An engaging story
Written: Oct 27 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: I could not put this book down.
Cons: The two chapters author Jon Krakauer talks about himself.
The Bottom Line: Fascinating story. Jon does a wonderful job of telling Christopher McCandless's story and trying to figure him out.
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| space_dog's Full Review: Jon Krakauer - Into the Wild |
Last month I saw the Sean Penn directed film "Into the Wild". It is the film adaptation of the Jon Krakauer book of the same title. I loved the film so it was inevitable for me to read the book.
"Into the Wild" is the true life story of Christopher McCandless, a young man in his twenties who without any careful planning eschewed his priviliged life to live a life away from the material trappings of society he despised by hitchhiking across America, and eventually ends up in Alaska. Author Jon Krakauer takes the reader back into Christopher's past as a child but mostly as an adult. Jon talks to Christopher's family and the colorful characters he had met on his journeys across America.
From what I have gleaned from Jon Krakauer's book and some research on the internet, Christopher McCandless was not clinically depressed nor insane. Jon clearly states in his book that Christopher knew what he was doing when he hitchhiked into Alaska. The young man was clearly unprepared for the wilderness of Alaska.
SPOILER ALERT: Unfortunately Christopher was naive, cocky, and reckless and for that, those traits cost him his life. I can't deny that Christopher was a deeply flawed human being. He was extremely judgemental, mainly towards his parents who aren't exactly angels themselves, however he was someone's son and brother who should not have died so young. Jon Krakauer made sure that the reader would see that Christopher was a flawed human being.
What I did not enjoy was reading two chapters of Jon Krakauer's youth. I understand that Jon was trying to draw parallels between his youthful attempts at climbing Devil's Thumb and Christopher's life in Alaska. Two chapters was not really necessary when he could have accomplished it in one chapter or preferably in a few paragraphs. Those two chapters were self-indulgent tripe.
I rarely have the time and energy to read a lot of books but I was completely engrossed with "Into the Wild". This was the first time I actually read a book in an entire day. As unlikeable as Christopher McCandless might have been for a lot of people, his story was still tragic because of the pain his actions caused his parents and sister.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
space_dog
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Member: Erica Anderson
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Reviews written: 57
Trusted by: 2 members
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