Personal Response to Into Thin Air
It isn’t often that you find a book that makes you rethink decisions you have made in your own life. This is what I thought, at least, until stumbling upon Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. A book about courage, heroism, guilt, and reflection, there are countless reasons why I believe that Into Thin Air is one of the best non-fiction book’s around.
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First off, I would like to start by stating that I am not generally a fan of non-fiction books. In fact, this is only the second book in this genre that I have decided to read in my life. It is for this reason that I was initially uncertain about how I would react to a real life story about an adventure sport that I am barely familiar with. However, one of the thing’s that makes Into Thin Air so powerful is that it makes a non-fiction book seem like fiction: it truly tells a story from start to finish. The book takes you on a journey from Krakauer’s life before Everest, to his arrival at base camp, and all the way up to Everest’s summit before the disastrous descent. Not only does the novel tell you informative details about the logistics of mountaineering, but also includes powerful emotional moments, like guide Rob Hall’s last phone call to his pregnant wife in New Zealand before perishing on the mountain. It is because of these small glimpses of feelings that made Into Thin Air such a riveting story for me to read.
Other than telling a powerful story, I felt that Into Thin Air contains many other great strengths, as well as a few weaknesses. The novel used powerful imagery to encompass the astonishing beauty of Everest, while including the points of view of several characters in the book to add lots of perspective. However, there were also some aspects of the book that I felt took away from the effectiveness of the story. Firstly, although referencing various characters was essential in telling a complete story, I found myself often confusing one character for another, and having to flip back several pages to see who was really being referred to. Additionally, the novel spends a lot of time reiterating certain points more than once, which often became quite boring and redundant.
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One of the misconceptions that I had before reading Into Thin Air was that I would not be able to truly relate to it. After all, I am a 16-year-old girl who has absolutely no experience with climbing and little knowledge about the sport. However, after beginning the novel, I quickly noticed that this is not just a story about climbing. In fact, some of the book’s main themes include teamwork, guilt, and death, themes that I believe any person can relate to in some way.
One theme that I was able to easily relate to, myself, was the importance of teamwork when working towards a common goal in a foreign environment, like Mount Everest. Although on a much smaller and less intense scale, I easily linked this theme to a 7-day canoe trip that I participated on this past summer. This camping trip through Algonquin Park was one of the most physically and emotionally demanding experiences that I have ever participated on, however it was made much more possible due to the support and attitudes of my cabin. Just like Jon Krakauer would never have been able to summit Everest without the support of his guides, Sherpa’s, and teammates, I would never have been able to complete my trip without my tripper’s, counselors, and cabin mates. Into Thin Air demonstrates that we should never underestimate the power of working together, especially when faced with unfamiliar surroundings.
When reflecting on Into Thin Air, I am conscious of many things that the novel has taught me. I have learned that when faced with difficult circumstances, humans are able to adapt in the most unimaginable of ways. I have learned that being able to give up on a goal that you are so close to accomplishing is one of the hardest challenges known to man. Most importantly, however, I have learned about the true sport of climbing, as compared to how it is portrayed and glamorized in the media. This first-hand account of the 1996 Everest disaster has opened my eyes to how technology, commercialism, and tragedy have completely transformed the risky sport of mountaineering.