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tidoublegarrr's review against another edition
5.0
This story is aptly named and miraculous: how these Uruguayan rugby team boys survived a plane crash, a severe avalanche, below zero temperatures, starvation, and scaling the Andes mountains to get home. I can't believe I didn't know about this story until recently. Nando Parrado is one of the boys who climbed out to save himself and his teammates. He is very humble in spite of his clear heroics and courage, and was a driving force to get out of the mountains because he was determined to get back to his father. The writing is beautiful and so is the love he had for his father, family, and teammates. You feel everything that Nando felt and he is thorough and candid, and even includes his flaws. I appreciated him taking a look at the spiritual side and the discussions he had with his teammates while stranded. He doesn't sugar coat any part of their horrible ordeal. And I don't judge them at all...they did what they had to to survive.
haloblues's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
3.5
Several years ago, I developed a special interest in the Andes crash, but for some reason I never sought out this book despite watching the movie and some documentaries. Perhaps I didn't yet know that Goodreads existed.
Either way, when I saw this, I decided to dive back into this disaster for old times' sake, and it's just as staggering to take in as it was originally. Nando shows courage, compassion, and self-awareness throughout, and it speaks well of him that he defends those spoken of poorly in initial accounts now that he can view their actions and behaviours through an older, retrospective lens.
Either way, when I saw this, I decided to dive back into this disaster for old times' sake, and it's just as staggering to take in as it was originally. Nando shows courage, compassion, and self-awareness throughout, and it speaks well of him that he defends those spoken of poorly in initial accounts now that he can view their actions and behaviours through an older, retrospective lens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gore and Injury/Injury detail
djmolls's review against another edition
4.0
What humans are capable of surviving and moving on from is truly incredible and inspiring. The survival journey was captivating, but admittedly skimmed over parts that’s weren’t. 4/5
leakaroo's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. This tragedy is so unreal and horrific, and to read Nando's recount was truly an experience.
I watched 'Society of the Snow' a few months ago and have been fascinated by this event since then. In terms of whether you should read this book or watch 'society of the snow', I personally just enjoyed the pacing and layout of 'society of the snow' more, but would still encourage you to check this out because it's written by Nando himself and it has a lot of insightful passages about his inner thoughts during/after the 72 days.
Nando writes with full love and respect for his fellow survivors and for the people who died on the Andes. Especially love the way he wrote about Roberto Canessa, his trek partner- it was funny and provided a change of pace/emotions while reading. You can definitely tell they are friends from the way he speaks about Canessa. I started bawling when they all got saved and were hugging each other and when he finally got reunited with his dad. The epilogue was an appreciated extra touch; pages of Nando just gushing his admirations for his teammates and where they ended up in life. I loved the conclusions he came to about this event, relating to his religious beliefs and also his beliefs for why they had to go through all of that.
Writing just needed to be a bit more succinct as it felt drawn out sometimes. Recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a little cry and also appreciate their life more.
I watched 'Society of the Snow' a few months ago and have been fascinated by this event since then. In terms of whether you should read this book or watch 'society of the snow', I personally just enjoyed the pacing and layout of 'society of the snow' more, but would still encourage you to check this out because it's written by Nando himself and it has a lot of insightful passages about his inner thoughts during/after the 72 days.
Nando writes with full love and respect for his fellow survivors and for the people who died on the Andes. Especially love the way he wrote about Roberto Canessa, his trek partner- it was funny and provided a change of pace/emotions while reading. You can definitely tell they are friends from the way he speaks about Canessa. I started bawling when they all got saved and were hugging each other and when he finally got reunited with his dad. The epilogue was an appreciated extra touch; pages of Nando just gushing his admirations for his teammates and where they ended up in life. I loved the conclusions he came to about this event, relating to his religious beliefs and also his beliefs for why they had to go through all of that.
Writing just needed to be a bit more succinct as it felt drawn out sometimes. Recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a little cry and also appreciate their life more.
camreading's review against another edition
5.0
The way Nando writes about the dead, the survivors, and everyone he meets after the crash with such compassion and grace is so outstanding. You can feel his reverence for everyone he endured with, and see just how observant and careful he is/was even in moments when it would be more than reasonable not to be. He has taken his suffering, and from it, built a life full of love. I think I cried for the last 30 pages.
“I know I will die. And I know the only sane response to such a horror is to love.”
“I know I will die. And I know the only sane response to such a horror is to love.”
nickscoby's review against another edition
4.0
I had no sincere interest in this book, mainly because I'd seen parts of that 1993 movie with Ethan Hawke and it was so incredibly corny and cheesy, I assumed that the book from which it was based was the same. Thankfully, I was wrong. In the early chapters, I did roll my eyes because I thought it was going to be nearly 300 pages of just how good the Irish Catholics are. Or that somehow rugby served as a metaphor for this tragic expedition. Parrado does go there but thankfully, the book explores other, reacher themes that are more philosophical. Somewhere between chapters 8 and 9, I was totally hooked and breathless. Although I knew, rationally, that the author survived, while reading I kept wondering HOW????
In all the book offers a great meditation about the value of life and one's place in the universe. I work at a Jesuit university, and I think this would make a great read for college students.
In all the book offers a great meditation about the value of life and one's place in the universe. I work at a Jesuit university, and I think this would make a great read for college students.
cozylittlebrownhouse's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the most powerful books I have read in a long time. I saw the movie Alive several years ago and the story of the rugby team stranded high in the Andes haunted me. I couldn't believe what they endured and how some survived. I know there are different books out there on this subject, but I think the first-person narrative of survivor Nando Parrado will probably be the best one I read, although he does give a great deal of credit to the book version of Alive. His powerful words affect you in ways I cannot describe; the photographs he took with a camera they found in the tail of the plane will remain in your memory when you close your eyes at night after reading this book. Not for the faint of heart, but the ultimate tale of survival. Out of the 45 passengers on the doomed plane, only 16 made it through the 72 days in the Andes.
book_concierge's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! I read "Alive" when it was first published, but was not prepared for how viscerally I would respond to THIS memoir. Parrado lays bare his soul in describing his (and his teammates) ordeal.
nderiley's review against another edition
4.0
The movie, Alive, was seared into my memory after watching it as a child, so I was intrigued about this first person narrative of the event. Nando tells the story in a compelling and empathetic way and really draws you into the story. A great read.