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_askthebookbug 's review for:
Into the Wild
by Jon Krakauer
• r e c o m m e n d a t i o n •
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"He read a lot. He used a lot of big words. I think maybe part of what got him into trouble was that he did too much thinking. Sometimes he tried too hard to make sense of the world, to figure out why people were bad to each other so often. A couple of times I tried to tell him it was a mistake to get too deep into that kind of stuff, but Alex got stuck on things. He always had to know the absolute right answer before he could go on to the next thing." - Jon Krakauer.
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Christopher Johnson McCandless was a force to be reckoned with and Into the Wild captures his essence brilliantly. Even after his death, he went on to inspire countless people, making them re-evaluate their choices and to embrace life in its truest sense. It's wondrous how Krakauer managed to include so much of Chris in just about 200 pages. It was only after watching a video of his sister, Carine McCandless did I know that a lot of Chris's life was excluded from the book upon her insistence. Chris was certainly someome who danced to his own tune. His life, even though it lasted for just 24 years, was lived on his terms. Little did he know that his story would go on to inspire millions.
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In 1992, a young man's body was discovered in the wilderness of Alaska, setting the world abuzz with curiosity. Upon talking to a variety of people, the authorities learned that his name was Alexander Supertramp; a man who was loved by many during his time on the road. It was only a few weeks later did they realise that this adventurous young man with a pseudonym was actually an intelligent and educated man called Christopher McCandless. His death brought on a lot of criticism about him being reckless, stupid and ungrateful and for the initial pages of the book, I sided with them. But as I read along, as Krakauer puts across Chris's life under magnifying lens, I understood why Chris did what he did. It is said that Chris was never one to follow the rules set by the society and often challenged them. His childhood and growing up years weren't pleasant what with his parents being angry and hoarding secrets for years. Upon graduating, he decided to break free.
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He gets on the road with less to nothing in his backpack and abandons material things like a deer shedding its antlers. For over two years, Chris hikes, walks and meets new people with whom he shares a close bond. Ron Franz, a man in his eighties proposes to adopt him and constantly prays for his safety when Chris announces that he intends to live in the Alaskan wilderness for couple of months. Cutting all the ties with his family, Chris leads a content life with empty pockets and dirty clothes. To him, money meant nothing. Relationships merely existed but weren't necessary. During the two years of his freedom, he came to be loved immensely by everyone who met him. But in Alaska, the wild land takes its toll and even for a man as sharp as Chris, death became unavoidable. Into the Wild is a stellar tribute to Chris's life.
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To many, Chris's actions may seem maniac, delusional and utterly confusing but it takes a while to know why he chose to leave everything behind and seek nature. His love for Jack London, Thoreau and Tolstoy; his ability to survive on plants and game using just a book and the ease with which he slipped into the lives of those who helped him are just testaments to him being extremely intelligent. Into the Wild changed something within me, something that was profound and moving. Drawing parallels to his own life with that of Chris's, Krakauer makes one understand the true nature of a young man who went into the wilderness but not before impacting the lives of many others.
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Rating : 4.7/5.
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"He read a lot. He used a lot of big words. I think maybe part of what got him into trouble was that he did too much thinking. Sometimes he tried too hard to make sense of the world, to figure out why people were bad to each other so often. A couple of times I tried to tell him it was a mistake to get too deep into that kind of stuff, but Alex got stuck on things. He always had to know the absolute right answer before he could go on to the next thing." - Jon Krakauer.
.
Christopher Johnson McCandless was a force to be reckoned with and Into the Wild captures his essence brilliantly. Even after his death, he went on to inspire countless people, making them re-evaluate their choices and to embrace life in its truest sense. It's wondrous how Krakauer managed to include so much of Chris in just about 200 pages. It was only after watching a video of his sister, Carine McCandless did I know that a lot of Chris's life was excluded from the book upon her insistence. Chris was certainly someome who danced to his own tune. His life, even though it lasted for just 24 years, was lived on his terms. Little did he know that his story would go on to inspire millions.
.
In 1992, a young man's body was discovered in the wilderness of Alaska, setting the world abuzz with curiosity. Upon talking to a variety of people, the authorities learned that his name was Alexander Supertramp; a man who was loved by many during his time on the road. It was only a few weeks later did they realise that this adventurous young man with a pseudonym was actually an intelligent and educated man called Christopher McCandless. His death brought on a lot of criticism about him being reckless, stupid and ungrateful and for the initial pages of the book, I sided with them. But as I read along, as Krakauer puts across Chris's life under magnifying lens, I understood why Chris did what he did. It is said that Chris was never one to follow the rules set by the society and often challenged them. His childhood and growing up years weren't pleasant what with his parents being angry and hoarding secrets for years. Upon graduating, he decided to break free.
.
He gets on the road with less to nothing in his backpack and abandons material things like a deer shedding its antlers. For over two years, Chris hikes, walks and meets new people with whom he shares a close bond. Ron Franz, a man in his eighties proposes to adopt him and constantly prays for his safety when Chris announces that he intends to live in the Alaskan wilderness for couple of months. Cutting all the ties with his family, Chris leads a content life with empty pockets and dirty clothes. To him, money meant nothing. Relationships merely existed but weren't necessary. During the two years of his freedom, he came to be loved immensely by everyone who met him. But in Alaska, the wild land takes its toll and even for a man as sharp as Chris, death became unavoidable. Into the Wild is a stellar tribute to Chris's life.
.
To many, Chris's actions may seem maniac, delusional and utterly confusing but it takes a while to know why he chose to leave everything behind and seek nature. His love for Jack London, Thoreau and Tolstoy; his ability to survive on plants and game using just a book and the ease with which he slipped into the lives of those who helped him are just testaments to him being extremely intelligent. Into the Wild changed something within me, something that was profound and moving. Drawing parallels to his own life with that of Chris's, Krakauer makes one understand the true nature of a young man who went into the wilderness but not before impacting the lives of many others.
.
Rating : 4.7/5.