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I bought this book for my son after he saw the movie. Again I always go to amazon when I am in need of a book. I always find it there.
Just like a snake, he had shed his skin. "So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The story begins with the discovery of his dead body in an abandoned bus. To many, Chris could be described as naïve, and his story, depressing.
He had given away everything, the only thing that he held on to from his former life was his name, and by changing that he was now free. From start to finish, I read this book knowing the terrible fate of Chris McCandless. All that Chris had on him when ventured up to into the wilderness of Alaska was a.22 caliber rifle, a ten pound bag of rice, a field guide of edible plants and berries, cheap hiking boots, and the clothes on his back. Krakauer does a fantastic job presenting his research and his own opinions and commentary in this book. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure.
The life he saw ahead of him was going to be untouched by the society that had poisoned his previous one. The feelings that you develop for Chris are extraordinary, and I think that is what makes this book one of my favorites of all time. From the time this young man made set off to the wilderness of Alaska, he became Alexander Supertramp. But the way that Krakauer tells the story gives McCandless a near mythical status. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun." -- Chris McCandless.
This bit of writing from the young man who escaped society really embodies his view on life.Chris had changed his name, burnt all the cash in his wallet, and left all of his possessions behind. He is the man who took his live by the handlebars and did something so bold, that his story could almost come off as fiction.
Just different opinion. Everest Disaster. The writing is first rate as the author takes us on a journey he made trying to understand the mindset of this intense young misguided man. While some may admire McCandless's courage, I can only read this from the aforementioned perch of parenthood. I am not saying he is wrong. I had originally purchased the book back in 1997. Krakuer's work tends to stick with you long after you have finished the book.
My son borrowed it for a while and then it landed at my mother's house where she finished reading it this year. Somehow, it made it back home to my bookcase so I thought I would write a short review (or opinion) before placing it back in its rightful place among the nic-nacs, pictures and family of books. I had enjoyed Jon Krakuer's book Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Throughout the book, I had an extreme sadness for the family that he had left back home. As a parent to five children, I can only imagine the anguish that filled each day of their lives. Therefore, I come away with a different conclusion than the author. I hope you find this opinion helpful.Michael L. Highly recommended for those who enjoy well-versed non-fiction.
Thinking that Into the Wild would be of the same high quality, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that I had made a wise choice. Well written. I have personally known a few young men (and women) that fit into this stubborn idealism. While their thoughts and dreams are noble, they are never quite prepared for that heavy dose of reality that life sometimes rains down on our heads. Properly paced with just the right amount of tangents. Gooch Author of Wingtips with Spurs
From my personal opinion, I usually never liked finding out the conclusion in the beginning of the book. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless.Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter."Although the author, Jon Krakauer, starts off the story with the protagonist, Chris McCandless, who has taken an adventure into Alaska and never returns, Into the Wild is a compelling story that can be read and enjoyed by all ages. McKinley. After all, every kid wishes they could be a free soul and be able to wonder off into the distance. Although, Krakauer had already told me the ending, and there would be no surprise for me at the end, like many books. As a fifteen-year-old, I can completely relate to the feeling of wanting to be out in the wilderness surviving on your instincts.
Krakauer really wants the reader to be able to recount on McCandless' journeys and understand his reasoning behind all of them. It allows the readers to figure out and understand the actions that lead up to the finding of McCandless's body in an abandoned bus in the wilderness. As this is a true story, Krakauer was able to accurately recount the adventures of Chris through talking and hearing of stories by other people who met him along the way. The title, Into the Wild, is extremely fitting for this book, as he just seemingly vanishes into the wild without a trace. "In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. Along with the narrative, Into Thin Air, about an expedition to Everest, Krakauer has a large amount of experience in writing about the dangerous side of the wilderness, a skill that is prominently portrayed in this book. Krakauer has a large amount of experience in the wilderness that is similar to McCandless, and he recounts pieces of his own experiences throughout the Into the Wild.I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about adventures in the wilderness and a story of a boy who wanted to turn his life in a completely different direction.
Every page I found there was a surprise for me. This book caught my attention from the beginning and held my attention until the end, turning every page into an adventure for me. McCandless is ready to endure nature and whatever it throws at him. Krakauer tries to give the readers the conclusion and makes them understand how it happened. But in this example, Krakauer tries to give the conclusion in the beginning to give the reader a feeling of confusion, making the reader want to figure out what happened to this young kid.
He leaves behind his previous life, burns his cash, loses his car, and takes no maps or anything for himself into the wilderness. He wants to be able to rely on his surroundings and be able to survive on nature, rather to rely on material objects for him to be able to survive. It gave me a motivation to find out the events that led up to his death in an abandoned bus in the wilderness, and causing me to read the book in about two sessions.
There is a long chapter on other 'adventurers' who took on challenges that cost them their lives. After reading the book, I felt it was much more a psychological study of the behavior of loners, than it was a book about any compelling adventure. Krakauer spends lots of time interviewing those who could give insight into Chris's psyche. But what wasn't there, was a compelling or dramatic story that could drive a narrative.
You'll also read about others, who, like Chris, struck out on their own to challenge themselves against nature. For those who are really intrigued by what happened to Chris (the young man who died in Alaska) and want to understand his motivations, the book may be worthwhile. There is information about plant toxicity and speculation about what might (or might not have) caused Chris to become so weak. So, if you're looking for a gripping narrative based on a compelling true story. In addition, it seemed to me that much of the book was a digression.
There is even a chapter about his parents going to the bus where Chris died and looking over the site. look elsewhere. You'll read about Chris as a kid, his family, his relationship with his father and his sister, impressions of Chris from those he met while vagabonding across the US, etc. Chris just went into the wild, got in over his head, had no backup plan (by design) and paid with his life for his passion to be apart from people. I had the strong impression that Krakauer was adding filler to have enough material to make a book out of the magazine article he wrote for Outside Magazine.
For example, there are long quotes from various authors at the beginning of each chapter. Sad, perhaps interesting as a psychological study, but not particularly compelling otherwise.
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