Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't stop reading! Arghhh!
Review: Great book! Krakauer writes well and lays the story out well. Keeps you interested from the start yet finalizes with a bang. Skip the 2 middle chapters about related people's similiar tales as well as the story of his climb in Alaska - these just cause too much of a pause between the action. I was not sure if I would like it as I read Into Thin Air to learn about Everest but his writing is so good I had to try this. Keep a dictionary handy - you will learn a few new words.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, subtle, and unforgettable
Review: "Into the Wild" is one of the most unusual and powerful books I have ever read. Krakauer tells the story of Chris McCandless very skillfully, in haunting, mesmerizing prose. Krakauer's themes are grand, but he makes his points with great subtlety and understatement. Some readers have failed to understand what he is up to, but those who are perceptive will get it. Some readers, for instance, apparently didn't understand why Krakauer included two chapters about his own solo Alaskan adventure, which he undertook when he was the same age as McCandless. But Krakauer's inclusion of these chapters is absolutely essential to the book's success. Far from being "filler," these chapters explain (albeit between the lines) why Krakauer was so obsessed with the tragedy of ChrisMcCandless, and shed a great amount of (indirect)light on McCandless's motivations. The writing techniques and structural strategies Krakauer employs in this book are quite sophisticated and somewhat risky, and will no doubt pass over the heads of some readers, but I think the risks Krakauer took are worth it, and the book succeeds brilliantly when all is said and done. "Into the Wild" will one day be recognized as one of the classics of twentieth century American literature. If you read it, I guarantee it will get under your skin. You will not be able to stop thinking about Chris McCandless.
Rating: 
Summary: Senior Term Paper in Disguise
Review: This book might have gotten an A as a highschool term paper which is how it reads. It was one of my least favorite books of the year. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, so I don't have any objections to Krakauer's take on Chris McCandless. My problem with the book was that the writing was so obvious and clumsy.
Rating: 
Summary: this book takes you on an adventure and is a wonderful read
Review: I was drawn into this book from the start and didnt put it down until it was finished. If you have ever wondered what life would be like with no strings attatched then this book is for you.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing and awe-inspiring
Review: I agree with other readers that this book would have been better served had the author not included as much material about his own exploits. Having said that, this is a very well written book which was hard to put down, and even harder to forget. I feel Chris McCandless is very misunderstood by some Alaskans and many readers of this story. I believe Chris knew fully the risk he was taking when he ventured west of Atlanta and into the wilderness. The real crux of his reasoning for doing so stemmed in part from the fact that he really didn't identify with what he saw as the mundane, materialistic world around him. His adventure wasn't just one of personal fulfillment. McCandless had come to the conclusion that normal life held no imortance to him, and that if the wilderness got the best of him, so be it. At least his lived his life to the fullist. He obviously had no intenetion of guarenteeing himself a safe return.
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing, yet depressing
Review: It was an interesting read, yet it leaves you almost depressed at the end. A bright young man chooses to flirt with death by venturing out into the wilderness with little survival gear. It was a good book, but probably not one I'd read again.
Rating:
Summary: Cliche Adventure With Some Insight About Life
Review: The boring details of McCandless' adventures are a punnishment to the reader. While his philosophies on life are interesting, a recounting of each person he met (and basically each new person is once again won over by the educated ascetic) becomes rather dull. Also, an insert of the author's own adventure is both vain and not essential. He tries to draw comparisons between himself and Chris McClandless that are both disrespectful to Chris's eventual plight and to his family. This would have made for an excellent short story used to support the ideas of H. David Thoreau, not an entire book that rushes to the top of the superficial bestselling lists. I might add that the book already includes an advertisement for his next book which was due to come out the next year.
Rating:
Summary: Foolish risks can be fatal .
Review: A person like Chris McCandless who has everything in the world is still unsatisfied on what is around him. He has family, money and a great education that will soon be his great future but he thinks that everything related to wealth is sinful. Chris made a journey to search for the true meaning of life and escaped it pressures. He also tried to travel by using his instincts in life by living naturally without other's aide. Whereas he helped people suffering of hunger by donating all of his college money, he forgot to help himself. Chris called himself "Supertramp" which is ironic to the fact that he didn't survive nature's forces. Eventhough he died in his final destination, he finally realized that he fulfilled something, to have freedom from everything. Chris'attitude can be seen in the teens searching for the meaning of life, taking risks, rebelling to authority and not thinking of what lies ahead. He travelled "Into The Wild" because he has a purpose to "uncling" himself from society. In this book by Jon Krakauer, it makes you think what life would be like if you left home and live in the wild unprepared. The author begins in the end that will want you to read and find out what went wrong in Chris' life. A book that questions readers' positions and goals in life. You'll find out that the author journeyed like Chris but he used his wits to avoid a stupid decision that might cost his life.
Rating:
Summary: Must read
Review: This is a great book it is a must read if you enjoy outdoor adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Adventure With Too Much Filler
Review: Although I enjoyed the storyline itself (about Chris McCandless' life leading up to and going into the wild), Krakauer added too much "filler" using his own life-experiences and boring quotes from others. He seems to have done his homework for the most part, but the book would have only been around 100 pages without the added garbage. Also, Krakauer uses words that are above the average reader's comprehension, thus making for more difficult reading. I plan on giving Karkauer a second chance by reading a book about his own real-life adventures and seeing if my opinion changes any.
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