A review by sam8834
Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free, by Hector Tobar
4.0
I'm not a huge fan of more accessible non-fiction, but this was an engaging account of a story that was quite globally captivating when it happened. There are many angles of the story to explore: the psychological effects being trapped has on an individual (and how individuals respond to it so differently); the group dynamic resulting from being confined in a small space with others; and the stories of the miners' families and friends, camped out at the mine waiting for them to be rescued. This book also brings to light many things that were mis-reported about some of the miners, and it was interesting to see how information was being relayed to (or, in some cases, taken by) the media.
Some criticisms. Photos and diagrams would have helped showcase the story, especially for readers like myself who don't have much knowledge about mines and what they look like. The author does include dimensions of a lot of the spaces they're trapped in, but some kind of visual representation would have aided readers in imagining the scene better.
Overall, it's a triumphant story worth telling, and Tobar does his best to cover all the angles and sort the truth out from what was reported at the time.
Some criticisms. Photos and diagrams would have helped showcase the story, especially for readers like myself who don't have much knowledge about mines and what they look like. The author does include dimensions of a lot of the spaces they're trapped in, but some kind of visual representation would have aided readers in imagining the scene better.
Overall, it's a triumphant story worth telling, and Tobar does his best to cover all the angles and sort the truth out from what was reported at the time.