Hello!

I am in need of your collective wisdom.  Has anyone read John Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven?  If you have, can you tell me whether the book is particularly heavy/explicit on physical and/or sexual brutality?  I've really been dying to read it, but my husband, who knows how sensitive I am to vivid descriptions of physical brutality of any kind has been trying to talk me out of it (he hasn't read it). 

What is your take?  Is it very brutal?  And even if it is, is it still such an amazing book that I should put my squeamishness aside?

Thanks so much for your input!

Olga

I read it but it's been so long ago that I can't remember details. ....sorry.   I know I didn't care for most of it and I usually like Krakauer's books. I skimmed a bunch of it.  I do remember that the topic was fascinating but he had a bunch of info that bored me...Hope someone else remembers details..

Thanks for your response, Nicki!  Which books by Krakauer did you like?  I've heard a lot of great things about him and would like to try at least one of his books - it doesn't necessarily have to be Under the Banner of Heaven. 

~Into The Wild~ made me bawl..and ~Into Thin Air ~was fabulous...It's about climbing Mt Everest and it was SO fascinating.  

Thanks so much again, Nicki!  Just ordered Into the Wild! 

This is one of my favorite books. I was wondering through the shelves at local library and the cover is what attracted me then I was crying , laughing and sharing his journeys with my husband and son. I am going to get a keeper copy someday! I hope you enjoy it!

I bought a keeper copy of "Into The Wild".I LOVED that story .The movie was okay but it was just not even close to the book.

Just finished Into the Wild...all I can say is wow.  Oh, and thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you SO MUCH for the recommendation! 

I really enjoyed Under the Banner of Heaven. Parts of it were a little slow, but the story was fascinating. It's been a while since I read it, but as I recall the very beginning is the only really violent part and it's really not that bad at all. Certainly not nightmare provoking.