Journeying to the moon, winning an Olympic medal, and being elected President of the United States are accomplishments that few have achieved. In doing so, this minority of people have gained membership to an exclusive club. They have done something that is beyond the norm and have transformed themselves in the process as well as changed the manner of how people view them. Prior, they were seen as ordinary and relatable, now they are viewed as doing the impossible. Jon Krakauer is now privy of this private club due to his treacherous quest to conquer the climb to the summit of the largest mountain in the world: Mt. Everest. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster, Jon Krakauer, a writer for Outside Magazine during the climb, shares his nonfiction story of the events leading up to the tragedy that took eight people’s lives on an expedition to Mt. Everest in 1996. Krakauer draws readers in by beginning his account on the summit of Mt. Everest, the top of the world, and sharing his disregard for the thundercloud of the storm that would forever change his life. He then proceeds to discuss the culture and history of Mt. Everest setting the stage for his story and his fellow teammates’ stories. Krakauer provides an emotional and informative detailed account of the shortened lives of his teammates, the splendid yet terrifying landscape, the daily challenges, and the constant threat of frostbite, weight loss, altitude sickness, and imminent peril during the expedition.
Krakauer's account of eluding death shares with readers the mind of every daredevil who pushes past physical boundaries and tackles unforgiving landscape to reach the staggering altitude of 28,199 feet. Throughout the account, Krakauer does an excellent job of striking anger at characters for putting themselves in harms way willingly, disbelief at the realness of each account, and sorrow for the death of each member whose personality and positive attributes are celebrated in each chapter. The vivid visuals of the treacherous terrain and each icicle described as “shark teeth,” makes reader’s toes curl for the bitter frostbite and chill of the frosty air. The book sinks its own teeth into readers by engaging them with each sentence; however, the excessive amount of details describing each character is lost among the consistent addition of new information. Despite this, Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster is a must read for all audiences eighteen and up due to the graphic portrayals of death and profanity throughout the book. This enthralling account of the disaster known around the world would make any extreme thrill seeker hesitate. It shows the ambition of all adventurers and makes readers ponder if they too have the drive and perseverance to achieve their goals in life and join the exclusive club.
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster, Jon Krakauer, a writer for Outside Magazine during the climb, shares his nonfiction story of the events leading up to the tragedy that took eight people’s lives on an expedition to Mt. Everest in 1996. Krakauer draws readers in by beginning his account on the summit of Mt. Everest, the top of the world, and sharing his disregard for the thundercloud of the storm that would forever change his life. He then proceeds to discuss the culture and history of Mt. Everest setting the stage for his story and his fellow teammates’ stories. Krakauer provides an emotional and informative detailed account of the shortened lives of his teammates, the splendid yet terrifying landscape, the daily challenges, and the constant threat of frostbite, weight loss, altitude sickness, and imminent peril during the expedition.
Krakauer's account of eluding death shares with readers the mind of every daredevil who pushes past physical boundaries and tackles unforgiving landscape to reach the staggering altitude of 28,199 feet. Throughout the account, Krakauer does an excellent job of striking anger at characters for putting themselves in harms way willingly, disbelief at the realness of each account, and sorrow for the death of each member whose personality and positive attributes are celebrated in each chapter. The vivid visuals of the treacherous terrain and each icicle described as “shark teeth,” makes reader’s toes curl for the bitter frostbite and chill of the frosty air. The book sinks its own teeth into readers by engaging them with each sentence; however, the excessive amount of details describing each character is lost among the consistent addition of new information. Despite this, Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster is a must read for all audiences eighteen and up due to the graphic portrayals of death and profanity throughout the book. This enthralling account of the disaster known around the world would make any extreme thrill seeker hesitate. It shows the ambition of all adventurers and makes readers ponder if they too have the drive and perseverance to achieve their goals in life and join the exclusive club.