"A lake of blood" (Metaphor)
This metaphor is used to describe the state in which Allen Lafferty found Brenda's body; because Brenda's throat had been slit, a large pool of blood surrounded her corpse. The author expresses the sheer amount of blood by comparing it to a lake.
"In any case, like a movie that is panned by New York critics yet goes on to become a huge blockbuster in the hinterlands, the tremendous popularity of The Book of Mormon makes it impossible to dismiss." (Simile)
In this simile, Krakauer compares The Book of Mormon's popular success despite having little scholarly or historical legitimacy to popular films derided by critics but beloved by audiences.
