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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
This collection of short stories started off somewhere between one and two stars. A failed Eiger climb, a bio of a boulderer, a truncated history of ice climbing and Valdez hot (cold?) spots, and a less than humorous humorist essay on tent companions, were all superbly bland. It picked up a little with a snapshot of some Alaskan bush pilots, a chapter on canyoneering, and the final story of a man searching for himself in a remote corner of Alaska. In between these three keepers were some other stories of fair to middlin' interest. The only other book I have read by Krakauer was "Into Thin Air" some years ago and I remember it being much better than this ho hum collection. Quite frankly I felt like I bought a CD with 3 pretty good songs and 9 fillers to round out the product so it could be sold. If you like wilderness writing and are willing to sift through some yawners go ahead and pick it up, otherwise look for another collection that might hold your interest better.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.25 stars
"It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough it is your God-given right to have it."
Mr. Krakauer had the same compulsions and goals as me at 23, except he could actually send
"It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough it is your God-given right to have it."
Mr. Krakauer had the same compulsions and goals as me at 23, except he could actually send
Eventually gave up on this book. I was really only interested in reading this as I have pretty much read all of Krakauer's work and I have immensely enjoyed them. Unfortunately for me, I just felt no connection between these pieces and myself. Like other says, you really have to know climbing to get why some of these pieces matter. He offers an interesting insight into the climbing world, however without being able to provide the depth that he can in his traditional books something is always lacking in the stories. Obviously if you were reading the articles in a magazine (a climbing magazine for instance) then they will probably be informative but if you want to read about mountaineering & Jon Krakauer reading Into Thin Air. It provides more depth and vision about the realities of climbing that I think all of these articles put together ever could.
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
Eiger Dreams is definitely one of Krakauer's best books. Rather than one long story this is a collection of smaller articles and pieces all dedicated to adventure through a variety of bold, engaging and all together fascinating characters. Topics range from the mathematical invention of bouldering to the perilous profession of glacier piloting, and everything in between. Krakauer clearing has a knack for plotting as every article starts with a roll and never stops. As such It would be extremely difficult to rank them in quality, all have strong merits and all are incredibly engaging.