karism576's review

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dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Engaging account of a disaster on Mount Everest. Sometimes a little hard to follow all the characters' names and the overall timeline of the disaster, but overall a very compelling read.

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albon's review

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adventurous dark

5.0


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mollyb13's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

In a 'perfect storm' type of situation, journalist Jon Krakauer found himself in the middle of one of the deadliest events in Everest's climbing history. He was in an extremely unique position to use his writing skills to cover the expedition and successfully interview a majority of the people involved after the event. I can't imagine the pain of being tied to this event in any sort of manner - and I'm glad that he turned his original Outside article into a full book. He seemed to have a good balance of telling his own story in a vulnerable way while also reporting the situation in a factual manner. This one is going to stick with me for quite a while.

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hellavaral's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0


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emiliegrace's review against another edition

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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. 

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kittkattsnacck's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0


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snekmint's review

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adventurous challenging informative tense medium-paced

4.75


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gomoon's review

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adventurous dark informative tense medium-paced

4.0


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matcha_cat's review

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adventurous challenging emotional informative medium-paced

3.5


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mloschi's review

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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. 

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