Into the Wild

Rating:
Summary: A good adventure story for a night of light reading.
Review: Jon Krakauer is a tried and true adventure/outdoor writer. If you like this genre, this is an entertaining read. The book is certainly not conclusive, and there are passages that some may construe as "fill"....stories of other perhaps misled wanderers are added because, in the end, there is no answer as to why Chris McCandless did what he did. But I enjoyed reading about John Muir and the other oddballs that drifted in and out of the narrative. I do think this book has an agenda, especially towards the end when Mr. Krakauer compares his own climb of a mountain in Alaska to McCandless' quest, but the agenda gives the book a point of view that perhaps is needed. The boy remains a mystery, Jon Krakauer doesn't resolve it, but so what? Think what you will, at least it will make you think. And, I may be prejudiced also, living in the Pacific Northwest and knowing all too many people who are the similar to the characters that populate "Into The Wild".

Rating:
Summary: Terrible
Review: This book was terrible and never should have gone beyond the confines of the originally written magazine article which spawned it. In a weak attempt to reach a semi-respectable length, the author includes quotes that are too lengthy and a rather dull account of his own adventures, which for all intents and purposes was a self-serving and forgettable intermission to the reading. This author also strikes me as the type to keep a thesaurus by his side so as to use ten million dollar words where ten dollar ones would suffice. Nothing wrong with great vocabulary, of course, but in a book that is otherwise on a 4th grade reading level, it isn't really warranted.

As for the book's protagonist, I thought he was a boring jerk. I felt terrible for the family he neglected for his own selfish reasons, as there was no apparent need for him to totally divorce himself from those that loved him. McCandless' wish to be one with nature and to "rough it" isn't a lifestyle that necessarily precluded calling home every once and a while, especially since he'd occasionally return to civilization to work. His adventure was more foolish and dangerous than brave (he perished only a few miles from civilization), and his journal accounts are scant and don't have much to say. The author was obviously very interested in Chris McCandless' story, and seems to have done his homework, but there just isn't much there for an interesting read. In fact, because there was so little by way of journal entries, the best the author can come up with instead is relating passages of books McCandless was reading that he underlined or highlighted (!). Sorry folks- this guy just wasn't as deep as everyone wants to believe he was.

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing, yet lacking.
Review: I had read "Into Thin Air" before reading "Into the Wild" and had known the style of Jon Krakauer's writing. The story is a good one and makes for an interesting subject matter. The paragraph on the cover alone would draw a reader in. However, the story is lacking in actual details or a valid and clear-cut account of what happened to Chris McCandless. There is not enough information to sustain an entire novel. Another problem, which plagued Mr. Krakauer's other novel as well, is that he tends to lead you off track and tells you too much about his own life as well as stories that barely relate to the heart of the story at hand. He wanders away from the point once too often and thus it feels like you are being deprived of what happened to Chris and you learn what happened to some another poor soul who wandered the earth. The story would work better as a novella and by sticking directly to the facts. Another thing that bothered me as a reader was when Mr. Krakauer sent berries to the lab to be tested and the complete results were not back yet. Shouldn't he have waited to write the novel until he learned if the berries could indeed have caused Mr. McCandless' death? Overall, I was intrigued at first, started to get bored with other stories in the middle and disappointed by the novel's end.

Rating:
Summary: Rugged Individualism
Review: I purchased this book in hardcover just after it was released. I knew nothing about it aside from what I read on the back and the dust cover. I took it home and stayed up all night reading it. The next morning I was exhausted and drained of emotion, but was overwhelmed by what I had read. I gave the book to my friends and they all finished reading it within three days. I think people should not focus so much on the ending. I have to applaud Chris McCandles. Only when we put it all on the line and even risk our lives can we truly transcend. I don't know what Chris was looking for and I doubt anyone knows that, but it was obvious he was not looking for the average American upper middle class life. He tried to live it during his college years, and realized that if you're not living the way you want to live then why bother. Yes he was young and idealistic, was stubborn, he was carried away by his fancies, but inside we all envy him. We all envy his freedom, but we're all too trapped in the American convention to break out. Thus all we can do is read this book and live life through the eyes of this brave individual. Buy this book, borrow it from a friend and remember we are all individuals first. We must live our lives day to day for us.

Rating:
Summary: Good book, but wasted space by lack of information.
Review: I think this book is well narrated, however, there are some things that I don't like: it seems that there in no enough information to fill a book, the author usually gives us an account of his own and other people hiking stories like that would interest anyone other than himself. Some people think that Chris was stupid, but I think he had sense in what he was doing, the problem was that he didn't realize what could happen in the future if he does what he thinks.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: The story of Chris McCandless hit home for me, he reminded me of a close friend. This book gets alot of criticism about how stupid this kid was, or that he had a death wish, or lazy or whatever. I think he was lost and trying to live his ideal life. Think about your own life, haven't you ever been lost or confused before? Just not sure what to do or where to go, I would encourage everyone to read this superbly written story and think about your life, or the people close to you. This is a very touching book.

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put this one down.
Review: Jon Krakauer's personal passion and extensive research made this book a winner. The only let down was being left with the knowledge that I'll never be able to meet Chris McCandless. I'm sure that Mr. Krakauer has the same regrets. I've never been so intrigued by a personality that I've merely read about. Thank you Mr. Krakauer for introducing Chris to us, and allowing us to glimpse some of the splendor of nature that both of you have experienced. God bless the heart you put into your work.

Rating:
Summary: Gave the author a second chance...
Review: I bought "Into The Wild" after struggling with "Into Thin Air". The story of Chris McCandless in "Into The Wild" didn't have enough substance to fill a book. Then, as if to fill in the huge gaps, the author gives us an account of his own hiking stories like that would interest anyone other than himself. I would have felt that buying both of the books was a waste of money. I redeemed myself by giving them both to my boss asking him not to return them. I also think the practice of taking a paperback, making it taller and wider than most paperbacks and charging double is highway robbery.

Rating:
Summary: Well written book about a kid with a deathwish.
Review: I have read nearly all of Jon Krakauer's books and have enjoyed them all. He is a superb writer, however, I sensed that he admired Chris. Sorry, that escapes me. This book was aggravating to me from the "get-go". Chris was a spoiled, lazy, thoughtless,selfish and user brat! I had absolutely zero sympathy for the situation he put himself in. He died because he wanted to.

Rating:
Summary: upsetting and riveting
Review: Reading this book was like rubber-necking when driving past a wreck. It's so upsetting and yet I was unable to put it down. I felt the same way about "Into Thin Air". It really makes me appreciate all the blessings I have in my life. In the end of the book he identified with a passage from Dr. Zhivago and wrote "...unshared happiness is not happiness..." and "Happiness only real when shared." How sad that he came to that conclusion at a time when he would never have earthly companionship again.