This week's review is inspired by my husband's literary tastes! He turned me on to Endurance by Alfred Lansing after reading the audiobook and enjoying it himself, and I'm glad he did. I'm not often one for non-fiction stories, especially historical ones, but this is a notable exception. Let's talk about Endurance!
The Gist
Endurance is a depiction of the roughly 3-year expedition of Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 28 men (and a stowaway who sorely regretted this decision) to cross the continent of Antarctica. When their ship "Endurance" gets trapped in ice, the crew must take a perilous journey through impossible conditions in order to return home.
The Take
It is vital to remember that Endurance is a non-fiction story, because some of the events in Shackleton's crew's journey are downright bananas. Imagine trying to sleep on a floating block of ice, first of all, and then add to that a possibility that the ice underneath you could crack in two and take you down into the icy waters of the Antarctic shore. This is one of many examples of the terrors the "Endurance" crew faced as they tried to make their way to safety. These men faced the possibility of death every day, and they persevered as a unit in order to see each other safely home. It is an inspiration to read about all of these impossible challenges they tackled together while still retaining their humanity and camaraderie.
I appreciated Lansing's inclusion of scenes throughout the story that showcase the crew's individual personalities. While these are real people, lesser biographers might fail to include the various pranks the crewmates played on one another, or the mock trials they performed while stuck on the ship, to drive home their humanity. Lansing manages to highlight the individuality of the men, in conjunction with their group dynamic, in order to endear and connect them to the reader. I felt more invested in their journey because I felt like I knew who they were, not just what they did. And in a story filled with acts of bravery and hardship, I appreciated all the more knowing them as people first.
Lansing's tone throughout the story was brilliant as well. Too easily and often, these stories are told with melodrama that causes parody of the journey. Instead, Lansing's writing was straightforward and just detailed enough to bring the reader into the environment. In one scene, a man has to have his gangrenous foot amputated, which in itself is a pretty dramatic event. Rather than ramping up the emotional descriptions and drenching the scene with sap, Lansing straightforwardly describes the procedure. I appreciated the restraint in prose, because the stark writing made the perilous moments feel all the more dire. This is the type of story where Lansing will use the word "endurance" in all of its meanings and it doesn't come across as cheesy, because enduring is exactly what they did. The ship's name is nothing less than divine providence.
I have read inspirational stories before, the most extreme being Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins, but Endurance is the one I will be recommending above all. I mostly read the audiobook in the gym, all the while telling myself that a set of deadlifts is nothing compared to sitting still on a boat for so long that you develop an abscess in your butt. These men never gave up in the most inhospitable region on Earth, so I don't have an excuse to give up either. It's also a story that will make you feel gratitude for the sturdy shelter and readily available food in your daily life, because these men ate seals and eventually their sled dogs to survive, then camped down in soggy sleeping bags. And amazingly, they never gave up, and their perseverance paid off.
I usually struggle to connect with historical reading; it's an Achilles heel I recognize in myself. Endurance is a marked exception from my limitations because of the deft hand Lansing put to the story. I stressed and cheered in turn every time Shackleton's crew faced and overcame a new obstacle, and felt true relief once their rescue had been secured. I recommend you check out Endurance and let me know how it inspires you, too.
Rating: 8/10
Memorable Moments
The description of the ice crushing the ship is haunting.
At one point, the crew has to use ice in place of toilet paper. I will never complain about generic TP again.
The moment of total relief when Shackleton's trio make it to Stromness is palpable.
Try It If...
You enjoy true stories of adventure and overcoming hardship.
You feel compelled to delve more into non-fiction.
You are looking for inspiration to motivate you.
Avoid It If...
You want to avoid descriptions of injury or illness, including amputation.
Non-fiction is not a genre you read.
Shipwrecks and/or ice scare you.
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