dearly.
RobertM
New Member
Geo says:
I read this one too, Geo. I think it was a better-written book than his 'Into Thin Air.' You just wanted to slap the kid for being an idiot, huh? Someone needed to take McCandless by the ear, march him home, and make him go out and get a job. (lol)
I agree the Shackleton story is far superior to any Everest story. Google on 'Grytviken' sometime for some haunting photos of the abandoned whaling station where he and his two companions finally found rescue.
I read this one too, Geo. I think it was a better-written book than his 'Into Thin Air.' You just wanted to slap the kid for being an idiot, huh?
Someone needed to take McCandless by the ear, march him home, and make him go out and get a job. (lol) I agree the Shackleton story is far superior to any Everest story. Google on 'Grytviken' sometime for some haunting photos of the abandoned whaling station where he and his two companions finally found rescue.
nomadic myth
New Member
I finished it this week, very soon after starting it actually. I have no intention of climbing Everest, nor am I a mountaineer, but I found the book riveting. I guess he writes well, and the story wasn't done in a boring step by step, play by play style. I enjoyed the inserted information.
Krakauer seems quite objective, but lacking another book by someone who was actually on the mountain at that time, who knows. The DeWalt book called The Climb, which is quite critical of some of Krakauer's criticisms of Boukreev, sounds fairly biased (according to Krakauer). Scott Fischer's sister really gave Krakauer a lashing as well.
At least Krakauer came out with his life, and made a bundle of dough off his story to boot.
Krakauer seems quite objective, but lacking another book by someone who was actually on the mountain at that time, who knows. The DeWalt book called The Climb, which is quite critical of some of Krakauer's criticisms of Boukreev, sounds fairly biased (according to Krakauer). Scott Fischer's sister really gave Krakauer a lashing as well.
At least Krakauer came out with his life, and made a bundle of dough off his story to boot.
nickupton
Member
I found Into Thin Air very interesting and read it very quickly. I also saw the Imax film made at the same time which is amazing in a visual sense.
I have also read Between a Rock and a hard Place by Aron Ralston which, although it is another amazing tale, I found one of the worst written books I've ever read, dreadfully padded out and constantly bragging about how cool an outdoorsman he is. Awful. I wrote a review of it which you can read here - http://www.bookreviewblog.co.uk/2007/10/between-rock-and-hard-place-by-aron.html. I noticed that it is available on Amazon for £0.01 - it's overpriced.
I have also read Between a Rock and a hard Place by Aron Ralston which, although it is another amazing tale, I found one of the worst written books I've ever read, dreadfully padded out and constantly bragging about how cool an outdoorsman he is. Awful. I wrote a review of it which you can read here - http://www.bookreviewblog.co.uk/2007/10/between-rock-and-hard-place-by-aron.html. I noticed that it is available on Amazon for £0.01 - it's overpriced.