Into the Wild Book Review by Rebekah Anderson

Title of the Book: Into the Wild
 Author: Jon Krakauer
 # of Pages: 207
 Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆
 Review:

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a non-fiction book about the story of Chris McCandless, a college graduate who after abandoning his entire family and past life, leaves on a two year journey and eventually is found dead in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness.  Krakauer retraces his steps, dives into his past, and puts together the pieces in an effort to understand what exactly caused a smart and loved young man to abandon everything and lose his life in the process.

The book begins by stating some facts of the death and going from there.  Krakauer at first presents the story as a sort of mystery; you don’t know all of the pieces and you have no idea how they fit together.  As the book continues, more and more information is given, and this leaves the reader with an excited interest in the material.  Krakauer does a very good job present all of the facts and information from Chris’ life before he left, and a surprisingly good job tracking down all the people Chris encountered after he left.  This holistic approach served the book well.  That being said, it is difficult to ignore the many parallels between Chris McCandless and Krakauer himself.  As one reads, they should understand the two’s numerous connections and how that could impact the portrayal of the story.

As the book continues, the descriptions of the vast wild of the west increase and leaves those hungry for nature’s wisdom satisfied.  On the surface, the book is about how and why Chris McCandless died, but underneath it explores the appeal and awe our connection with nature gives us, and how our different perspectives can lead to different conclusions.  Chris McCandless was many things to many people, and this book seeks to find the truth: who was Chris McCandless?

Overall, the book was written very well.  It was enjoyable, short, and challenged the mind.  Those with a strong connection to adventure, nature, and risk would find it interesting.  It explores the possibilities of both our natural physical world and our inner motives and mind.

Rebekah Anderson