Will Byrnes's Reviews > Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains
Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains
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Before the recognition he received for Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer was a serious outdoors type, writing about other serious outdoors types. In this collection of essays, Krakauer relates several stories of his personal adventures, one about a youthful, and maybe foolish venture to a particularly difficult climb in Alaska, another about his attempt at Eiger. And these are quite good. But I most enjoy Krakauer when he writes about the Damon-Runyon-esque characters who inhabit the world of extreme adventuring.
John Krakauer - image fr0m his Facebook pages
For example, in Gill, he writes of John Gill, the world’s foremost practitioner of “bouldering” (think fly on ceiling) as someone who might really levitate. Two drunken brothers manage to have a crack at a surprising number of major climbs despite their disinclination to organization and sobriety in The Burgess Boys. Chamonix is a town in France Krakauer calls the “death sport capital of the world.” The story features a bar in which large screens entertain the crowd with diverse scenes of death and near death. It is laugh-out-loud funny when Krakauer illuminates the sundry ethnic conflicts, with particular attention paid to the creative insults each enjoy using on the other. It called to mind Python-like Frenchmen launching diseased animals at their English foes while calling out “come back here so we can taunt you some more.”
While most of us are not likely to have a go at Eiger’s north face, work as bush pilots, try surviving hurricane force winds with temperatures so cold as to defy imagination while huddled in a torn tent or dubious ice cave at twenty-something thousand feet, it is a wonderful thing to have some crazy person who lives in that world to report to the rest of us what goes on there. Eiger Dreams is a fast, entertaining and informative read.
Review first posted in 2010
John Krakauer - image fr0m his Facebook pages
For example, in Gill, he writes of John Gill, the world’s foremost practitioner of “bouldering” (think fly on ceiling) as someone who might really levitate. Two drunken brothers manage to have a crack at a surprising number of major climbs despite their disinclination to organization and sobriety in The Burgess Boys. Chamonix is a town in France Krakauer calls the “death sport capital of the world.” The story features a bar in which large screens entertain the crowd with diverse scenes of death and near death. It is laugh-out-loud funny when Krakauer illuminates the sundry ethnic conflicts, with particular attention paid to the creative insults each enjoy using on the other. It called to mind Python-like Frenchmen launching diseased animals at their English foes while calling out “come back here so we can taunt you some more.”
While most of us are not likely to have a go at Eiger’s north face, work as bush pilots, try surviving hurricane force winds with temperatures so cold as to defy imagination while huddled in a torn tent or dubious ice cave at twenty-something thousand feet, it is a wonderful thing to have some crazy person who lives in that world to report to the rest of us what goes on there. Eiger Dreams is a fast, entertaining and informative read.
Review first posted in 2010
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
August 1, 2010
–
Finished Reading
August 11, 2010
– Shelved
August 20, 2010
– Shelved as:
adventuring
August 20, 2010
– Shelved as:
alaska
August 20, 2010
– Shelved as:
nonfiction
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Josh
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Jun 06, 2015 02:37PM
I agree, I really like the way that Jon Krakauer illustrates what he is writing, and is able to give the reader a vivid picture. Although I have never been through what Krakauer has been through I do like reading about his experiences.
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Coincidentally, I watched “ Everest” the other day. Although I’d read “Into the Mist” when it came out in paperback, and knew the ending, it was a powerful story. Thanks for reminding me of this additional book by a great author; I’ll pick it up soon. -J
My freind read this book and says he realy liked it, and I also got it for christmas but havent read it...yet
Thanks for the review - I'm just starting Eiger Dreams now. Did you mean 'Into Thin Air" instead of 'Into The Mist'? And/Or have you read Into The Mist by David Brill and, if so, what did you think of it? Ta.
Eric wrote: "Thanks for the review - I'm just starting Eiger Dreams now. Did you mean 'Into Thin Air" instead of 'Into The Mist'? And/Or have you read Into The Mist by David Brill and, if so, what did you think..."
Oopsy. A fix has been made.
Have not read the Brill.
Oopsy. A fix has been made.
Have not read the Brill.
Will wrote: "Mizuki wrote: "I like Into Thin Air!"
It's an amazing book."
I don't know he also wrote other books, I will look for them in the library.
It's an amazing book."
I don't know he also wrote other books, I will look for them in the library.