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Magnus
Magnus Midtbø fra Bergen er Norges beste sportsklatrer gjennom tidene og verdens største klatre-YouTuber, med over én million følgere. I denne boka forteller han om oppveksten sin, opp- og nedturene, og om hvordan han lyktes med å bli en suksessfull YouTuber.
- GenresBiography
277 pages, Hardcover
Published December 15, 2021
7 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Thor Gotaas
36 books17 followersThor Gotaas er en norsk folklorist og forfatter og skriver kulturhistoriske bøker med folkloristisk vinkling.
Gotaas er særlig opptatt av outsiderne i samfunnet, og også de som beveger seg mer enn vanlig, enten det gjelder som levemåte eller på fritiden. Gotaas gransker det seriøse og det kuriøse i folkelig kultur, og kombinerer detaljstudier med lange linjer for søke ny historisk innsikt.
Som folkeminnegransker er han spesielt interessert i mentalitetshistorie og skiftende holdninger, enten det er historisk, geografisk eller sosialt. Forfatterskapet omhandler emner som idrettshistorie, særlig skihistorie, vagabonder og taterfolket.
Han er cand.philol. fra Universitetet i Oslo med hovedoppgaven Holdninger til tatere sett i historisk perspektiv i 1993.
Gotaas har holdt flere hundre foredrag og kåserier de siste ti årene i mange ulike sammenhenger. Han har også gitt stemme til elleve radioserier om sitt eget bokstoff, som blant annet har gått på Norgesglasset i NRK P1. Boka "Løping. En verdenshistorie" er foreløpig oversatt til svensk, engelsk, russisk, nederlandsk, italiensk, amharisk, tysk, japansk, arabisk og koreansk. Den er under oversettelse til finsk, tyrkisk og portugusisk. En kinesisk utgave er utsatt som følge av Nobelpristildelingen 2010.
Gotaas er særlig opptatt av outsiderne i samfunnet, og også de som beveger seg mer enn vanlig, enten det gjelder som levemåte eller på fritiden. Gotaas gransker det seriøse og det kuriøse i folkelig kultur, og kombinerer detaljstudier med lange linjer for søke ny historisk innsikt.
Som folkeminnegransker er han spesielt interessert i mentalitetshistorie og skiftende holdninger, enten det er historisk, geografisk eller sosialt. Forfatterskapet omhandler emner som idrettshistorie, særlig skihistorie, vagabonder og taterfolket.
Han er cand.philol. fra Universitetet i Oslo med hovedoppgaven Holdninger til tatere sett i historisk perspektiv i 1993.
Gotaas har holdt flere hundre foredrag og kåserier de siste ti årene i mange ulike sammenhenger. Han har også gitt stemme til elleve radioserier om sitt eget bokstoff, som blant annet har gått på Norgesglasset i NRK P1. Boka "Løping. En verdenshistorie" er foreløpig oversatt til svensk, engelsk, russisk, nederlandsk, italiensk, amharisk, tysk, japansk, arabisk og koreansk. Den er under oversettelse til finsk, tyrkisk og portugusisk. En kinesisk utgave er utsatt som følge av Nobelpristildelingen 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 21, 2022
It has become common today for athletes (or other celebrities) to become relevant through reality, and then get contacted by a journalist, wanting to write a book.
And in this case, I think Thor Gotaas has inhibited what this book could be. It is oversimplisticly written, in addition to having weird statements such as (paracited) "Young men has so much testosteron in that age" as an explanation for Magnus' amount of training.
Sadly, such shallow writing combs over Midtbø's themes- eating disorders, problems with confidence, love and so on. In other words, the themes lay up to deep reflection, however the writing often just stop.
And in this case, I think Thor Gotaas has inhibited what this book could be. It is oversimplisticly written, in addition to having weird statements such as (paracited) "Young men has so much testosteron in that age" as an explanation for Magnus' amount of training.
Sadly, such shallow writing combs over Midtbø's themes- eating disorders, problems with confidence, love and so on. In other words, the themes lay up to deep reflection, however the writing often just stop.
March 27, 2022
As a fan of Magnus and his climbing videos on Youtube, I was very interested in reading his biography. However, while the afterword by Gotaas mentions revealing "the actual story behind Magnus", it constantly feels as though it is only scratching the surface and can give the impression of just a list of events and accomplishments.
The topics of eating disorders, passion for finding something you feel you were born to do, love, how different climbers handle competitive climbing vs. traditional climbing, and moving on from the competitive scene and into future endeavours seemed to be of vital importance throughout the book, however, they ended abruptly at parts. Leaving me disappointed that they were not explored in more detail.
I think that the book does keep you entertained, especially in the latter half, and never had me feeling frustrated enough at the lack of depth to put the book down, but it definitely left me wanting more. If I were to consider this book as supplementary information to Magnus' own videos on Youtube, then I think I could rate this higher, however, as a standalone biography I am not so sure.
5/10
The topics of eating disorders, passion for finding something you feel you were born to do, love, how different climbers handle competitive climbing vs. traditional climbing, and moving on from the competitive scene and into future endeavours seemed to be of vital importance throughout the book, however, they ended abruptly at parts. Leaving me disappointed that they were not explored in more detail.
I think that the book does keep you entertained, especially in the latter half, and never had me feeling frustrated enough at the lack of depth to put the book down, but it definitely left me wanting more. If I were to consider this book as supplementary information to Magnus' own videos on Youtube, then I think I could rate this higher, however, as a standalone biography I am not so sure.
5/10
November 6, 2025
Lettlest og interessant, men ikke særlig godt skrevet.
January 5, 2024
Hadde litt forhåpninger, men skuffa. Boka går lite i dybden og framstår som oftest som oppramsing av hendelser i semi-kronologisk rekkefølge.
July 26, 2022
First want to say, I've been a fan of Magnus for a while from his YouTube channel, and pre-ordered a signed copy of this book, so this review is certainly coming from the lens of a supporter.
As some other reviews have mentioned, the book likely could have used an additional proof read or two, at least in the English edition. I know that Magnus' first language is not English so I'm not sure if this was originally written in another language and translated, but there are a few grammatical errors throughout the book, and phrases worded in a way that sound strange to a native English speaker. Some of the layout and structure also seemed strange in a couple of places, where the story seemed to jump between topics that didn't seem quite connected.
That being said, I really enjoyed reading the book, and overall found that it gave an interesting insight into some of the things that Magnus went through. Magnus certainly seemed to open up about some very personal struggles and events that he went through while trying to be in the climbing world, and a lot of the problems faced by climbers everywhere. Being from North America it was also interesting to read about some of the differences growing up in his home country and exploring the surrounding countries, since that's fairly unique to my own experiences.
The images, printed in full colour throughout the book, were incredible to see and helped to go along with a lot of the stories by providing a reference for the climbs that are being discussed.
If you are interested in Magnus or in the world of competitive climbing and some of the struggles associated with that I think this is a worthwhile read.
As some other reviews have mentioned, the book likely could have used an additional proof read or two, at least in the English edition. I know that Magnus' first language is not English so I'm not sure if this was originally written in another language and translated, but there are a few grammatical errors throughout the book, and phrases worded in a way that sound strange to a native English speaker. Some of the layout and structure also seemed strange in a couple of places, where the story seemed to jump between topics that didn't seem quite connected.
That being said, I really enjoyed reading the book, and overall found that it gave an interesting insight into some of the things that Magnus went through. Magnus certainly seemed to open up about some very personal struggles and events that he went through while trying to be in the climbing world, and a lot of the problems faced by climbers everywhere. Being from North America it was also interesting to read about some of the differences growing up in his home country and exploring the surrounding countries, since that's fairly unique to my own experiences.
The images, printed in full colour throughout the book, were incredible to see and helped to go along with a lot of the stories by providing a reference for the climbs that are being discussed.
If you are interested in Magnus or in the world of competitive climbing and some of the struggles associated with that I think this is a worthwhile read.
May 28, 2022
2,5
Lettlest, og -fordøyelig for interesserte.
Imponerende bilder. Men sitter mer igjen en følelse av og ha lest et resymé enn en biografi.
TGs penn meget synlig, men gjør teksten kanskje litt for overfladisk der det gjelder, periodene med sulting, følelsene i duppene og toppene.
Likefullt imponerende dedikasjon fra tidlig alder, og disiplin. Og et veivalg om å satse. Det er nettopp derfor det er dumt jeg ikke opplever komme _helt_ innpå Magnus.
Lettlest, og -fordøyelig for interesserte.
Imponerende bilder. Men sitter mer igjen en følelse av og ha lest et resymé enn en biografi.
TGs penn meget synlig, men gjør teksten kanskje litt for overfladisk der det gjelder, periodene med sulting, følelsene i duppene og toppene.
Likefullt imponerende dedikasjon fra tidlig alder, og disiplin. Og et veivalg om å satse. Det er nettopp derfor det er dumt jeg ikke opplever komme _helt_ innpå Magnus.
July 7, 2022
I like Magnus a lot and appreciate the popularity he has generated in the sport of climbing. However, this book is rife with grammatical errors and really could have used a proof read or two. Were those corrected this book would still fall short of other climbing biographies in substance and revelation.
March 9, 2026
A brief overview of Magnus Mitbo’s life as a professional climber. A good weekend read for those who enjoy his YouTube Channel and are eager to learn more about the man in front of the camera. Feels like the biography only really scratched the surface and I think the book would’ve been better if he had left his biography for another 10 years down the track. 2.5/5 stars from me.
September 24, 2022
Loved reading this! So much insight from his past that doesn't get revealed through his (Magnus') YouTube channel. My favorite thing is that you can totally read this with his voice in mind. Same, simple vocabulary used, and feels like he's speaking the book. Super easy, fun and fast read.
May 27, 2024
Interesting look into background of Magnus MidtbØ. A good part of the book you'll know from his videos, but there are many parts which come as a nice revelation of Magnus a human, not just a YouTube edit. Liked it!
February 6, 2026
I’m a big fan of Magnus and love climbing. I also enjoy Thor Gotaas’s work. However, I found this book boring; it just glosses over Magnus’s career without adding anything new or diving into the interesting details.
May 12, 2022
climb more, eat more, and snus less. got it.
November 28, 2022
Lettlest og grei underholdning, men heller ikke så mye mer.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews