Into Thin Air by Jon Krakeur and The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev

Heineken Helen

Anybody read BOTH of these? What do ya think? I read into thin air and now I'm about 3/4 way through the climb... I reckon the climb is a MUST read for anyone who's read into thin air. If ya haven't read into thin air, read it! :cool:

I think into thin air is a much more human analysis of what happened... using opinions and emotions and stuff. The climb is not so emotional but seems to present plenty of facts... mixed in with opinions.

Basically it's two sides of the story but it's still two sides of a MUCH bigger story. You'd really need to know what Rob Hall and Scott Fischer were thinking to know what the fuck really went on up there.

It's a fascinating story though.

sennin

I love books like those! Too bad I never read!

Another one that looks interesting to me is The Last Season. http://thelastseason.com/

And one of my favorite books is Between a Rock and a Hardplace. http://books.google.com/books?id=EfO4fdFWERgC&dq=rock+and+hardplace+aron+ralston&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=m-zbaf32w0&sig=ALjtYhOF_G3ZUdR3ngdv_RK91HE#PPP1,M1

AmentsChick

Into Thin Air was the first Krakauer book I've read. I admit that I couldn't care less about mountain climbing. I was home sick and my roommate was reading it for school (this was back in college). I picked it up and literally couldn't STOP. I read the entire thing in two days. Since then he has become my favorite author. Under the Banner of Heaven is my favorite book...I've fascinated by those crazy Fundamentalist Mormons. Oh and Into the Wild was great, too. You know...they should make that into a movie!

P.S. Krakauer is the reason I mainly read nonfiction now.

tybird

Heineken Helen wrote:

Anybody read BOTH of these? What do ya think? I read into thin air and now I'm about 3/4 way through the climb... I reckon the climb is a MUST read for anyone who's read into thin air. If ya haven't read into thin air, read it! :cool:

I think into thin air is a much more human analysis of what happened... using opinions and emotions and stuff. The climb is not so emotional but seems to present plenty of facts... mixed in with opinions.

Basically it's two sides of the story but it's still two sides of a MUCH bigger story. You'd really need to know what Rob Hall and Scott Fischer were thinking to know what the fuck really went on up there.

It's a fascinating story though.

We will never get the full story of what went on those tragic days.....indeed both books are good (bordering on great) reads. "Into..." probably is the more emotional of the two. I believe that the author/subject of the "The Climb" is now also deceased.

Heineken Helen

sennin wrote:

I love books like those! Too bad I never read!

Another one that looks interesting to me is The Last Season. http://thelastseason.com/

And one of my favorite books is Between a Rock and a Hardplace. http://books.google.com/books?id=EfO4fdFWERgC&dq=rock+and+hardplace+aron+ralston&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=m-zbaf32w0&sig=ALjtYhOF_G3ZUdR3ngdv_RK91HE#PPP1,M1

I think between a rock and a hard place is already on my list... I love stories like this. Truth really IS more fascinating than fiction.

Yep, the last season looks like my kinda thing... although it looks like it's gonna leave me looking for answers too... and I dunno if I can do that anymore

Heineken Helen

AmentsChick wrote:

Into Thin Air was the first Krakauer book I've read. I admit that I couldn't care less about mountain climbing. I was home sick and my roommate was reading it for school (this was back in college). I picked it up and literally couldn't STOP. I read the entire thing in two days. Since then he has become my favorite author. Under the Banner of Heaven is my favorite book...I've fascinated by those crazy Fundamentalist Mormons. Oh and Into the Wild was great, too. You know...they should make that into a movie!

P.S. Krakauer is the reason I mainly read nonfiction now.

I know fuck all about mountain climbing... well I have climbed a few in South Africa but nothing where we'd have to worry about frostbite or hape or anything like that

I reallly couldn't stop either... I can't wait to read into the wild... didn't get to finish the climb last night cos there was a match on but there's NO sports on tonight :( so I'll get it finished.

The book that got me into this kinda stuff was:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Call-Wild-Guy-Grieve/dp/0340898240

EXCELLENT read.

Heineken Helen

tybird wrote:

We will never get the full story of what went on those tragic days.....indeed both books are good (bordering on great) reads. "Into..." probably is the more emotional of the two. I believe that the author/subject of the "The Climb" is now also deceased.

Yep, into the wild is definitely more emotional... the version of the climb that I have has quite a few afterwords and his death is covered in it. While he does make it seem like Jon Krakeur was full of shit.. and there are quite a few facts and stuff to back that up. There was a couple of things... like Neal Beidleman is quoted a lot by Krakeur and not by Boukreev... and incidentally he comes off MUCH more heroic in into the wild and in the climb he comes across worse than boukreev did in into the wild. It's things like that that emphasise how much of it IS opinion. I don't think Krakeur painted Boukreev as bad as Boukreev seems to think he did though. I mean he DID cover the rescue and did actually say that it's one of the most heroic rescues ever but then ruins that by pointing out the reasons Boukreev WAS more able for a rescue like that...

Ah I dunno... it's possible they just didn't see eye to eye. Boukreev admitted himself that he's not a very likeable person but yet a lot of his team submitted quotes to his book backing him up. I also like the way Krakeur never painted himself as any kind of hero... quite the opposite. He made himself come across quite selfish... not by the going to bed when he got back to the camp thing (I think any of us would have done that) but other little things he pointed out throughout the book.

Hmm... are there any more books about this?

Byrnzie

I've almost finished this book. It's really gotten under my skin to the point where I've been dreaming about it and talking about it in my sleep.
This book has really effected my emotions. I've actually been feeling a bit queasy from reading it - especially the last half, after they get to the summit.
I don't fancy another book on mountaineering again for a long time after this. It's kind of freaked me out.

Edit: too much info before. I don't know who might be reading this.

Heineken Helen

Byrnzie wrote:

I've almost finished this book. It's really gotten under my skin to the point where I've been dreaming about it and talking about it in my sleep.
This book has really effected my emotions. I've actually been feeling a bit queasy from reading it - especially the last half, after they get to the summit.
I don't fancy another book on mountaineering again for a long time after this. It's kind of freaked me out.

Edit: too much info before. I don't know who might be reading this.

freaked you out? Yep, I agree that it's EXTREMELY affecting... I've never read anything comparable to it. Touching the void is quite similar but has a MUCH nicer conclusion and there's a lot of sweet humour throughout.

smarchee

interesting responses. I have read Into The Wild, now this is making me think about picking up Into Thin Air next time I'm in a bookstore.

Heineken Helen

smarchee wrote:

interesting responses. I have read Into The Wild, now this is making me think about picking up Into Thin Air next time I'm in a bookstore.

do do do... absolutely do! Don't even think about it. Into the wild has NOTHING on into thin air

smarchee

Heineken Helen wrote:

do do do... absolutely do! Don't even think about it. Into the wild has NOTHING on into thin air

alright, my list now is 3 books the next time I'm in the bookstore

1 - Life After God by Douglas Coupland
2 - Into Thin Air
3 - The Catcher In The Rye

Heineken Helen

smarchee wrote:

alright, my list now is 3 books the next time I'm in the bookstore

1 - Life After God by Douglas Coupland
2 - Into Thin Air
3 - The Catcher In The Rye

excellent... and when you've read into thin air, have another look at this thread for where to go then.