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Reviews tagging 'Death'
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer
123 reviews
emiliegrace's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Given the genre of book, I should have had more pause going into this but I was truly sold by the sheer intrigue that was brought about by one of the most coveted journalists happening to be on one of the most disastrous Mount Everest Expeditions in 1996. (I later read that it was considered a somewhat average death/success rate for the mountain, however it was not expected for guided expeditions of that caliber. And at the time, it was the deadliest season on the mountain.)
The sh*itstorm that Krakauer and his fellow mountaineers endured on the summit was genuinely one of the most intense things I have ever read. The countless decisions and mishaps that led up to the expeditions disastrous end (taking a total of 12 lives) are detailed and explored in such great detail. It really felt as if Krakauer left no stone unturned in dissecting the traumatic experience he had gone through.
I particularly enjoyed his discussion and exploration of the commercialization of Everest, and all the ways in which that influenced the people on the mountain that day and the decisions they had made (ex. Hall feeling pressure for his business from having failed his previous expedition, Fischer feeling pressure from having the presence of media - Sandy Pittman - as a paying client)
Krakauer takes such care in detailing the background and context of each individual on Everest with him in 1996 - guides, fellow clients, and sherpas alike. He pays deep respect towards every person and event he chronicles. While it would seem easy to lose track of who he is discussing, each event is set up with a beautiful description of the people involved (ex. the death of Ngawang Sherpa or the controversial nature of the South African and Taiwanese teams).
It’s truly such an awe-inspiring tale of devastating consequences yet tenacious heroism. I couldn’t put it down - and I even purchased a copy to more thoroughly annotate.
The sh*itstorm that Krakauer and his fellow mountaineers endured on the summit was genuinely one of the most intense things I have ever read. The countless decisions and mishaps that led up to the expeditions disastrous end (taking a total of 12 lives) are detailed and explored in such great detail. It really felt as if Krakauer left no stone unturned in dissecting the traumatic experience he had gone through.
I particularly enjoyed his discussion and exploration of the commercialization of Everest, and all the ways in which that influenced the people on the mountain that day and the decisions they had made (ex. Hall feeling pressure for his business from having failed his previous expedition, Fischer feeling pressure from having the presence of media - Sandy Pittman - as a paying client)
Krakauer takes such care in detailing the background and context of each individual on Everest with him in 1996 - guides, fellow clients, and sherpas alike. He pays deep respect towards every person and event he chronicles. While it would seem easy to lose track of who he is discussing, each event is set up with a beautiful description of the people involved (ex. the death of Ngawang Sherpa or the controversial nature of the South African and Taiwanese teams).
It’s truly such an awe-inspiring tale of devastating consequences yet tenacious heroism. I couldn’t put it down - and I even purchased a copy to more thoroughly annotate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
kittkattsnacck's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail
snekmint's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Suicide and Excrement
gomoon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
matcha_cat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, and Colonisation
mloschi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
A gripping adventure tale that drives home the thrill and courage of climbers , the will to survive in extreme circumstances, and the nuance and humanity in the face of tragedy. The writing drew me in and offered an informative and engaging glimpse into what it is to climb Everest and the narrow margin between reward and risk on the mountain.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
marisch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail
tnarg's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
mistyfall's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
waywardcrow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Well damn. I don't know what exactly I was expecting when I picked up this book. I knew it would be tragic but nothing could have prepared me for how graphically and vividly Krakauer was able to portray the failed expedition. Even though it was hard to remember who was who in the long list of people on the mountain, I still felt deeply saddened by every death. This is an incredible accounting of such a traumatizing experience. This book really makes you think deeply about human mortality and the psychology behind those who are willing to jeopardize their lives to accomplish the most dangerous exploits. It also makes you think about humanity's respect (or lack thereof) for nature, the inability to admire great beauty from afar to the point that beauty is destroyed. On a lighter note, I learned a lot about climbing and there's much more still that I couldn't quite grasp. Maybe once I recover in ten years, l'll read again to try to understand more about the geography and climbing techniques the author did so well in attempting to describe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma