|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
05-08-2008, 03:11 PM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: North Central God's Country
Posts: 1,534
|
Do I dare ask for a reasoned recounting of the literary offenses of Jon Krakauer?
Or should I just drop it? Don't get me wrong, I fully realize Krakauer's greatest draw is not his writing, but rather the subject matter he chooses and his sometimes vague relationship with facts. That being said I don't recall anything egregiously anti-mainstream Mormon in "Under the Banner of Heaven."
__________________
I see a hobo. And when I see the hobo, I think to myself, "This man is poor. His monetary value is low, and my monetary value is high, and it's a shame that he is himself. What can I do?" |
05-08-2008, 03:14 PM | #2 |
Assistant to the Regional Manager
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Orgasmatron
Posts: 24,338
|
I'll have to pull my copy out, but he was actually very subtle, yet not so subtle in his blatant misrepresentation of the Church and its culture.
And if you know something about climbing, perhaps you should compare Ed Viesturs No Shortcuts to the Top with Into Thin Air, to see what a hack he is. It is a legitimate question but to give you a reasoned answer will require I go back and look at specific instances to illustrate my point.
__________________
Ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα |
05-08-2008, 03:17 PM | #3 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,368
|
I've already said that is primarily what he chose not to include, as well as broad unfounded conclusions.
|
05-08-2008, 03:19 PM | #4 | |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 144
|
Quote:
|
|
05-08-2008, 03:21 PM | #5 |
Assistant to the Regional Manager
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Orgasmatron
Posts: 24,338
|
I don't know. I grabbed the book while waiting at the airport and found him to be a fascinating figure.
He has a safety first mentality, which has served him well. "Ascending is optional, descending is mandatory." After reading his report, you'll find somebody like Crackhead to be completely sensationalistic and useless.
__________________
Ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα |
05-08-2008, 03:25 PM | #6 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 144
|
I've only walked up a couple >10K feet peaks, but that's the thing that I always think about in climbing--the getting back down when you're completely exhausted. It's not like once you're at the top you get helicoptered off...
|
05-08-2008, 03:23 PM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: North Central God's Country
Posts: 1,534
|
I've read the criticisms of "Into Thin Air" and I have a good friend who just gets livid about the whole premise of "Into the Wild" so I've been thoroughly disabused of the notion that Krakauer is either a good or unbiased writer. But he does know how to pick interesting subject matter which I suppose is half the battle for an author.
As I said in response to you over in the other thread, I didn't see the subtle insults. Then again I'm not a member of your church so maybe it's just ignorance on my part. I have been known to mistake you all for the Amish so I guess it wouldn't be the first time.
__________________
I see a hobo. And when I see the hobo, I think to myself, "This man is poor. His monetary value is low, and my monetary value is high, and it's a shame that he is himself. What can I do?" |
05-08-2008, 03:25 PM | #8 | |
Assistant to the Regional Manager
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Orgasmatron
Posts: 24,338
|
Quote:
__________________
Ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα |
|
05-08-2008, 03:25 PM | #9 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,368
|
I think I would like Krakauer more if he clearly inserted and stated his own biases and interests. We would say "Ok this is his take, and he admits it, and it's as much an exploration of him as it is the subject material he tackles."
Well, this is what he does, but he does not say so, and that's what pisses people off. |
05-08-2008, 03:32 PM | #10 | |
Recruiting Coordinator/Bosom Inspector
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,412
|
Quote:
My honest thought on Krakauer was that I felt he didn't link the events he reference together well to make a point. I tend to think he was purposely vague because he knew the book wasn't well done. From the perspective of just telling a story of a crazy person who killed someone, it was probably fine. But that is not real compelling in our day and age when you can read any newssource and daily get such a story in 298 pages less reading. Hence, to make it more compelling he had to draw an explanation that part of the reason these folks were crazy was their religion. That is hard to accomplish because at that point the author must really have compelling scholarship about the religious sect as well as the individual. I found the argument of the LDS influence in the craziness to be biased and not reflective of reality. Further as has been pointed out he willingly chose to ignore what might have been other perhaps more compelling causes of their craziness than the Mountain Meadows Massacre or polygamy.
__________________
She had a psychiatrist who said because I didn't trust the water system, the school system, the government, I was paranoid," he said. "I had a psychiatrist who said her psychiatrist was stupid." |
|
Bookmarks |
Tags |
jon krakauer, krakauer |
|
|