Into Thin Air

Title of the Book: Into Thin Air
Author: Jon Krakauer
Number of Pages: 333
 Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Jon Krakauer is a magazine writer and experienced mountaineer who was hired to climb Mt. Everest and write about it. Jon shed light on what it is really like to climb Mt. Everest through a tedious and dangerous experience that ended up being a tragic disaster.

Jon Krakauer opens the novel by explaining what it is like to be at the top of the summit. Shockingly, Krakauer explains the lack of elation that most people would expect after reaching the top of the world. The novel jumps back to the beginning of the expedition starting before they even make it to base camp. Krakauer was hired to write about the commercialism of climbing Mt. Everest. His magazine company paid a guide, Rob Hall, to take him to the summit. With Hall leading the group up the mountain, Krakauer learns a lot about what it is really like to climb Everest. He learns that Everest is a true test of commitment, both mentally and physically. With his harsh attitude towards the expedition, Krakauer is bothered by the other members of the expedition. He is bothered by the lack of experience within some climbers, the money hungry guides, and motivations that some climbers carry on the mountain. Krakauer blames certain tragic events on these ideas later on in the novel.

Into Thin Air is not a light-hearted story about the success and joy of summiting Mt. Everest like most people would expect. This story is focused on the personal expenses that climbers have to endure while on Everest rather than the challenge of the actual climbing itself. Jon Krakauer’s focuses a lot on what he is thinking during the climb. This lets the reader actually feel what it is like to climb, instead of just hearing about the events.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience an intense story about a horrible experience climbing Mt. Everest from a person that wishes they would have ever done it. It is an action-packed, fast-paced story that leaves the reader with a sense of defeat and gratitude that they did not have to endure this tragedy.