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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
"Jungle" is a wonderful, thrill ride of a book. Its the true story of Yossi, a young man just out of the Israeli army who is traveling around South America after his tour of duty. I can easily picture him, backpack and guide book in hand, striking up conversations with people at hostels and in bars as many travelers are wont to do.
His travel plans get changed when he meets a man in Peru: Marcus. Marcus convinces him that instead of heading to Machu Picchu he should go to Boliva, with Marcus, instead. There they meet two other people, a new travel companion Kevin and a more odd, strange man, Karl, who offers them a chance of a lifetime; a hike into the jungle.
Now for people who travel, you man be amazed that Yossi and his friends would travel into the Amazon without first wondering about their guide, maybe do a little research to see if he has, I dunno, killed someone or if he's even who he claims to be. Especially when the "cost" goes from free to a few hundred dollars. But no, our protagonist is blissfully aware of nothing. There are many moments in this book where I wanted to shake him and go "stop that! Haven't you read at least one guidebook's scam section?" This is the second dumbest thing you can do! (the first is fighting a land war in Asia).
The book details their trek, their getting lost and separated, and finally the outcome. Yossi is a very good writer, his words kept me glued to the book and I found myself drawn into his struggle to survive. I also learned that peeing on yourself in the jungle is a really bad thing - a life lesson I hope to never put into practice.
If you are looking for a quick, fun and exciting read, this is a book for you.
His travel plans get changed when he meets a man in Peru: Marcus. Marcus convinces him that instead of heading to Machu Picchu he should go to Boliva, with Marcus, instead. There they meet two other people, a new travel companion Kevin and a more odd, strange man, Karl, who offers them a chance of a lifetime; a hike into the jungle.
Now for people who travel, you man be amazed that Yossi and his friends would travel into the Amazon without first wondering about their guide, maybe do a little research to see if he has, I dunno, killed someone or if he's even who he claims to be. Especially when the "cost" goes from free to a few hundred dollars. But no, our protagonist is blissfully aware of nothing. There are many moments in this book where I wanted to shake him and go "stop that! Haven't you read at least one guidebook's scam section?" This is the second dumbest thing you can do! (the first is fighting a land war in Asia).
The book details their trek, their getting lost and separated, and finally the outcome. Yossi is a very good writer, his words kept me glued to the book and I found myself drawn into his struggle to survive. I also learned that peeing on yourself in the jungle is a really bad thing - a life lesson I hope to never put into practice.
If you are looking for a quick, fun and exciting read, this is a book for you.
I read this via audiobook and found it was an interesting story to listen to whilst completing other tasks. I don't know that I necessarily would have continued with it to the end had I been sitting down and reading it like a normal book. I found the author sometimes a little frustrating, such as in the way he treats his friend earlier in the book. But of course, Yossi ends up going through so much and faces this with regret eventually. Worth a read if you're into survival stories.
This book was a mixed bag for me. I certainly was impressed with Ghinsberg's fortitude to endure and survive all the challenges he faced. The book also was an interesting psychological case study of mental stamina and the strategies one might employ to cope with severe hardship. In addition, Ghinsberg did not hold back on difficult or uncomfortable details and I appreciated this candor and authenticity. Finally, I valued the content after Ghinsberg's exit from the jungle particularly the reactions from his family, the family of fellow adventurers, villagers, and various officials.
However, I also found this book a bit confusing, oddly paced, and strangely told. Often, I wished a map had been included to reference movements on the journey. The pacing was a bit slow in the beginning but perhaps that was needed to build a foundation of the fellow adventurers and how they planned to adventure into the jungle. As the story progressed, the pacing improved and the last quarter of the book was very engaging and the highlight for me.
This was a memoir, so relationships were from the point of view of just one person. However, the interpersonal interactions often seemed so bewildering. Sometimes I think Ghinsberg lacked the ability to express the depth and intricacies of relationships on the page. Then again, perhaps time in unfamiliar places had strange impacts on personalities. Nevertheless, I often was left not understanding the strength or lack of relational bonds. Sometimes they developed intensely or suddenly for reasons not adequately expressed or were dismissed abruptly without much clarity. Unfortunately, this issue made the interpersonal aspects of the book somewhat artificial and less genuine to me.
Fortunately, there were several sections where Ghinsberg was alone and only in relationship with himself. Perhaps these sections were the best for me for that reason, because he was able to write just about himself and how he was feeling emotionally and physically. Even so, other parts did not rise to the same level for me and left me perplexed and even frustrated. Nevertheless, the resilience of Ghinsberg was impressive to read.
However, I also found this book a bit confusing, oddly paced, and strangely told. Often, I wished a map had been included to reference movements on the journey. The pacing was a bit slow in the beginning but perhaps that was needed to build a foundation of the fellow adventurers and how they planned to adventure into the jungle. As the story progressed, the pacing improved and the last quarter of the book was very engaging and the highlight for me.
This was a memoir, so relationships were from the point of view of just one person. However, the interpersonal interactions often seemed so bewildering. Sometimes I think Ghinsberg lacked the ability to express the depth and intricacies of relationships on the page. Then again, perhaps time in unfamiliar places had strange impacts on personalities. Nevertheless, I often was left not understanding the strength or lack of relational bonds. Sometimes they developed intensely or suddenly for reasons not adequately expressed or were dismissed abruptly without much clarity. Unfortunately, this issue made the interpersonal aspects of the book somewhat artificial and less genuine to me.
Fortunately, there were several sections where Ghinsberg was alone and only in relationship with himself. Perhaps these sections were the best for me for that reason, because he was able to write just about himself and how he was feeling emotionally and physically. Even so, other parts did not rise to the same level for me and left me perplexed and even frustrated. Nevertheless, the resilience of Ghinsberg was impressive to read.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Best book I have ever read, so far.
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I tried to get into this book but unfortunately it took to long for it to get going and at one point I put the book down for four days so I've gave up on it.I'm halfway through the book and they still haven't got to the jungle yet.
It's very rare I prefer the movie over the book but in this case I definitely prefer the movie.
It's very rare I prefer the movie over the book but in this case I definitely prefer the movie.