Into Thin Air
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Epilogue
Themes
All Themes Danger and Mortality The Natural World Commercialization Individualism and the Group Guilt
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Jon Krakauer Rob Hall Anatoli Boukreev Andy Harris Scott Fischer Beck Weathers Doug Hansen Stuart Hutchinson Yasuko Namba Makalu Gau Deshun Deysel Sandy Hill Pittman
Symbols
All Symbols Mount Everest
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Into Thin Air

by

Jon Krakauer
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Anatoli Boukreev Character Analysis

A Russian climbing guide working for Scott Fischer. At various points in Into Thin Air, Krakauer criticizes Boukreev for what he sees as Boukreev’s overly distant relationship with his clients: instead of paying close attention to the clients, he has a bad habit of climbing ahead, leaving them to fend for themselves. Krakauer further implies that Boukreev’s refusal to hang close behind led some of the clients to blunder into a snowstorm on the night of May 10. However, Krakauer also credits Boukreev with incredible bravery for venturing out into the storm later that night. Boukreev’s behavior remains the subject of much controversy in the mountaineering community—some agree with Krakauer that he was neglectful, while others insist that, by moving at his own pace and conserving energy, he was instrumental in saving clients’ lives, not endangering them.

Anatoli Boukreev Quotes in Into Thin Air

The Into Thin Air quotes below are all either spoken by Anatoli Boukreev or refer to Anatoli Boukreev. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Danger and Mortality Theme Icon
).
Chapter 11 Quotes

"If client cannot climb Everest without big help from guide," Boukreev told me, "this client should not be on Everest. Otherwise there can be big problems up high."

Related Characters: Anatoli Boukreev (speaker), Jon Krakauer
Danger and Mortality Theme Icon
The Natural World Theme Icon
Commercialization Theme Icon
Individualism and the Group Theme Icon
Page Number: 156
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15 Quotes

Boukreev's susceptibility to the cold was doubtless greatly exacerbated by the fact that he wasn't using supplemental oxygen; in the absence of gas he simply couldn't stop to wait for slow clients on the summit ridge without courting frostbite and hypothermia.

Related Characters: Jon Krakauer (speaker), Anatoli Boukreev
Danger and Mortality Theme Icon
The Natural World Theme Icon
Commercialization Theme Icon
Individualism and the Group Theme Icon
Page Number: 219
Explanation and Analysis:
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Anatoli Boukreev Quotes in Into Thin Air

The Into Thin Air quotes below are all either spoken by Anatoli Boukreev or refer to Anatoli Boukreev. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Danger and Mortality Theme Icon
).
Chapter 11 Quotes

"If client cannot climb Everest without big help from guide," Boukreev told me, "this client should not be on Everest. Otherwise there can be big problems up high."

Related Characters: Anatoli Boukreev (speaker), Jon Krakauer
Danger and Mortality Theme Icon
The Natural World Theme Icon
Commercialization Theme Icon
Individualism and the Group Theme Icon
Page Number: 156
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15 Quotes

Boukreev's susceptibility to the cold was doubtless greatly exacerbated by the fact that he wasn't using supplemental oxygen; in the absence of gas he simply couldn't stop to wait for slow clients on the summit ridge without courting frostbite and hypothermia.

Related Characters: Jon Krakauer (speaker), Anatoli Boukreev
Danger and Mortality Theme Icon
The Natural World Theme Icon
Commercialization Theme Icon
Individualism and the Group Theme Icon
Page Number: 219
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+
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