127 Hours : Between a Rock and a Hard Place

I decided to read this book after seeing the controversial movie. There is a lot of divided opinion about Ralston: some consider him a hero who survived 127 hours in extreme conditions with his arm trapped under a boulder who eventually had to self-amputate to escape the ordeal. Others consider him an irresponsible, arrogant menace who wouldn't have had to cut off his arm in the first place if he'd actually told people where he was going and who is now living off the profits of his own stupidity. Personally, I'm in two minds about the subject: so I decided to read the book.

The first thing I can say is that Ralston clearly isn't a writer. He talks about his previous outdoor climbing and sports experience in such technical detail that it is difficult for the layperson to follow. This doesn't make the book unreadable - you just need to be prepared to concentrate in order to read it.

I also noticed that he sounds extremely arrogant throughout the book. Most of it is taken up with a discussion about everything he has achieved and how amazing it all was. I suspect that this has more to do with his lack of writing experience than a personal flaw. I think he's coming across as arrogant without meaning to and there are other moments in the book when he reflects on past boyish mistakes and expresses deep gratitude for those around him.

His description of being trapped and his mindset at the time is, to say the least, descriptive and this is probably the most interesting part of the book. It was a bit like reading a 'How to survive a boulder pinning your arm' guide and I actually felt as though I learned something: you can create your own rope harness, you can drink your own urine if need be and if you want to cut off your arm with a flimsy knife - break it first. While I could sit through the arm cutting scene in the movie and barely flinch, the description in the book made me cringe - apparently cutting through a tiny nerve in your arm can inflict a whole new level of pain - ouch! Ralston also took photos of his severed arm which are included in the book - now that's dedication to photography.

After reading the book I see Ralston as slightly more hero that villain. He did a stupid thing, but I think we all do that at some point - I'm still in my twenties as Ralston was and I tend to do several stupid things a day. Anyone who survives for that long and cuts off their own arm probably deserves a little fame and fortune. While I felt the book was lacking in many ways (I think I was looking for a bit more detail on Ralston's mindset at the time) it was still readable and a little inspiring. If we had a star rating system I'd give it three stars.

127 Hours : Between a Rock and a Hard Place