Into Thin Air recounts the details of an ascent on the main summit of Mt.Everest back in 1996 which ultimately lead to the deaths of a number of amateur climbers and their expedition leaders. Krakauer, the author, was one of the party who happened to be there on the scene of the tragedy (in contrast to his other famous work, Into the Wild).
The book asks all the questions which one would expect in the aftermath of unexpected and tragic death: what exactly happened, who is to blame, why were we so surprised in the wake? The answers to all these kept me feverishly reading, despite the unpoetic prose and the obvious trajectory of the account. However, there is much to appreciate in this engrossing work.
Krakauer powerfully raises many morbid aspects within the human male. His deep insecurity and need for affirmation. His absurd desire for danger and trouble all his days. It just serves to remind one the extent to which the human male will continue to be a ripe specimen for examination. And Krakauer puts us all under the microscope.
