Rating: 
Summary: mixed feelings on an over rated book
Review: When I first began to read this book I was fasinated by the ideals and philosophies up held by Chris McCandless. I then become irritated by the extreme manner at which these ideals were fulfilled. I liked the books introduction of first finding Chris' decomposed body and then working backwards to find out what had happened. I like knowing it was a true story and that there are people who will stand up for what they beleive in. The part of the book which I did not like was when Krakauer tried to compare himself to Chris. Krakauer claims to stand for the values which Chris died for. Why then did Krakauer return from has accent from Devils Thumb looking for self gradifacation from other people. I think that Chris would not have done that. He want to Alaska to prove to him self that he could do it, not for other people. The reason I give the book a six is it kept me intrested enough to finish it but I feel it began to drag on. I feel the book needed a strong editor and good rewrite to inprove the books flow. At times I found my self lost as to who was talking, or where I was. Krakauer seems to have tried to make the book longer by adding filler that was not needed.I feel that Chris was not a wacko, but I do think he was unprepared and got in way over his head. He should have had a way to get out in a life and death situation. He didn't and paided the ultimate price.
Rating: 
Summary: Was Chris McCandless crazy?
Review: I would imagine that alot of people hearing about Chris McCandless, and what he went through would immediatly think he was crazy or a little off his rocker. In my opinion he isn't. In the book "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer, Chris is described as coming from a well to do family, well educated, and was apparently an excellent athlete. So what led Chris to give up everything he owned and travel across country and then to Alaska were he succomed to starvation? If you don't know anything about his life then yes, you might say "Chris is crazy. That boy has a few screws lose." But, if you were to learn more about his life you would realize what he did was not all without reason. When Chris was a kid his parents were always working trying to make their home buisness a success. Granted they did work at home, Chris still had to take care of himself. He was independent from a young age, so it wasen't that big of a surprise when he took off on road trips. He was also the kind of person who didn't take orders from others too well. Now, some people may say "Yeah, but if he was so smart then why didn't he prepare for the trip." Maybe it was sort of stupid, but he was trying to get by on as little as possible. That was the whole point of going to Alaska.
Joe F
Rating: 
Summary: Confusing but interesting
Review: I started the book late, yet had no problem finishing it on time. I couldn't help but keep Krakauer's novel plastered to my hands, I had it done in two sittings. Honestly though, the book does jump around from subject-to-subject, and in no particular chronological order. This created a little confusion as to where it was heading, and for that I'm gonna give it a rating of 8. First it was McCandless's story, then on to other joe-shmo's, people who were just as ill-prepared, impatient, and incompetent as Chris. I had some difficulty finding the linkage between the summaries of their lives until after I read the whole book. Perhaps Krakauer didn't want to follow the order of events, maybe this was his way of keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. Perhaps he didn't want us to know what happened to Chris and the others until we read his whole book. Whatever his motivation, it sure worked for me. Definetly on the plus side with the detail, I'd have to give this book a sure-fire 10 on the interesting scale. Krakauer puts the reader along side the characters in "Into The Wild" with his impeccable usage of details and intricate observations. Overall, the novel averaged a score of 9 to me.
Rating:
Summary: A young man living a dream
Review: This is a very good book for anybody you likes to travel or likes the outdoors. I couldn't put this book down because it was all about how one man traveled around the Western part of the US. Krakuaer would take some breaks away from the story about Chris and tell somethings about the people he met and what they thought of Chris. Maybe this book is a wake up to some parents that try to control there childrens lives even when the children have grown into young adults. This my cause young people to do things like this so they have total control over what happens in their lives.
Rating:
Summary: A boy living his dream.
Review: Into the wild proved to be as great a read as I had hoped and more. The boy, Chris Mccandless, took his dream and as soon as he had the chance he was looking for he grabbed it. It seems to me that all of this yearn for adventure had been something built up for so long that he had to take it to the extreme I admire him for what he did. The book grabbed me immediatly. It made my need for freedom and some adventure even greater. The boy, Mccandless, did what many people, I think, want to do but never actually think is possible. Sometmes I think that people get scared when they think about taking off and living there dream because it is so possible, it could be so easy. The book, quotes other authors from books that Mccandless highlighted and ones that just simply fit. Each passage I read made me realize more and more that there are so many other people out there that have that same need, for that same freedom from today's society's stresses. People need to have real time to truly discover the wilderness and how free they can be. The book was beautiful. I realy wish that more people could understand Chris Mccandless' need. Nutcase is what he was definetely not. Some say he was selfish, for what he did to his parents. I think that ones self needs to be happy before they can make anybody else happy, and that is what I think Chris was doing. He was obviously not happy before he left and he took off to fill that empty spot in himself ----in the wild. Sunny S.
Rating:
Summary: A book worth thinking about....
Review: Unlike some other readers, I was unexcited about the thought of reading about how a guy died in the Alaskan wilderness. Also unlike many other readers, I was pleasantly surprised to find much more than a simple story of a misled man who foolishly died; instead I found myself reading about some issues that made me think. The fact that it actually happened made it all the more thought inspiring. How many people would go as far as McCandless did because of strong personal beliefs? How much would I do to prove something that was important to me? The content of the book is somewhat disorganized, but it is written simply enough to make for easy reading. Although the various side stories in the book may seem unnecessary to some people, I got more out of the book because of them. Comparing and contrasing McCandless with the other people who tried similar endeavors was useful, and I was led to believe that McCandless was in fact not a simple fool for dying. I can't help but admire his determination; most people who are dissatisfied with modern life don't DO anything about it like he did. His stubbornness and confidence are viewed as childish and selfish by many, but I think you need plenty of both to make a difference in the world. The book is worth reading. Krakauer presents his information along with his own opinion of McCandless, but he gives plenty of room for the readers to form their own opinions. The book inspires plenty of healthy thinking, and one can take a lot of different messages out of it. It reminds me to live my life as fully as I can without overdoing it.
Rating:
Summary: Adventurous, Educational and a definite must read!
Review: Into the Wild a book about freedom, solitude, and survival.Krackauer does a magnificent job of introducing all of the characters and painting the picture in my mind of what it would be like to set off on my own. I am a college student similar to Chris McCandless and have often dreamed of setting out with just a few essentials and living on my own wits. Especially in the western region of the country. Krackauer helps me to identify the ups and downs that one may go through on such an adventure like Chris McCandless'. The book also made me realize that many of the people you see in transit, are there on there own free will. Living the life of luxury, that is, no stress. I believe this book is an excellent book and a definite must read.
Rating:
Summary: This book was a definite attention getter from the start.
Review: It seems that Mr. McCandless had himself quite an interesting life. It was full of amazing people and new adventures every day. But why exactly did he leave behind his life? About twenty-four years of hard work, dedication, and love all thrown away for a "good time". I don't believe that anyone has the exact answer for this underlying question, but many have their speculations. I know that I have mine. My theory of the whole incident is that Chris realized that that he has spent basically the prime of his life preparing. He was preparing to get a job and call someone "boss". He was preparing to settle down, get married, have kids, face all of the adolescent problems again, and grow old with the same face day after day. But most of all, Chris was basically preparing for death. His entire life could have been an adventure. But instead he was forced by many to prepare. When he was finally free of this burden, he realized that it was a waste. He wasn't going to let "the man" bring him down anymore. Sure he threw away a diploma and a chance for a great job earning him lots of money, but what does one really have to show for it? Nothing more than a bunch of material possessions. Chris found out soon enough that memories and people were the things that made life full and interesting. The one thing that noone can take away from you is your thoughts and feelings, and Chris decided to take full advantage of this realization. For all of these reasons here, I felt that Into the Wild is a real eye-opener and should be read by those who feel that life really has no purpose or nothing to offer. Justin J.
Rating:
Summary: hard to put down
Review: Into The Wild was by far one of the better books that I have read. I really enjoyed reading about Chris McCandless's journey and his life. The thing that really set this book apart from other books that I have read was how Krakauer implemented other story lines into the book including his own journey. These added storylines made it hard for me to put Krakauer's book down and I never encountered a boring moment.
Rating:
Summary: A book that kept my attention
Review: Into the Wild brings with it the excitement of nature along with man's search for a meaning in life. Krakauer's writing style for this book was good, allowing the reader to understand the facts and possible motives for Chris McCandless's adventures. In addition, Krakauer's opinions were welcome and left room for me to form my own motives for "Alexander Supertramp." Overall, I thought this book was an excellent example of one's desire to live out the fantasy shared in all of us.
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