Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I found this book in the library next to "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson, and decided to read them as a series on outdoor adventuring.

The two books could not have been more different. While the Bryson book was a lighthearded travelogue, this book deals with the sobering story of a young man with hubris in the extreme who seeks to find himself and a new way of life. What he finds instead, far from home and alone, is his demise. Chris McCandless was only 24 years old, and in his short life he followed his grand ideas to daring extremes. It is the source of much controversy if this was sheer lunacy or simply bad luck after a valiant attempt of living off the land.

The detail of this book, and the great care taken with the delicate subject matter, gave me tremendous respect for the author. A self-described thrill seeker in climbing, Jon Krakauer has an obvious affinity with Chris McCandless. Without making McCandless seem a tragic hero, the author provides insight and background to the life choices that led this young man to Alaska, ill prepared and seeking solitude of this kind. The lives affected, both along the way and afterwards, serve as a reminder to me that it is the human intimacy we share with one another that provides the adventure in life.

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