Jon KrakauerBiography & Memoir · Non-Fiction·b. 1954
Into Thin Air
Synopsis
In 1996, Jon Krakauer joined an expedition to climb Mount Everest, a journey that would become the deadliest season in the mountain's history. Battling extreme conditions and oxygen deprivation, Krakauer recounts the harrowing events that unfolded on the treacherous slopes. This book explores not only the physical dangers but also the profound human drive that compels people to face such immense risks.
How it reads
Prose complexity 7/10
Content warnings (1)
Trauma
- If you have a lot of money, a lot of time and a lot of life, you could waste all three on climbing Everest. If I learned anything from this book it is this: Mount Everest is underwhelming and a certified deathtrap. If you enjoy breathing, appreciate your limbs and have a strong attachement to your life, then by all that is holy, don't climb Everest. If you're in it for the torture, you're better off getting married. This book's strong point and what I enjoyed about it is not the adventure itself (which is fine on its own right but nothing compared to other stories of survival I read this year) but how masterfully the author managed to inform us of the culture and history surrounding the Mountain.
- <div>An engaging and sobering account of the 1996 Everest disaster that pulls you into the thin, freezing air alongside its climbers. Krakauer’s storytelling is sharp and immersive, and the story itself is undeniably compelling. That said, at times the narrative gets a little bogged down in logistical and technical detail, which occasionally dulled the emotional momentum. Still a solid read overall, just not quite as gripping as I hoped it would be.</div>