IT TOOK OVER A YEAR. BUT. I. FINISHED THIS. FINALLY. 4.01 stars

6 stars. One of the most charming books I have ever read. I can’t recount how many times I found myself laughing out loud or holding my breath in anticipation. Kon Tiki is a true story of a group of 6 men who sail from Peru across the Pacific Ocean on a balsa raft made in traditional Polynesian design in search of truth; how were the Polynesian islands populated? Although English is not the author’s native language, he is a natural storyteller and his descriptions of events is anything but dry— his words are vibrant, lively, colorful, animated... Your own surroundings slip away and suddenly you can see, hear, taste, and feel the salty sea. Marvelous.

[A classic travel or journey narrative, fiction or non-fiction]

Considering that travel or journey narratives are not my cup of tea, I found myself surprisingly engaged with Thor Heyerdahl's recount of his adventures on the sea. At times, it was even difficult to believe that it is not fiction, it really happened. From the conception of the idea to cross the Pacific in a raft till reaching one of the islands in Polynesia, it's an amazing story of man's persistence and endurance in the face of difficulties. In the beginning, the story basically read along the lines 'if something can go wrong, it will'. As the six men set out to cross the ocean on a single raft, the author spoils the reader not only with the recount of everyday life on the sea but also insights into the history and culture of different nations and places. It's well written with a healthy dose of humor and suspense to make you want to read on. All my fears of not being able to finish the book because I'll find it too boring were totally unfounded and dismissed. Finally, I could not help but compare my own experience at sea this summer with some of the situations our main heroes were having on board of Kon-Tiki. It was in no way comparable, but it did bring back nice memories.

What a riveting story! Is it possible that primitive people used to cross the ocean from Peru to the Polynesian islands? 6 men set out on a raft, simply crafted as the Polynesians would have used, to find out. I cannot imagine being out in the ocean on a raft for over 3 months with all the dangers they ran into but I couldn't stop reading. They're far braver than I.

I found it to be perfect for times when I might be interrupted in the middle of reading, because it doesn't have a suspenseful plot you are dying to get back to every time you put it down, yet each moment manages to be fascinating nonetheless. It's a mixture of high drama and naturalism and historical theorizing. I don't know how politically correct it is considered these days, but it seemed respectful to me. 4 stars because I did manage to forget about it for a long time before I picked it back up again, but I was left feeling so satisfied in the end that I nearly gave it 5 stars. It is a very nice book and I enjoyed it every time I read a passage.

Read this one in high school also, and still think of it occasionally.

Dreaming of lying on the beach drinking coconuts on a tropical island

Solid read aloud with the Husband. One more towards our “1000 Books to Read Before You Die” list. Some of the language is dated in how it talks about people from other cultures. But mostly it’s an amazing, true story about 6 Norwegians, a balsa wood raft, and the vast ocean.

Two of my teens have read it —one for his geography class and the other just for fun because he likes ocean and exploration books— and liked it as well.

This is what is meant by “Epic”