Into the Wild

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Summary: Life has to be explored before it can be valued
Review: In 1992, Chis McCandless decided to leave society to become a hermit. He decided to give his savings to charity, and to burn all the cash in his wallet, beginning a new life for himself. Influences, such as Tolstoy and London, gave him a different view of society. He believed that nature would give him all that he need to survive, instead of the society he lived in. He became Alex Supertramp, living in different locations and making a living any way possible believing that on his pilgrimage to Alaska he would find a value and meaning to his life. However as he tried to survive in the harsh climates of Alaska, he realized that nature could also be cruel. In his final letter, in which he asked for help in leaving the wilderness, it became evident that Chris realized that society and interaction with others gave real meaning to life. However, he never was able to experience this as he did nature. After four months of living on the road, Chris died from starvation in Alask. People who know the story of Chris McCandless' journey into Alaska, possess different views of his attempt to live of nature. By some, he is described as a naive person who possessed a death wish. However, others hold him in esteem and wish they had the courage to follow their dreams as Chris did. Jon Krakauer, presents the story of Chris' life and journey in "Into the Wild." Through detailed explanations of events in his life, and comparisons with his own life, Kraukauer allows the reader to produce his own view on Chris' attemt to live as a hermit. Krakauer's book was very intense. It demonstrated how far a person would go to find a meaning to their lives. "Into the Wild" can mak a person realize what they have in their lives. I urge other to read this book.

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Summary: Into the wild
Review: This book was a excellent true account of a boy who did not like the human society. I liked the fact that Krakaur interviewed all those people who Chris/Alex came in contact with. It was an exellent accout of a young man who wanted nothing but an adventure in Alaska. Krakaur spents his time in this book defending Chris as not bieng suicidal. He believes that Chris went in the wild with the intention of never comming back but he did have the intention of surviving out there. It was a tragity that he died apparently before his pilgrage in a way was finished. He had the heart and potential to survive and it was very unfortunate that he did not survive.

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Summary: I really liked the book and wasn't able to put it down.
Review: The book Into The Wild, it is about a young man with radical views of society and other people. The main character Chris McCandless is a young man who set out on an adventure across the the United States with almost nothing except what would fit in his car. He also had a dream to one day go to Alaska and live off the land with very little supplys and no money. While he is out there he tries to find him self and find out how far he could push his body both physicly and mental. The book goes into Chris's life leading up to him leaving for his adventer to Alaska. The book goes into the people that he met the places that he went and the adventures that he had. It tells about Chris's childhood and what kind of a person he was growing up. I my self thought this was a great book and loved reading it. Once I started to read this book I couldn't stop reading it, I got thourgh the book in a matter of days. I loved to read about his adventures and the things that happened to him. This book is a great book for a teenager to read because it almost makes him question who he is and what the believe in and their views on life. The only problem with the book is that it is a little draged out in the ending, but once you get to the end it was worth reading. I would also recomend tis book for any age person, who is looking for a about about one mans pilgriammage to find out who he is.

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Summary: This book was very entertaining, but at times upsetting.
Review: The book Into the Wild by John Krakauer was a book that I found to be very entertaining, but yet upsetting and emotional. I had to read this for my senior english class. I found the main character Chris to be smart but he seemed to lack the practical or common intelligence that most people have. Chris is someone that I can look up to, because of the reason that he had a dream and tried to accomplish it. So, many times in todays society people give up on their dreams and don't give their full effort in obtaining their dream. So, in closing I must say that this book was a very entertaining and I enjoyed reading it because of the fact that he did what he wanted, and attempted to complete his life-long dream. I didn't like how he went into such treacherous conditions, without proper provisions. He was a smart man and he should have known what materials he needed to survive the cold, freezing terrain. The book was one that I mainly enjoyed, but found to be stressful when I realized the stupid mistakes that he was making was going to cost him his life. I recommend this book to anyone who has a dream and would like to fullfill it, and also for anyone who likes the wilderness and would like to explore it.

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Summary: My true criticism
Review: Personally, I did not enjoy reading "Into the Wild," by Jon Krauker. I found that Chris' character was nothing but a misfit. Sure, he had problems, but he went about them in the wrong way. I believe that if you have a problem with something, you should face it instead of running away from it. Chris simply ran into his own death. How could one person possibly run off on his own without any type of provisions? It literally is impossible.....obviously, he learned that later. His last note proved that he came to a realization that he really needed society, and that he was wrong to think that he could survive completely without it. He also asked for help, which definitely proved that he was aware of his mistake. Perhaps if he had some type of back up plan, he would've survived his journey. In a way, I sort of felt sympathy for him when his provisions were described in Wayne's car. He hardly had enough to last him the rest of the day, let alone the rest of his life. I've never read any of Krauker's other books, so I am not criticizing his works at all. (Obviously) I do, on the other hand, disagree with the ways of the main character. If I were in the story as the main character, I would've faced up to my problems, and at least have tried to make my life bearable.

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Summary: This book shows a great variety of a man finding himself
Review: Into the Wild was a very informative and entertaining book. Chris McCandless seemed to have many emotional porblems and eventhough I read the story, I still cannot understand why he went on a voyage by himself. He is a very brave man, who took a big step into the real world. I don't think I would have been able to do what Chris did. It was a good experience for this young man to go and discover himself. Throughout his journey he met many good friends which had a big impact on him. I think being with his friends made him focus on completeing his voyage into the world of the unknown. This true story showed how reality can turn into death. I don't think that Chris should have died the way he did and I feel remorse for his family and close friends. Many people can learn from Chris. He had a dream and he wanted to follow his dream and make it become true. It took alot of courage for Chris to leave the "good life" he had to suffer how the "bad life". The author of this story Krakauer, wrote a very good book based on this true story. It took him alot of work to find information about Chris and his journey.

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Summary: A good read
Review: I found this book some what disturbing. There seems to be little relationship between IQ and judgment. When I was a seven year old kid a friend and I made a parachute out of a bed sheet and I jumped off our garage. I survived but almost broke both legs and that single event taught me to think things through a little better. The book was ok but was not much more that the story of a young man lacking in judgment.

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Summary: Case study in manic depression
Review: Hello? Am I the only manic-depressive who's read this book? It was given to me by my sister, who said she constantly was reminded of me while reading it, and I must say I found it creepy myself. No, I've never done the specific things that Chris did, but the thought patterns and personality traits were undeniable. Grandiose plans. Superiority, untouchability, free-spiritedness, recklessness, bizarre connections and allusions, importance of trivial tidbits. Intelligence tainted--or enhanced--by illogical, creative thinking. Typical age of onset. Pseudoidentities. And finally, inevitably, periods of despair. Every detail about Chris/Alex fits the profile of bipolar disorder. Has anyone else realized this? I have been looking for others' recognition of this and found none so far. Please direct me if you are aware of any, as I'm always trying to gain perspective and insight into an unforgiving illness that I battle daily. I don't believe that Chris was arrogant, immature, or foolish. I believe he was the victim of a cruelly intoxicating illness that lures its sufferers into their dream world and then twists the knife of their reality. Applause to Krakauer for reporting, chronicling, and accepting, not judging. Brilliant writing, but I had to save 5 stars for Into Thin Air!

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Summary: Necessary reading
Review: There are nearly 200 reviews below for this well-written, gripping, emotionally compelling little book, so I have little to add, other than to ask a question: what is it about Chris McCandless that seems to inspire such kind empathy in some and such forceful hatred in others? What buttons in the American psyche has this young man's short life--and Krakauer's brilliant telling of it--pushed?

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Summary: one of the best!
Review: This book has the potential to change your outlook on life- and perhaps life itself