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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Mcfarlanes kombinasjon av poesi, historie, reiseskildringer og vitenskap gir alltid en herlig leseopplevelse.
Vakkert, presist og fascinerende om hvorfor mennesker blir forelsket og besatt av noe så meningsløst som å gå opp ei steinrøys.
Vakkert, presist og fascinerende om hvorfor mennesker blir forelsket og besatt av noe så meningsløst som å gå opp ei steinrøys.
I’m packing my bags and heading to Nepal! A fascinating read, beautifully written.
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
adventurous
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Macfarlane is trying to trace what makes people fall in love with mountains, obsess over them, trying to conquer them. As a mountain - loving person myself, I enjoyed parts of the book, but other parts had an imperialistic, English touch to it that I disliked. Yes, Macfarlane is aware of this, but the book stills contains long passages about him travelling to remote & 'exotic' places or talk about people trying to be the first person (read: white, male, European...) to reach that summit. I do get the fascination, I really do, but I'd love to read and hear about other people too, those who have been exploited by Empire and imperialists and who have a very different relationship to these mountains. This book does not do them justice despite trying. It's not entirely the book's fault, but still. It's an interesting book, don't get me wrong... 3.5 stars
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Why do humans risk their health and lives to climb mountains with no other goal to it than reaching the top?
This book explores the centuries old fascination with the far and high peaks. From the feeling of being on top of the world to walking through the depth of time, Macfarlane – himself an experienced mountaineer – gives insight to historic and scientific examples of humanity’s rocky relationship (pun intended) to the snowy top of the world. Laced with anecdotes of the authors own encounters with the biting cold, the dizzying precipices, and sudden rockfalls, this book as a vivid experience of the alpine world in the comfort of your own warm home.
Although primarily focused on the why and not on the how, Macfarlane still includes the stories of some of the memorable moments of mountaineering history in great detail (which, to be honest, was a little repetitive for me). Having been up and about mountains big and small myself since childhood, this book was of course in my comfort zone, but had some new interesting aspects as well. But also people who so far have preferred the flatter areas of the earth will enjoy Mountains of the Mind as an entertaining and engaging expedition to dangerous, but enticing mountain ranges.
"Everest has the most steep ridges and appalling precipices that I have ever seen. My darling … I can’t tell you how it possesses me."
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced