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 $2.50 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Into the Wild
Book Review: A good story but not a book
Summary: 3 Stars
I give Krakauer credit for not musing more then he did and sticking to the facts he was able to uncover. It was an interesting and sad story. I think McCandless was presented in a reasonably honest manner but did not understand his character so could sympathize with the parents. At some point you let go and hope. In this case McCandless was interesting, intelligent, charming but not world wise practical. There just wasn't enough here for an entire book, albeit short. The story was longer then a magazine article but to write a book meant including details in greater length then I thought necessary to appreciate the story. I would have enjoyed the book more if the author has filled the pages with some detail of Alaska and the trouble others encounter and how Alaskans deal with the wild.
Book Review: A great read
Summary: 4 Stars
It's been a while since I read this book and I haven't yet seen the movie (maybe I'll watch it this weekend?), but the story of Chris McCandless's fatal excursion into the Alaskan wilderness is still vivid in my mind. Perhaps it's because when I was a high school student I also had dreams of going somewhere and "living off the land" for a while. (My dreams focused on the West - Colorado, Wyoming, Utah...) Perhaps it's because I spent many adolescent evenings arguing with my father about the value of a college degree, living a so-called middle-class life, waiting for retirement to do the things I want.
I'm not sure exactly why, but I found myself both thrilled and terrified by the story of Chris McCandless as told by Jon Krakauer. I could relate to Chris's headstrong sureness and self-confidence at the same time that I could shake my head and think "if only he could see that simply throwing everything away is not more reasonable than simply accepting everything."
Jon Krakauer does an excellent job of presenting this story. With a clear narrative style and a reporter's eye for what parts of a story are interesting and how to develop the human element of what's happening, Krakauer almost seems to disappear from the narrative, making it feel as if you are watching the actual events themselves unfold as they happened. There is little editorializing, and a pretty good balance of empathy and skepticism regarding Chris's quest.
I think Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" is a better story than this one, but this one is also very readable and easily worth your time.
Now, I only hope that the movie lives up to the book.
Book Review: A great read, but without the romanticism of the movie
Summary: 4 Stars
I saw Sean Penn's excellent movie adaptation of this book first. By comparison, the book contains more information, particularly around background and context, which I found very valuable. However, its drier tone - and the avoidance of too much creative license - means that the powerful (and, some would suggest, overly romanticized) atmosphere created in the movie was not nearly as prominent in the book. Nevertheless, I found this a thoroughly engaging read - and one that added to my enjoyment of the movie.Book Review: A haunting tragedy
Summary: 4 Stars
It's too easy and lazy to label Chris McCandless as an ignorant young man who should have known better. His motivations were much more complex than that of youthful idealist, and don't forget that we wouldn't be reading the same story had he not made one or two mistakes right at the end which took his life.
I believe this story gets under our skin, or in my case kept me awake at nights, because many of us recognize a little bit of Chris in ourselves. To come of age trying to make sense of this contradictory world; to question why some people choose to live the way they do in obvious quiet desperation.
Furthermore, if you were moved by this book, then I definitely recommend the film of the same name. Some of the best cinematography I've ever seen!
Book Review: A heart-wrenching quick read
Summary: 4 Stars
I was stunned by the movie and quickly went on-line for further info. Wikipedia was helpful but when I finally read the original article from Outside magazine I knew I had to get the book. I have to admit that, as with any article turned book, it had its fair amount of puffery. For me, however, it worked. As a young man myself, I empathized with both the character and author's views on life in the USA; and then as a new father of a son I agonized over the character's original and pseudo families throughout. You should only read if and when you have time to reflect.