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About This Book
ISBN13: 9780385486804 |
Synopses & Reviews
Publisher Comments:
Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his cash. He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and , unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented. Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw the maps away. Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild.
Jon Krakauer constructs a clarifying prism through which he reassembles the disquieting facts of McCandless's short life. Admitting an interst that borders on obsession, he searches for the clues to the dries and desires that propelled McCandless. Digging deeply, he takes an inherently compelling mystery and unravels the larger riddles it holds: the profound pull of the American wilderness on our imagination; the allure of high-risk activities to young men of a certain cast of mind; the complex, charged bond between fathers and sons.
When McCandless's innocent mistakes turn out to be irreversible and fatal, he becomes the stuff of tabloid headlines and is dismissed for his naiveté, pretensions, and hubris. He is said to have had a death wish but wanting to die is a very different thing from being compelled to look over the edge. Krakauer brings McCandless's uncompromising pilgrimage out of the shadows, and the peril, adversity , and renunciation sought by this enigmatic young man are illuminated with a rare understanding--and not an ounce of sentimentality. Mesmerizing, heartbreaking, Into the Wild is a tour de force. The power and luminosity of Jon Krakauer's stoytelling blaze through every page.
Review:
--New York Times
"A narrative of arresting force. Anyone who ever fancied wandering off to face nature on its own harsh terms should give a look. It's gripping stuff."
--Washington Post
"Compelling and tragic...Hard to put down."
--San Francisco Chronicle
"Engrossing...with a telling eye for detail, Krakauer has captured the sad saga of a stubborn, idealistic young man."
--Los Angeles Times Book Review
"It may be nonfiction, but Into the Wild is a mystery of the highest order."
--Entertainment Weekly
Synopsis:
What Our Readers Are Saying
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Average customer rating based on 7 comments:
-
Stacey, April 11, 2008 (view all comments by Stacey)
A well written tome, this book was nonetheless a tough read ... really quite a dark and frightening glimpse into someone else's reality. From the beginning you know Chris McCandless has died and this story is about his journey. I never made the emotional connection to Chris to understand his motivation behind leaving his family in such a harsh way. He is remembered as personable, thoughtful and forgiving of others he came across, yet was unable to bridge the gap within his own family ... The pain they must have gone through seems unimaginable. I didn't think he was stupid or deserved death; sadly too many little mistakes added up to a life lost.
-
tomturner2, March 1, 2008 (view all comments by tomturner2)
When I first heard this story,I thought, ( probably like many) how can anyone be so foolhardy? But Jon Krakauer does his usual excellent job of taking you there and shedding some light on the how and why of this tragedy. It also reminded me of my own adventuring foolhardiness of my younger days that I was lucky enough to survive.So Krakauer was able to also bring some empathy for the young man to the story and remind me I wasn't always as smart as I think I am right now. An excellent read, especially for those who adventure ( or yearn to).
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curlygurl, February 15, 2008 (view all comments by curlygurl)
I really enjoyed this book. I had heard of the story of Chris McCandless on a television news show some months ago, so I was a bit familiar with the story and interested to learn more. McCandless reminded me of people I have known in the past - young, invincible, and in search of...something.
This book generated a lot of heated discussion, however, at my book club meeting. Some did not enjoy the bookat all and found McCandless to be irresponsible and selfish. This prompted not so many arguments, but instead, meaningful discussions and reflections on our own youthful adventures. I recommend this book because as a work of nonfiction, it prompted me to consider the limits of my own dreams.
View all 7 comments
Product Details
- ISBN:
- 9780385486804
- Author:
- Publisher:
- Anchor Books
- Author:
- Location:
- New York :
- Subject:
- Biography
- Subject:
- Adventure and adventurers
- Subject:
- United States - Pacific - Alaska
- Subject:
- Alaska
- Subject:
- Essays & Travelogues
- Subject:
- Mountaineering
- Subject:
- Camping
- Subject:
- Regional Subjects - West
- Subject:
- Travelers
- Subject:
- Hitchhiking
- Subject:
- West
- Subject:
- Wayfaring life
- Subject:
- West (U.S.) Biography.
- Copyright:
- 1996
- Edition Description:
- 1st Anchor Books trade pbk. ed.
- Series Volume:
- 303
- Publication Date:
- January 1997
- Binding:
- Paperback
- Language:
- English
- Illustrations:
- Yes
- Pages:
- 224
- Dimensions:
- 7.98x5.28x.52 in. .38 lbs.
