Into the Wild

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Average customer rating 4.1 (18 comments)

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Books in my possession have to prepare themselves for a long reading experience, as I don't like to rush the words on the page. I figure it took some brave author a long time to write those words, so I will respect the effort and enjoy the read. Not this book...it went through the can't-put-it-down speedway and was completed in a couple of days. Jon Krakauer sure knows how to draw the reader into the subject matter, be it storms, fires, angry mountains, or lost boys. The journey of Chris McCandless was absorbing, if only because it went against the basic American mantra of make money-then make excuses lifestyle to which most young men aspire. Krakauer could make a phone book wistful for adventure, and it's his devotion to his subject which won me over very quickly. For some reason, this book makes people angry. While reading it on an airline, it inspired a pro/con dialogue from my row, as they argued for/against the protagonist. Whatever. Enjoy the read and the young man who realized there are no guarantees in life. Book Season = Winter (food supply dwindling)

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Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer after reading it, it's now my favorite book. Jon does a great job on telling Chris McCandless's life and what he went through to make him choose the lifestyle he did. Not only is it a great book but also one of the best movies I've seen. Jon brings out the man Chris was and what he believed in life. Reading Into The Wild made me think of my perspective of life and how amazing Jon wrote his book.

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Krakauer manages to write a wonderfully researched book on the adventure that one young man takes into the wilderness of Alaska. He supplements the story with other people's stories to better illustrate McCandless' thoughts and actions. It was hard for me to put this book down. I knew what happened, yet Krakauer revealed things at an appropriate pace so that you did not get bored as the book went on.

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My first impressions of the book was that it could have a good story line that might be able to hook and keep my interest throughout the book. Since i am not a big book reader i was happy to see that Krakaur made the book an 'easy read' in the fact that there weren't too many WPP so i never got the feeling that i was reading the same page forever. Its about a man named Chris McCandles who comes from a wealthy family and one day decides to give all his possessions and money away to different charitys to travel the US's westcoast to eventually end up 'going into the wild' in the Alaskan wilderness. John wrote the book with a circle plot so the death of Chris came first then it rewinded time from the beginning while also have a side plot of John's own experiences climbing mountains, climbing, etc.. The main thing i didnt like was that there wasnt much time spent on what things he did in the different states he visited before going to Alaska. I feel like there could have been some stories within those states that could have made Chris's mindset a little more clear of why he wanted to live in the wild. Although there were some slight flaws i would recommend this book to people who like going outdoors or even thinking of doing the same thing; it would bring some dangers of the wilderness to sight and show that its no walk in the park.

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My first Impressions of the book were that it would be pretty good. It starts our with a circle ending the tells us of Chris' death, then takes us back to the begining working towards the end. My final impression of the book was that Krakauer glorified McCandless' journey and took away from the fact that he wasted his future on a stupid decision to go live in the wild with none of the proper equipment. I agree with the people who wrote in to Krakauer after he published his article. Every year it seems some group of stupid people who think they can climb a mountain go to Mt. Hood and end up getting lost and waste millions of Tax payer dollars looking for people who don't plan properly and only hurt those around them. I really don't have a favorite part but my least favoritpe parts of the book were when Chris' so called friend would give him shelter and try and help him but then when he is leaving they don't stop the kid and they are each equally responsible for his death. I really hope there were people along Chris' travels that tried to talk some sense into the him, if there were those people I am disappointed in Krakauer for not including them because then he is avoiding the fact that he neglected and common sense and went into the wild with a death wish.

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My first impression of the book was very mediocre because it was only telling about the background knowledge that you would need to know when the author refers back to certain points. Some of my least favorite parts of the novel were when the author talked about his own personal experiences. I did not like this because I think the book should strictly should have talked about Alexander Supertramp's experiences and not some author's personal experiences that he relates to the character. If I wanted to hear about how people relate to the story or the characters in it I would go on a blog and read hundreds of them their. So what I think should have been left out was the author's personal experiences. If the author had no more to say then he should have just shortened the book entirely. Last, I no this is impossible but I just wish McCandles was around to tell in detail about his journey because that was the main focus of the story and the person was not around to tell about it. All together I think the book was worth while to read because it gave people a true insight about the Alaskan wilderness people who may live in the city know a little bit more about what it is truly like to try and survive in the wilderness.

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McCandless's story and Krakauer's superb storytelling skills will make this haunting story stay with you forever. Inspiring, yet a lesson in the price to pay for the ultimate risk and never will the lesson "always be prepared" likely be illustrated so vividly elsewhere.

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Best book I have ever read. Truly inspirational, and helps convey the wants and needs of adventure that every person has.

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I'm saddened to see so many people writing with little or no compassion for Chris McCandless, and such a limited effort to understand his quest. Most of us know what he was running from -- problems at home, a society struggling with issues of materialism and morality. But an understanding of what he was searching for -- inner peace, closeness with nature, a quiet and beautiful place in which to think -- eludes many of us, just as it eluded him. It could be lovely, could it not? Wild strawberries spilling down the riverbank, red poppies flaming the hills, cobalt mountains loping along the sky, like waves in a gently rolling sea. I am blessed to live in such a place, where I can reflect and write in perfect solitude, and I appreciate the beautiful life I have. I live a little like he did, but without his extraordinary deprivation -- the berries, the bag of rice, no way (as he perceived it at that time) to get out. Jon Krakauer mined this tragedy for the beauty, the goodness, and the hope that could be found in it -- and this bounty was rich! -- and I applaud his book and his wonderful writing, as I applaud the deeply moving film Sean Penn waited so patiently, for ten years, to create. I agree with some of the points other reviewers have made -- that the particular venture Chris McCandless chose was ill-advised, that he had not adequately prepared for it, and that his family need not have been abandoned and left in the dark. But we have all screwed up in our lives and hurt people around us, at least once, have we not? Well, I certainly have. When other people use poor judgment and make mistakes, it's so easy to judge, to criticize, to close our minds. That's the easy way out, isn't it? Whether we see Chris McCandless as a crazy kid, or as a courageous and intensely spiritual young man, we do know that he died afraid and alone. For that reason, if for no other, I think we need to reach for all the understanding and compassion we can give. Arlene Sanders Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia www.ArleneSanders.com

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By far one of the best books I have ever read. John Krakauer did great research on the now famous Chris McCandless. Before this book I was not an indepth reader. Then I found this book at my local Powells and I cant stop reading! I would suggest this book to anyone who just want to get away from life, or if you love the outdoors. John Krakauer wrote this book without flaw! So read the book then watch the movie.

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In April 1992 a young man from a well to do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given 25,000 dollars in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possession, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was discovered by a moose hunter. No one knows what happened to him, except for the bits and pieces of information left behind in McCandless’s journal found with his body.

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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.

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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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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.

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PETER TEIMAN here, great book on survival. PETER TEIMAN Sweden

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Jon Krakauer, the author of Into Thin Air tells the story of Chris McCandless whose attempt to find life in the wilderness led to his death in 1992. Delving deeply into the background and motivation of this young man the author tells a reveling story of what can drive an individual to this kind of action. He also looks at the experiences of others, including himself, who have walked close to the edge of dying alone and tries to find a common feature that would turn a person away from out social net. A powerful and insightful book.

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Fascinating story of a person motivated by factors most people never understand. The ease with which McCandless gets around the country makes you want to get out and travel.

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Too depressing, boring and not really suitable for 8th graders. Teacher assigned this book or I would not be reading it.