An exciting, fresh, and viciously enjoyable book

I thought I was going to get a super-technical and edgy climbing book, and was a bit skeptical when I began listening.

After a listening to a few chapters, this quickly became one of my all-time favorite mountaineering books. Mark has a way of explaining his thoughts and actions that really connects with the audience, which is rare for this genre.

I particularly loved how uncompromising this book is in its focus. The chapters are each the unfiltered author's version of articles, so they can be read in any order. They're ordered chronologically, and are also accompanied with additional author's notes. These notes act as a retrospective, and offer some new explanations and insights.

The sense of danger reminded me a bit of the passages from Savage Arena by Joe Tasker, but far more sustained. This guy has put himself in some unbelievably dangerous situations. It's rare we get to hear much from someone like this - so many of them went home to the Alps, Himalaya, or Karakoram before they were done.

The narrator has some mispronunciations with YDS grades ("5 point one one b") and place names (Nanga Parbat is one of the hardest place names for me to say, to be fair), which can be a turn off at times. He otherwise does a great job, and I really recommend this book. Lots of fun, lots of adrenaline, and an incredible amount of content packed into this book.

4 people found this helpful

Truth, taken black, no sugar

I am not part of Mark's scene as he puts it. I carry different demands (thankfully) but I really appreciate his naked honesty. This is the first audiobook that has pointed out my ethical and morel concessions for the sake of being PC or getting along. This ultimately has let down my community and myself, both in the mountains and outside of them. Listing too much of this book has made me uncomfortable and left me angry at myself but in a way that has invigorated a return to stronger ethics and less passivity. This is the only audiobook I have listened to twice in a row. I have refrained from listening a 3rd time. Time to act. I'll come back in a year and see how uncomfortable I still feel.
Thanks Mark

2 people found this helpful

Provocative

I read Extreme Alpinism (also by Twight) nearly every day for a year when it first came out. It really impacted my world view.
For whatever reason, it took me 15 years to get around to reading Kiss or Kill.
The writing is inspiring, abrasive, funny and sad. If you are in a place in life where you are trying to expand personal boundaries or limitations, this is a good read.
The narrator does a good job of catching the cadence and attitude of the writing, but struggles with pronunciation on climbing terms and gear names.

2 people found this helpful

Narrator needs to do his research.

It really bother sne when a "professional" book reader can't be bothered to do a bit of research on how to pronounce the names of places and people that are repeatedly mentioned in the book. I know. I'm being picky. But it really detracts from the story when you're spending an entire minute thinking of how ridiculous it sounded.

1 person found this helpful

The narrator ruins fabulous stories

How is it possible that someone with zero context was allowed to narrate a story that has such specific terminology and dialogue. Excellent book But WTF? Narrator just plain detracts from the experience. What a shame

it's definitely about climbing

Sometimes it is painful when the grades are read out loud but otherwise a good way to get through Twight's bad attitude and bragging. Crucial Alpine history doesn't always have likable characters so be sure to not clutch your pearls...

Take It or Leave It

If you have the same inner corrosion as Mark Twight, this is a philosophical piece.

Probably

This is probably a pretty good book being that Mark is a world class climber. I just couldn't stay interested in the book. The narrating through me off.

What I think of this book?

What I think of this book? What I really think of this book?
Messed up!

The Worst Narration Possible

The storyline is generally overinflated and conceited. Twight had never been an important climber, but he suffers, like most other American climbers, from an accurate form of inferiority complex in exposure to the achievements of European alpinists. It is an underwhelming story, but what makes it truly abhorrent and intolerable is the utterly dreadful, repugnant, and nauseating narration. There are many awful narrators in the world of audiobooks, but this one is the indisputable king of all these agents of horror.