Into the Wild

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, gripping story
Review: Actually listened to this book on audiotape in the car and never wanted the drive to end!

Rating:
Summary: Read It!
Review: As a 30 year old male who loves life and has done a great deal of stupid things in an effort to discover that, I found this book to be a wonderful read. A sad, but true story about someone like me (and maybe you) who died in his search for life! The book was well written and a pleasure. This is a book that you won't put down until it is done and that is an oddity for a nonreader like myself! Read this book and then go on to Krakauer's other equally compelling works

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing and beautifully written story
Review: I was standing in a bookstore, waiting for my friends to find whatever it was they were looking for. I noticed Into The Wild mostly because of the text which constitutes the book's cover. I opened it up, and didn't stop reading until I was finished.

It's the story of a young man who, frustrated with family, society, and the mediocre/cliche American standard of living, goes on walk-about across America and ends up in Alaska, living off the land and playing the lead role in his own grandest dream.

And doing it well, according to this account. The only thing that kept Chris from living to tell his own tale was a minor mistake, one easily made by someone well-read but unprofessional in the study of edible plants. This mistake marks the sudden end of Chris' long and fascinating journey into the very heart of America (not just Alaska).

I personally believe that had Chris come out of Alaska alive, he would have, in time and as we all do, come to understand his parents and society in general, at least enough to tolerate and forgive. That's what I told myself in order to squelch the disturbing emotions that plagued me as I read about his complete rejection of Billie and Walt, his loving parents. Most people, I suspect, remember a time when their personal ideals were much higher than the state of affairs which surround us. Growing out of that way of thinking is almost inevitable for us, resembling something of a rite of passage. To never have to grow out of it would make this world a better place. And Chris never did. I accept that.

The story could not possibly have been written better. Krakauer included the stories of other fateful adventures set upon by like-minded individuals, to include his own dangerous and impetuous experience with nature. These accounts help the reader to understand that Chris' story is not really news, but a story told time and again by America's youth, most of whom live to recount their "impetuous youth." Furthermore, Krakauer's own story gives us a reason to trust his assessment of McCandless, because like-behavior is regularly the result of like-mindedness, and who better to talk about McCandless' possible intentions and interpretations of his experience than one who recognizes and relates to Chris' actions as well as does Krakauer. I trust his assessment of Chris' intentions and thought processes much more so than my own, because I cannot picture myself lighting upon a path even vaguely similar to the one Chris took.

Krakauer was brilliant in designing this story. Expounding on correspondence, conversations, personal accounts, and the history of humanity's love affair with danger and nature helped to create a story of intrigue and suspense. He intermixes all of these things with Chris' story in such a way that Chris' every step and response was made understandable, reasonable, even predictable in some way; this was startling to me, because nothing about what happened to the man seemed reasonable or typical to me upon reading the first pages. Eventually, I found myself thinking, "Oh, of course he would behave in this way or do that "crazy" thing. How else would someone like Chris react?"

I recommend this work to anyone who ever tried to reach a dream and failed, for you have lived to make the effort another day. I recommend it for those who have reached their dreams, for many of those who do take that very fact for granted. I recommend it for anyone considering the adventure on which Chris' embarked a possibility for themselves; it won't hurt to be as prepared as one can possibly be. I recommend it to any parent who hopes to raise a child intelligent and intuitive enough to understand the inherent contradictions of living the American dream. Say what you mean, do what you say, and give your child all the space and closeness they need, no more, no less. As Billie and Walt McCandless know only too well, your kids don't have to reciprocate your love and understanding of them, but you will not want to live without it. Finally, I recommend this book to most of the Americans out there today who think they are living life to the fullest. You aren't.

Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking book! I enthusiastically recommend it!
Review: I don't think Chris McCandless an idiot because he died in the Alaska wilderness. He was a smart, young man who had a deep desire to shed the modern luxuries of life in order to live as he wanted. Thoreau did the same. McCandless obviously did not lead a life of "quiet desperation". How many of us can echo that same statement? He lived out his dream and I respect him for it. As the group Rush sings in their song "Losing it", ...."Some are born to rule the world, to live their fantasies. But most of us just dream about the things we'd like to be."

Rating:
Summary: If you are a thinker and a dreamer read this book.
Review: This is a great book. A definate must read. McCandle's becomes a character you want to learn more about and never have his story end (unfortunatly every book must end). As I read this book I underlined so many lines and Quotes I liked. Krakauer is a down to earth, realxed writer. Read this book, hopefully you'll like it as much as I did and pass it on to friends to read! If you enjoy reading this go onto "Into Thin Air" now.

Rating:
Summary: intriguing and well written
Review: not a topic I would usually be drawn to, but Krakauer has written a finely crafted story of a young man's disappearance from society. It was gripping and exciting and terrifying and sad. The only emotion that this book failed to bring out was any sympathy for McCandless, but there is plenty of sympathy for his family when you reach the end. I continue to reccommend it to friends.

Rating:
Summary: Krakauer makes you forget that he wrote it
Review: This book tends to make you forget that it is an author's work. Moreover, the story of Alexander Supertramp consumes the reader's mind. It's tough to say whether it is Krakauer's excellent prose or the young man's life that makes it so intense and easy to read. One thing is for sure. The reader cannot help but come away with a desire to let everything go and search for adventure. Naturally, the book appeals much more to young people because they can afford to "drop everything" and seek adventure. Chris McCandless is easy to relate to, but you find yourself asking whether or not he took it to the extreme. Krakauer does an excellent job of presenting the information so that the reader can decifer the answer to that question. The book is a must read, and the kind of book that can change the lives of impressionable youths.

Rating:
Summary: It's the message, not the plot.
Review: This book has a lot more to it than "What happened to Chris McCandles?" It is an inspiring account of a young man seeking to fulfill his dream of escaping society and living off the land. This book will probably only appeal to you if you have thought of doing the same, however. One acquires respect for McCandles for living out his dreams, but also acquires a sense of disrespect for him because of the way he treats his family. If you have ever wanted to journey "into the wild," maybe this book will be able to tell you why.

Rating:
Summary: Krakauer's writing grasps readers' attention and emotions
Review: Into the Wild was a gripping book but I can't imagine how it became a National Bestseller. I think the book served as a fine testimony as to where the human spirit can take you and the consequences one faces when things don't go according to plan. However, I would agree with many others when I say that I have a hard time feeling a great deal of compassion towards Chris McCandless. To venture into nature and live without bound may be very appealing for some people, but if that is the choice someone makes they must carefully plan their course of action. I think it is admirable to find so much beauty in the outdoors, but if you disregard nature it can be a very unforgiving place. I don't think McCandless was crazy or the least bit mentally unstable. He was merely a young man who undertook a challenge without preparing adequately.

Krakauer could have conveyed the same meaning in his writing in a much shorter narrative. The book was somewhat tedious at points and I didn't understand the relevance of all of his anecdotes. The book was very emotionally compelling, but after a few chapters it lost some of its appeal. I saw a story about a youth with commendable undertakings that underestimated the situation he was in until it was too late. Chris McCandless' death was very tragic and it was an extremely sad story but what's done is done and all that remains of McCandless is his memory.

Rating:
Summary: Insightful and Compelling
Review: This book is about the thrilling journey of a youngman, Chris McCandless, who knows what his heart longs for and never looses sight of it. He follows this dream to many different places but never really finds what he is looking for until he found himself in the wild Alaskin wilderness. Here seperated from human contact, and the responsibilities of life, he found what he yearned for. The beauty and simplicity of nature.