Take a photo of a barcode or cover
clarabeann 's review for:
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
by Jon Krakauer
This is a tough book to review. I think a lot of people are quick to pick sides, and that a lot of people still look for something easy to blame. I unfortunately forgot to highlight this quote, but I found “only the mountain will know what really happened” to be quite eloquent.
A couple of points I thought about while reading:
- Krakauer makes a point about the kind of person it takes to be a mountaineer. Some people cannot be satisfied with “normal” hobbies, and are thus drawn to such extremely sports where the threat of death is always looming. I find this both fascinating and arrogant.
- The hubris of man is staggering. A bunch of rich (mostly) white men (and women) can buy their way into an experience such as this and think they can conquer Mother Nature. They endanger their lives, the lives of the guides, and the lives of the Sherpas essentially to chase this never-ending high and need for clout.
- You can make an argument that the Sherpas rely on this work, but they are 100% taken advantage of, and I found it gross.
- I think Krakauer had a just portrayal of Boukreev, and I’m surprised more people take such extreme positions. Krakauer noted what decisions he disagreed with (particularly that of the supplemental oxygen and descending ahead of the clients), but he gives due credit to his heroic actions in rescuing Pittman and Fox. My impression is that Krakauer and Boukreev both suffered from ego issues, which unfortunately resulted in such tensions following the disaster of 1996.
- Krakauer concedes that some of his actions/inactions may have contributed to the deaths, but overall, he does portray himself preeetty well in comparison to some other clients. He doesn’t necessarily come out and say outright when he disapproves of their decisions, but it’s very strongly implied.
- Typically in the face of disaster, there’s usually some staggering account of an incredible display of compassion and humanity. I was taken aback by the distinct lack of this and the emotional neutrality when encountering the corpses that litter the slopes of Everest.
- Every single account that came from the disaster in 1996 is different, and nobody will ever really know what happened that day.
All this being said, this is my sea-level clear-headed fully-oxygenated impression. I can’t really fault anyone for the numbness and shock in the face of such a harrowing experience and cruel environment…which is why maybe some things should be left unconquerable by mankind.
A couple of points I thought about while reading:
- Krakauer makes a point about the kind of person it takes to be a mountaineer. Some people cannot be satisfied with “normal” hobbies, and are thus drawn to such extremely sports where the threat of death is always looming. I find this both fascinating and arrogant.
- The hubris of man is staggering. A bunch of rich (mostly) white men (and women) can buy their way into an experience such as this and think they can conquer Mother Nature. They endanger their lives, the lives of the guides, and the lives of the Sherpas essentially to chase this never-ending high and need for clout.
- You can make an argument that the Sherpas rely on this work, but they are 100% taken advantage of, and I found it gross.
- I think Krakauer had a just portrayal of Boukreev, and I’m surprised more people take such extreme positions. Krakauer noted what decisions he disagreed with (particularly that of the supplemental oxygen and descending ahead of the clients), but he gives due credit to his heroic actions in rescuing Pittman and Fox. My impression is that Krakauer and Boukreev both suffered from ego issues, which unfortunately resulted in such tensions following the disaster of 1996.
- Krakauer concedes that some of his actions/inactions may have contributed to the deaths, but overall, he does portray himself preeetty well in comparison to some other clients. He doesn’t necessarily come out and say outright when he disapproves of their decisions, but it’s very strongly implied.
- Typically in the face of disaster, there’s usually some staggering account of an incredible display of compassion and humanity. I was taken aback by the distinct lack of this and the emotional neutrality when encountering the corpses that litter the slopes of Everest.
- Every single account that came from the disaster in 1996 is different, and nobody will ever really know what happened that day.
All this being said, this is my sea-level clear-headed fully-oxygenated impression. I can’t really fault anyone for the numbness and shock in the face of such a harrowing experience and cruel environment…which is why maybe some things should be left unconquerable by mankind.