Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Summary of the Summary of the Summary:

A lot of people died on Everest in 1996.  This is one man's page-turning account of the events.

Summary of the Summary:

In one of his most well-known works, journalist and author Jon Krakauer tells his version of events that led to the deadliest season on Mt. Everest (until 2015). Through thorough storytelling coupled with intriguing characters and an exciting premise, the author weaves a tale that keeps the reader enthralled page by
page, despite being aware of the outcome. A true-life adventure story that questions the reasons and ways humans take risks.

Summary: 

I've been meaning to read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air for a while now, intrigued by the story and the idea that Krakauer was able to tell the story from his point of view, rather than building a narrative from interview and research as his other books do (though that doesn't devalue them). What I knew before going in, and what the beginning of the book does not hide, is that more people died during the 1996 Everest climbing season, than in any one season, until 2015. Others may know more about the story before picking up this book, or you may be inclined to do your research beforehand, but I believe it makes it a more satisfying experience to know as little as possible before diving in. Knowing there were deaths, but not knowing who or how, makes every character precious and every situation described as potentially deadly, therefore maintaining a page-turning atmosphere throughout. 

The story is sad, and it does everything to deter me from ever wanting to climb Mt. Everest (not that I had these aspirations to begin with), but Krakauer does his best to provide both a first-hand account of his own experiences, as well as an objective point of view garnered from evidence and interviews with other witnesses. I left the book feeling like he both took responsibility for not taking action that could have saved some, while also coming to terms with what happened and trying to shrug off a guilty conscience by proving the situation was out of his, or anybody's, control. He doesn't place blame on anyone, but also provides conjectures as to why certain fatal decisions were made. 

One natural outcome of this thorough storytelling is an overload of information. I found myself having difficulty keeping different peripheral characters straight, and characters introduced offhand in the beginning end up being important players later on, but once they appear again I couldn't place them. The author also tries to be clear on where on the mountain they are at any given time, and maybe it's just he way my brain works, but I had a hard time creating a map in my mind to understand it, even after I looked of pictures of Everest itself. But these are minor grievances in an otherwise well presented book. 

There are several books out there concerning the 1996 Everest tragedy, and Into Thin Air provides just one account. Some other books make conflicting claims and Krakauer makes a point in an addendum to his book to attempt to refute some of those claims. It's a grueling and technical explanation, and one can't help but get the feeling that he was just a tad miffed when he wrote it. But in it, he sacrifices some of the objectivity he tried to hold in the book proper. In fact, especially concerning relatively recent events, it seems the original publishing of this book was the most calm about the situation Krakauer his been. In 2015, a movie based on a fellow survivor's memoir was released, and painted a not-so-flattering picture of Krakauer's role on the mountain (I have not seen this film). Krakauer responded with claims of unfair portrayal and the reinforcement of his belief that he wishd he had never climbed Everest. 

Politics and claims aside, Krakauer sets out to tell a story of how climbing Mt. Everest can go so horribly wrong. Human flaws such as pride, bragging rights, status, and ambition can lead to misjudgments that can be the difference between life and death. The author mildly attempts to explore what is so enticing about Mt. Everest, seeing as it isn't an especially technical climb and the costs far outweigh the risks. But he admits he himself fell prey, succumbing to the call of the tallest mountain in the world. 

Interested? You can buy it here. 

Happy Reading!

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