Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $5.91 You Save: $9.04 (60%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.23 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Into the Wild
Book Review: A Wild Story
Summary: 5 Stars
Please forgive me if this review is a little rambling. This is my first time as an Amazon reviewer, but several books I've been into recently really pushed me to start writing reviews, just so people won't miss out on great reads, and this is one of them. As a librarian, I see thousands of books every day, and normally, people's requests don't change my mind on what I like to read - historical fiction or historical romance. But after people began continuously asking for INTO THE WILD, I thought I might pick it up a try it myself.
The author, more widely known for his book INTO THIN AIR, tells the story of "Alexander SuperTramp", as he called himself, in a strange - but immensely satisfying - sequence of events. He begins with his death by probable starvation, then goes onto account how Alex, born in a well to-do family and actually named Chris, decided to eschew life as a college grad joining the business world for a life as a vagabond. His incredible journey across the US, his survival for a time in the wild, and his sad innocence make this book unputdownable. It's a wonderful read for anyone into survival (or not) stories, wilderness stories, or just great nonfiction.
Firmly Five Stars.
Book Review: A book I can't wait to read
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this for le' fiance as one of her birthday gifts after recently watching the film based on it. She can't stop talking about how great it is, so it has become one of those books I am dying to read, and will be after I finish "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda, which is another great one.Book Review: A book for parents about adolesence with great insight
Summary: 4 Stars
Teenagers are known to do things that are hard to grasp for parents. Strange, given that all parents went through this phase in their life at one point, also.
"Into the Wild" provides extraordinary insight and thus is a great companion to Sean Penn's movie. Krakauer did an excellent job researching the background of Alexander Supertramp, aka Chris McCandless, and by contrasting his youth to those of his siblings and Krakauer's own experience as a young mountain climber.
As my own sons grow into adolescence, I'm scared which turn they will take. What can parents do to prevent them from taking drugs or wandering off into unknown places, trying to find or prove themselfs? What could or should parents do, helping their teenagers find a constructive and productive path into adulthood? Krakauer's book is an inspiration in this regard, but it also makes clear that there is no silver bullet, no single answer. Chris got lost in the attempt to find something, while his sister didn't. It saddens me that Chris could talk to so many people along the way, but not to his own parents. If there is one thing to learn, it is to communicate without prejudice.
The book is both inspirational and educational, in an entertaining way, and if you watch and like the movie, I highly recommend to read the book, too.
Book Review: A book review for into the wild
Summary: 4 Stars
The national bestseller, Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer tells the true t=story of a daring boy who throws away his entire life to live alone in the wilderness. Christopher Johnson McCandless, otherwise known as Alex, graduated from Emory University with high honors and then abandoned his family and friends to take on a new life. Chris gave away all his movey to a donation and left his hometown to discover his new life. Chris traveled all over the United States only occasionally coming out of the wilderness and into civilization. He made many friends and acquaintances during his travels all of whom tell their stories of how they met Chris in Into the Wild. A few months after Chris Johnson McCandless sets off into Alaska, his body is discovered by a traveling couple. They find a note on an abandoned bus desperately asking for help. The note is signed by Chris. The couple is too nervous to explore the bus but when the forest ranger comes across the worried pair he bravely searches the bus. Chris McCandless' body is found frozen to death in the back of the bus. Chris had already been dead for two months.
For the most part, this book was interesting and well written; however, some of the chapters were dry and unentertaining. There were few parts where I couldn't put the book down. For example, Jon Krakauer tells other explorers unfortunate experiences which were not as attention-grabbing as Chris's.
My largest complaint about Krakauer's Into the Wild was that the story skipped around a lot and we were told some key details before others. For example, I do not like how we found out Chris McCandless' destiny in the first chapter (and for some copies of the book, on the cover). It is not until later on when we realize McCandless' motivation for leaving the civilized world.
In a way, the story is similar to the book The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls. In both book the characters choose to live a non-materilized life and they only kepp their absolutely essential possessions. They are both happy with their lifestyles. Both Christ and the parents in The Glass Castle intentionally dispose of their matierals and replace them with resrouces that they found and cannot live without.
Into the Wild is a book that forces the reader to reflect on their lifestyle and the way in which htey are living. Chris seemed happy during his entire journey which makes readers realize that they do not need material items to be happy. It also teaches people to take risks while still being precautious so that they do not end up in situations such as Chris'.
In the end, I give this book four stars, because while I believe that the story was tragic and heartbreaking, I think that the way it was told and the order in which it was told could have been better and more interesting. Other than the order however, I thought that Into the Wild was a good book that tells a sad yet inspiring story.
Book Review: A book to know
Summary: 5 Stars
This book should be read to help us all get out and do something with our lives. We are living, so go live. Life only gives us a certain amount of time. And time goes so fast.
I'm not suggesting you sell your belongings and become a nomad; (unless that suits you) but be active. Life is too short to sit around and be stale.
Read this book. I hope that a piece of Chris McCandless stays with you reminds you to live better!
Jon Krakauer has done a fabulous job with hard project writing this book. I am grateful.