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52nd out of 214 books
—
236 voters
Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains
by
Jon Krakauer
No one writes about mountaineering and its attendant victories and hardships more brilliantly than Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest essays and reporting, Krakauer writes of mountains from the memorable perspective of one who has himself struggled with solo madness to scale Alaska's notorious Devils Thumb.
In Pakistan, the fearsome K2 kills thirteen of the wor...more
In Pakistan, the fearsome K2 kills thirteen of the wor...more
Paperback, 208 pages
Published
May 19th 1997
by Anchor
(first published 1990)
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Indeed, Jon Krakauer is the master of the literature of Adventure...
I always hated literature. They are always boring. But Jon has his way in literature. It is completely impossible for me to write so many worlds about a mountain. A mountain is a mountain for me. But for Jon, it is more like a book of worlds. I am damn sure that make him walk a tiny hill, in the outskirts of your town and he could write a book about it. That too, very interesting one. Hats off to him.
About this book:-
The descrip...more
I always hated literature. They are always boring. But Jon has his way in literature. It is completely impossible for me to write so many worlds about a mountain. A mountain is a mountain for me. But for Jon, it is more like a book of worlds. I am damn sure that make him walk a tiny hill, in the outskirts of your town and he could write a book about it. That too, very interesting one. Hats off to him.
About this book:-
The descrip...more
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I've had this book for years, but never managed to pick it up. I'm glad I finally got around to it. A collection of essays by Krakauer, a distinguished mountaineer in his own right, Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men is a great look into the developing world of extreme mountain sports during the 1960's-1980's. Composed of 12 separate essays, the book covers the history of mountaineering, ice climbing, rock climbing, areal glacial landings and more. I couldn't put this book down.
Most of these essa...more
Most of these essa...more
At any point over the past two weeks when I had a spare moment, I could be found gripping this book with wide eyes and a racing pulse. I'm something of an armchair mountaineer, getting completely wrapped up in the danger, exhilaration, and tragedies inherent to climbing mountains. Like many forms of excitement, it's addictive. As Krakauer comments about one climber's impassioned views, "You have to remind yourself that he is talking about a sport and not a substance abuse problem."
The lure of th...more
The lure of th...more
I came to each of Krakauer's works independently- I read "Into the Wild" first on a recommendation, and years later I read "Into Thin Air" because someone told me it would be a good insight into the effects of altitude (as I prepared to climb Kilimanjaro, a mild but high peak). Finally, I found this collection of essays and realized that somehow I'd read the final essay somewhere before, once.
I can understand why some people think that Krakauer is a selfish bastard at times, because the very ac...more
I can understand why some people think that Krakauer is a selfish bastard at times, because the very ac...more
More adventures on the mountain from Mr. Krakauer. This book was a series of short stories about various climbs. I think the Snow Country review on the back cover sums it up pretty well, "Krakauer's rarest and most enviable skill is his ability to make himself unseen, so the stories unwind as though the reader were front-pointing up a Himalayan serac or hanging by a nubbin in an Arizona canyon."
There were a couple of quotes I liked as people tried to explain the allure of mountain climbing. I th...more
There were a couple of quotes I liked as people tried to explain the allure of mountain climbing. I th...more
collection of essays and magazine articles about mountain climbing (sometimes his own, as in excellent piece on solo ascent of Devil's Thumb in Alaska at age of 23; but mostly about others). Great piece on a year at K2 that saw particularly high casualty rate, another about a pair of British twin climbers and the lifestyles they adopted in support of their climbing habits, and so on.
Obviously, the subject matter is inherently exciting and suspenseful, but from reading a decent number of such boo...more
Obviously, the subject matter is inherently exciting and suspenseful, but from reading a decent number of such boo...more
An interesting set of mountaineering tales
Eiger Dreams is a collated set of articles and tales written by the author. The stories explore a wide-range of mountaineering-related disciplines from climbs in the Himalayan high-mountains to complex low-height bouldering.
This is an enjoyable book that has some real standout tales that most non-climbers would never hear about; just a few of the stories I'd recommend are 'Gill', The Flyboys, Club Denali, Chamonix and The Devil's Thumb.
Krakauer's writing...more
Eiger Dreams is a collated set of articles and tales written by the author. The stories explore a wide-range of mountaineering-related disciplines from climbs in the Himalayan high-mountains to complex low-height bouldering.
This is an enjoyable book that has some real standout tales that most non-climbers would never hear about; just a few of the stories I'd recommend are 'Gill', The Flyboys, Club Denali, Chamonix and The Devil's Thumb.
Krakauer's writing...more
I read Eiger Dreams many years after Into Thin Air, which detailed the tragedy on Everest in 1996. Eiger Dreams is a compendium of magazine articles Krakauer wrote in the 80s. I always wondered how Krakauer could be such a selfish, cowardly, and ultimately detestable human being, as he admits being near the summit of Everest, as he cowers safely in his tent after his own successful summiting, while others freeze to death in a blizzard on the mountaintop.
Well, now I know. Krakauer has always been...more
Well, now I know. Krakauer has always been...more
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Another fabulous book by Jon Krakauer. This is actually his first book from way back in 1990, six years before the Mt. Everest disaster. This book is a collection of essays about different climbing locations. It contains two first hand accounts of him climbing the Eiger in Switzerland and the Devil's Thumb in Alaska when he was 23. He also tells fascinating stories about the history of climbing at K2, El Capitan in Yosemite, canyoneering in the Mogollon Rim in Arizona, and Mt. Blanc in France wh...more
In a previous book I had read by Krakauer "Into Thin Air"---about mountain climbing-- there was a quote that has stuck with me. One of the Everest mountaineers who chose not to try and help a climber (who subsequently died from being left behind) said this to justify his actions:
"There is no morality above 26,000 feet".
I had one foray into mountain climbing. It was 1998 and myself and two friends, Kevin and Lacey, were going to attempt the '14er' called Longs Peak. Out of all of the 14,000 foot...more
"There is no morality above 26,000 feet".
I had one foray into mountain climbing. It was 1998 and myself and two friends, Kevin and Lacey, were going to attempt the '14er' called Longs Peak. Out of all of the 14,000 foot...more
Although I enjoyed this collection immensely, the writing wasn't Krakauer's strongest -- in fact, I'd label it his weakest effort to date when compared with Into the Wild and Into Thin Air. With the exception of the last piece, "Devil's Thumb," the book was composed entirely of clipped magazine articles. And it showed.
Complaints aside, however, the book was wonderful and showed a humanity that I haven't often found in other climbing/mountaineering/alpinist books. Reading it reminded me how much...more
Complaints aside, however, the book was wonderful and showed a humanity that I haven't often found in other climbing/mountaineering/alpinist books. Reading it reminded me how much...more
Before the recognition he received for Into the Wild and Into the Mist, 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...more
I haven't climbed any mountains. I have hiked the Grand Canyon, but that was climbing down, not up. I don't like heights. In fact, one time, my family and I went up some mountain on one of those cable car things. My hands were sweating so badly that the cover of the book I was reading came off the book. And it was the first time I was reading the book.
So I'm not a mountain climber.
Yet, I like reading Jon Krakauer. He makes you cold when he talks about the mountians. He really does. This book is...more
So I'm not a mountain climber.
Yet, I like reading Jon Krakauer. He makes you cold when he talks about the mountians. He really does. This book is...more
Jon Krakauer is my favorite non-fiction author, so when I found this at the library I picked it up to read. It's a collection of articles he wrote for climbing magazines, and I don't climb at all. So, I was a bit skeptical that I would enjoy the book or relate to it at all. While it's true I did not relate to it, I did enjoy it very much. The articles vary in topic from serious climb expeditions to a guy who climbs "boulders" only. It has made me NEVER want to seriously climb mountains. (I don'...more
Reasons I liked:
• Great story on climbing towns and people around the world.
• Jon Krakauer writes about his adventures and people he knows through out the climbing community.
Eiger Dreams by Jon Krakauer is an adventure genre book about people, places, and techniques in the climbing community.
The setting of this book is within a five year period of Jons adventures. Taking place on the Eiger, Colorado, Alaska, and other places. Some main characters are Jon, the author and a climber himself who...more
• Great story on climbing towns and people around the world.
• Jon Krakauer writes about his adventures and people he knows through out the climbing community.
Eiger Dreams by Jon Krakauer is an adventure genre book about people, places, and techniques in the climbing community.
The setting of this book is within a five year period of Jons adventures. Taking place on the Eiger, Colorado, Alaska, and other places. Some main characters are Jon, the author and a climber himself who...more
This collection of short stories started off somewhere between one and two stars. A failed Eiger climb, a bio of a boulderer, a truncated history of ice climbing and Valdez hot (cold?) spots, and a less than humorous humorist essay on tent companions, were all superbly bland. It picked up a little with a snapshot of some Alaskan bush pilots, a chapter on canyoneering, and the final story of a man searching for himself in a remote corner of Alaska. In between these three keepers were some other s...more
"Eiger Dreams" is a collection of magazine articles about mountaineering written by Krakauer during the 1980s. The last chapter, about his solo climb of the Devil's Thumb in Alaska, was written specifically for the book.
I'll start with the bad.
Most chapters highlight the incredible risks inherent in mountaineering. When describing his solo adventures, Krakauer reminded me of the protagonist of his book "Into the Wild"; he comes off as a brash, reckless, and somewhat selfish individual. It does...more
I'll start with the bad.
Most chapters highlight the incredible risks inherent in mountaineering. When describing his solo adventures, Krakauer reminded me of the protagonist of his book "Into the Wild"; he comes off as a brash, reckless, and somewhat selfish individual. It does...more
Of all travel/adventure writers out there, Jon Krakauer is easily my favorite. I didn't know until I started reading his books that I ever wanted to climb mountains but I do, and I want to do it the right way.
Eiger Dreams is a collection of essays. Each essay discusses a different place, person, or event that holds great significance to the adventure/climbing community. Mr. Krakauer is a climber himself so everything he writes comes from a solid base(camp) of understanding that is not usually fo...more
Eiger Dreams is a collection of essays. Each essay discusses a different place, person, or event that holds great significance to the adventure/climbing community. Mr. Krakauer is a climber himself so everything he writes comes from a solid base(camp) of understanding that is not usually fo...more
Collection of short essays. The essay "Gill" about John Gill the guy who gives bouldering its start is by far the most cerebral piece in the book and Krakauer mainly through the quotes of reflections of Gill gets at the metaphysical side of climbing. Its the one essay in the book that isn't about the rampant adolescent desire to climb to fill an inner hole with something showy. Also "Devils Thumb" about Krakauer's attempt at the norwand of a classic Alaskan spire is a good read, but if you've re...more
From Chamonix to Denali, canyons to peaks, bouldering to being tentbound, you can always count on Jon Into Thin Air Krakauer to weave anything into an enjoyable read. The only reason this book does not get 5 stars from me is because it is too damn short: the essays are over in a flash; before you can chew and suck and savour the juices some more, it has vanished in your mouth. Many of them seem to be raw material for some great books to be written: a fictionalized "Devils Thumb" would make a gre...more
Jon Krakauer is maybe best known for his books Into Thin Air and Into the Wild both of which are stunning films. But his longest career has been as a journalist writing about mountaineering. This collection of essays is relatively early and covers mountaineering adventures from the 1980s. They are reprints of things he wrote for Outside and other publications. If you are familiar with his work, you will find pretty much what you expect in Eiger Dreams. Highly readable prose, well-plotted stories...more
Krakauer has become a favorite. His deviant nature, although not malicious, is attractive because of the dangers represented by counter culture. Ironically, Krakauer and his comrades engage in a culture that is counter not to society, but logic and life. The knife like edge between the crests of mountaintops, and the holds of inverted boulders, periodically and frequently cut away at the fragile life of hundreds of climbers every year. Why you ask? Read a chapter or too, and let the mouth of unr...more
Eiger Dreams is a collection of articles and short stories by adventure author Jon Krakauer. His method of explaining and detailing nearly every aspect of mountaineering is so thorough that you'll feel as though you are on the mountain with him...which is good, because almost none of us will ever actually experience these circumstances. Those who have read Into the Wild will recognize the last chapter of this book, "The Devils Thumb" - Krakauer's account of his solo climb of a 6000 foot granite...more
This book, a collection of twelve mountaineering articles, really was well written. Jon Krakauer is a great writer and story teller, and having loved some other books of his, I thought this would be just as captivating. The fact that it was not is my error, not his. Though I love mountaineering accounts, I would say this book is just meant for people who actually do some climbing themselves. But if you like climbing stories, I'd say it's worth a read regardless- pick it up when you have extra ti...more
Didn't liek the book as much as I *loved* his other books, but then it is a much different book. Rather than being a journalistic venture into particular events and lives, and attempting to draw deeper, introspective truths from them, this is a compilation of essays he wrote from the 80's and 90's that appeared in magazines, when he was first beginning his writing career. The lack of subsequent depth given the limitations of the 2000 word form means that those deeper truths don't appear in the w...more
Even though I love climbing and like Krakuaer's work, I had a hard time getting into Eiger Dreams. The book had a dated feel, which is not surprising since it consists of previously published essays and only one original piece (the material of which is also largely covered in a chapter in the later-published Into The Wild). That said, there is good stuff here. Krakauer presents many interesting characters, some climbers and some not, as well as the harrowing experiences that can be found at the...more
It's hard to pinpoint the genius of Jon's writing. The strong sense of "being there" definitely helps. His climbing stories also seem accessible to non-climbers without boring or condescending to climbers. He transcends narrative, digging into motivations and consequences, without condemning the actors. This collection is a good starting point for his writing (and alpine adventure in general). Even cover-to-cover it's less of a commitment than Into Thin Air, and of course one can always put it d...more
This book is beautifully written, and takes you into the lives of extreme mountain climbing. The author will take you to see the fearless glacier pilots of Alaska, the chic French sport town of Chamonix, the blizzard-scoured West Buttress of Denali, the steep slopes of K2, the frozen waterfalls of Valdez, the sheer north face of the Eiger in Switzerland, and then take you along on a solo attempt up the unclimbed north face of the Devils Thumb in Alaska. The people who are obsessed with climbing...more
Eiger Dreams, a book composed of a collection of magazine articles, showcases Jon Krakauer's not inconsiderable talents as a writer and climber. Krakauer has the knack of writing with great originality. The topics touched upon in this book would be ordinary, almost mundane in the hands of a lesser writer, but Krakauer makes them come alive, whether describing the odd sports of bouldering and canyoneering or writing about unique friends or own climbs. This is a small but satisfying book, a collec...more
I enjoyed this book and its many harrowing tales of mountain climbing. While I can't see what these men and women find so alluring in this sport, I certainly can admire them for putting their lives on the line making these climbs. Mr Krakauer makes the telling of this story of the legends of mountain climbing very interesting and frightening for both these people and the mountains he himself has climbed. This is certainly more than a sport for most. It is more like an addiction and as in most ad...more
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Jon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer, well-known for outdoor and mountain-climbing writing.
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“Most climbers aren't in fact deranged, they're just infected with a particularly virulent strain of the Human Condition.”
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19 people liked it
“One of the differences between us was that Marc wanted very badly to climb the Eiger, while I wanted very badly only to have climbed the Eiger. Marc, understand, is at that age when the pituitary secretes an overabundance of those hormones that mask the subtler emotions, such as fear. He tends to confuse things like life-or-death climbing with fun.”
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1 person liked it
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