Jon Krakauer - Into the Wild

Pros: Severe chronicle of a life that some would consider romantic.
Cons: All the way through, I was thinking, Does this boy have a clue?!

After reading Under the Banner of Heaven, I decided to go and track down the other writings of adventurer Jon Krakauer. I had read his horrifying account of the 1996 ascents of Mt. Everest, and liked his style. I had expected a similiar treatment ...

Pros: Interesting questions that can be pondered.
Cons: No strong conclusions. Some manipulation by the author.

Do NOT read this review if you plan to see the move. Spoilers are in it because the movie follows a different track than the book. I went into Border's Books on Tuesday and this book was up front with the sticker on it proclaiming, First ...

Pros: Krakauer reconstructs a mystery with such skill that you'll be shaken to the core and haunted for days
Cons: The narrative jumps around with flash-forwards and flash-backs

In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do East Coast family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. Four months later his decomposed body was found by a party of moose hunters.

That’s the...

Pros: Have trouble putting the book down, always wanting to know what happends next.
Cons: none

“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 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of...

Pros: This book never kept me up at night reading late.
Cons: I didn't like the story and didn't like the writing.

Into the Wild is the true story of Christopher Johnson McCandless who was born to wealth and privilege, decided to become a free-born rambling man, and ended up dead in a trailer in Alaska.

Jon Krakauer wrote In the...

Pros: Investigative journalism at its best!
Cons: Perhaps too many details which could have been omitted

Pros: Interesting, intriguing, fast read, Christopher's journal entries, others' journeys into the wilderness alone
Cons: Few pictures, few journal entries mentioned, timeline was all wrong.

My reading material varies from funny writings to intriguing true story ones like "Into The Wild" by Jon Krakauer. I had not heard of Christopher McCandless nor seen the movie yet so I had no idea what had happened. So this book frustrated me to no end, ...

Pros: A clear but jaded look
Cons: none

Jon Krakauer, noted author of Into Thin Air and Eiger Dreams, as well as contributing editor to Outside magazine, investigates the life and ultimate death of Christopher McCandless. McCandless, a 24 year old college graduate from a...

Pros: Moving, well-written, interesting, fast-paced
Cons: A little convoluted in terms of structure

Like the Web of Trust we use here on epinions.com, men (and women) are tied together by fine strands of commonality throughout their existances. These common threads, forming a web of humanity, appeal to our senses with each gentle tug, each reminder...

Pros: Engaging, exciting book
Cons: Short read--but that could also be a pro

This is the true story of Chris McCandless--A young man who abandoned his family, assumed a fake name, and hitchhiked to Alaska. After arriving in Alaska, he entered the wilderness alone, and died.

Jon Krakauer wrote a controversial article...

Pros: Absolutely absorbing
Cons: Wanders a bit, not an easy read

We all, at some point in our lives, want to throw away society and all its superficialities. What was it like before civilization brought us comfortable homes, cars, and meals from the microwave? If you've ever pondered this to any extent, you will...

Pros: a page turner, the reader gets sucked in
Cons: you wonder how much the author's subjectivity relates to the validity of the book

Christopher McCandless, or Alexander Supertramp (as he liked to call himself), might be considered a nut-case or a supremely idealistic young man on his way to nirvana. He was a student of Thoreau, a transcendentalist to the bitter end. McCandless was...

Pros: Filled with suspense and holds the reader on the edge of his/her seat.
Cons: It ends!

INTO THE WILD, by Jon Krakauer, is one of the best books I have ever read. It is suspenseful, heart-touching, and truly makes you think about the meaning of life. What defines happiness? Are we happy?

"In April 1992 a young man from a...

Pros: Fascinating story, well written
Cons: Could have used more analysis, some of the author's stories could be cut

Jon Krakauer's book _Into The Wild_ is an engrossing, enlightening, and even amazing book. The author has traced the life and death of a young man who wanted to live on his own in the wild. To say he wanted to live in the wild is an understatement. To...

Pros: Deep characterization, unique style
Cons: Anti-climactic ending

Many people throughout time have felt the lure of the wilderness, or the desire to escape civilization and to go "into the wild". Henry David Thoreau was acting upon this impulse when he went to live alone in a cabin beside Walden Pond....