Into the Wild

Described by friends and relatives as smart, literate, compassionate and funny, did McCandless simply read too much Thoreau and Jack London and lose sight of the dangers of heading into the wilderness alone? Krakauer, whose own adventures have taken him to the perilous heights of Everest, provides some answers by exploring the pull the outdoors, seductive yet often dangerous, has had on his own life. --Amazon.com

Reader Reviews:

Starving to death was a small price to pay for such freedom (0/0 people found this helpful)

What might motivate someone to cut all ties with their family, to give away all of their money to charity, dispose of their belongings and adopt a life on the road? In this day and age our possessions and vocations end up owning us, so it comes as somewhat of a shock to the system to see that a young and intelligent man would decide to dispose of the normal trappings of life. McCandless is infamous for having starved to death in the Alaskan wilderness, though the book looks at what brought him there.

In fact McCandless had spent a year or more on the road, moving from place to place throughout western and northern USA, holding down some basic jobs for a short time before moving on, seeming to all as though he were just one more drifter passing through. Though the book delicately looks at the young mans travels and examines the thoughts of McCandless as they are relayed through photographs and the accounts of the people he encountered along the way.

We find it so strange to think that somebody could turn their back on the trapping of society and seek to do nothing more than to travel around without the normal worries we all carry. Whilst I started the book knowing this young man starved to death, I could not help but feel that McCandless was doing something that many people do not have the courage for. A wonderful if somewhat sad read.

Not bad (1/1 people found this helpful)

This is a fascinating story. However the bias which the author shows virtually from page one became a bit irksome. I felt that too often he gave McCandless the benefit of the doubt, and it seemed like an exercise in proving his own theory rather than really examining the facts. And unfortunately there wasn't enough real information to create a book of this length. But worth a read.

Into the Wild (0/0 people found this helpful)

This is another gripping and highly readable book from Jon Krakauer. It looks at the life and travels of Chris McCandless as he gave up his ties to conventional society and sought a life unfettered and based on his love of the wilderness and nature. This book is interspersed with stories of other people who have gone off and sought that closer connection with nature, including one of the authors own. You can't help but admire Chris in this book, but also despair at some of his attitudes and lack of preparation. This has some wonderful quotes to begin each chapter and tells this intriguing story in a way that honours Chris' memory and ideals, whilst being completely absorbing at the same time. Well worth a read.

Krakauer is a wonderful writer (3/6 people found this helpful)

Krakauer is a wonderful writer - His style is similar to Tino Georgiou. I've just blown through this book as well as The Fates (Tino's novel), and for me - their writing is the kind of stuff that makes for late nights and tired workdays. I can't pay him a higher compliment. This one was a bit different than his other efforts in that Krakuer plays more the role of detective/sociologist rather than an an insightful expedition biographer. However, the story was as rivetting and perhaps even more powerful. I'm anxiously awaiting his next one! Also, if you're one of the few who missed Tino's masterpiece, go and get yourself a copy.

A decent narration. (6/7 people found this helpful)

Despite one's views on McCandless and his actions, Krakauer has produced a compelling read. I think what the reader will take from it will depend on the reader's own perception and experience. William Friedkin once said of "The Exorcist" - "If you believe that the world is evil place, then you'll see the film as evil" and I think that this work will fit with that.

Krakauer's style is easy enough and well structured. His investigations are competent and the story flows nicely, retracing McCandless as he winds up in Alaska. One minor criticism is that I didn't need Krakauer to write about his own experience. One is tempted to think that instead of doing justice to the subject material, Krakauer is just using McCandless to exemplify his own experiences. Besides, I felt that this tangent stopped the flow completely. Here we are about to step into the wilderness with McCandless.....and suddenly we take a break and instead read about Krakauer's own bout of ill-founded wanderlust in his younger days.

However, I think that the author does an admirable job of remaining on the fence. While there are times where he clearly has some sympathy for McCandless, he balances that with plenty of input for the ones who castigated the boy after his death. Whatever your views on McCandless' actions, I'm sure any outdoorsy reader will find something with which he can relate to and derive some enjoyment from the narration. I find 4 stars slightly flattering, but it's better than 3, so let's give the author the benefit of an extra half-star

Jon Krakauer

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