Eiger Dreams

Jon Krakauer fan

Jon Krakauer with narration by Philip Franklin make for a great combo. This is my third audiobook from the pair, and I am once again impressed. Krakauer‘ memory and description of his own adventures combined with his in depth journalism chronicling a variety of extreme outdoor athletes make for an excellent series of stories in Eiger Dreams. This book has left me with a new appreciation of climbing, and as always leaves me itching to embark on my own adventure. Maybe explore Alaska!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

mediocre, uninspiring writing.

this book will definitely not be going in my mountaineering section of books. disposable, magazine level. and next time, get a reader who can pronounce French.

Fantastic writing & awesome narrator

I hadn't read Jon Krakauer in awhile and had forgotten how effortlessly his prose flows. It's so absorbing I actually forget how good the writing is -- which I think is the sign of a true master of language: weaving words that are so spot on they don't call attention to themselves. Nice collection too. The story of the Burgess brothers had me laughing so hard I had to listen to it again.

The narrator was also SUPERB. I often hate it when narrators attempt to use different voices or accents (or worse, genders!) But Philip Franklin not only does various accents and manners of speaking well, he does them subtly enough that it's just enough to set the tone without being distracting. Probably the best narrator I've heard on Audible. (And this is from the late 90's when the production was done for Books on Tape -- hope he's still active!)

GREAT STORIES GREAT PERFORMANCES

the accounts are riveting the author really paints a picture for the reader and the narrator is really good.

Fantastic

This has just become my favorite book. In fact I purchased a hard copy to read when I'm in the back country. I have been a Krakauer fan for a long time and have read a majority of his books. The way that he portrays his adventures humbly intertwined with the adventures of others is unrivaled. 10/10 recommend.

Not Krakauer’s best

A collection of unconnected stories and previously written articles. While informative and entertaining at times, some are also mundane and boring. The better stories are those where the author is writing about his personal experiences.

Adventures in mountaineering

I love the way Jon Krakauer writes! He is an excellent story teller that gathers all of your attention. I know no

Excellent

Well written, funny, harrowing and impeccably narrated tales of adventure in the outdoors from ice climbing to landing tiny planes on glaciers... I loved it.

Great stories of rock climbing and mountain men

If you wondering about climbing or mountaineering its a grwat start. Different stories of classics and traditionalist rwaching the summits and conquering the fear.

Entertaining but Irresponsible Writing

I got the feeling that the writer had an agenda all along. He relays stories without always confirming they are true. They come across as exaggerated and one-sided, which is a shame because it led me to take the whole book with a grain of salt. For example, canyoneering in Mexico and encountering a Mexican village full of men with scars on their faces and rifles slinging from their shoulders? What!? C’mon man, this is coming from a drunken fireside storyteller. Nowhere in Mexico does such a village exist. Or describing Gary Hemming as a tall blonde god with rugged handsome looks. Hemming was a stud, no doubt, but he was also not how the author depicts him.

Apparently the author wrote about the Central Asia Institute in another book without even going to the source, but he did exploit facts to make it entertaining.

Overall, however, the writing itself is pretty good and the reader was very good.

I do wish more adventure writers were more honest, objective, and respectful of the truth. I will not be reading or listening to more books from this author. Thank you for reading.

2 of 4 people found this review helpful