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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I liked this book for two reasons. #1 While the author had gone through many hardships, she never was whiny or overly narcissist about her life. #2 The writing was really straightforward and smart.
A true story of hiking a difficult and trying trail alone to exercise demons, this is a good read if you are a hiker, someone who has experienced feeling lost in your own life or is looking to be inspired by someone overcoming their fears to move forward in their life. The upcoming movie will be interesting to watch to see if the acting can convey the excellent internal dialogue found in the book. I look forward to reading more by Cheryl Strayed.
A true story of hiking a difficult and trying trail alone to exercise demons, this is a good read if you are a hiker, someone who has experienced feeling lost in your own life or is looking to be inspired by someone overcoming their fears to move forward in their life. The upcoming movie will be interesting to watch to see if the acting can convey the excellent internal dialogue found in the book. I look forward to reading more by Cheryl Strayed.
It can't be a total coincidence that I get the notification that I have won the lottery for day hike permit to Mt Whitney on the same day I was reading the page of this memoir where Cheryl has reached Mt Whitney Portal. May be the "Queen of PCT" did her little magic on the recreation.gov staff to edge me in.
Jokes apart, one can see the book is a great memoir but not the author's finest work. It is a cautionary tale for impulsive folks and solo hikers, a good reference for way points & local flora-fauna on the route and a solid print ad for REI. You have to remind yourself that she did this in a time when you couldn't flip out a phone to check AllTrails or Google Maps. She relied on a mere printed guidebook, with no "internet research" which makes this feat even more admirable. About her personal life, the book starts out raw -- delving into the gritty details of her complex family , but over time becomes repetitive and doesn't leave a satisfying finish in terms of learned lessons. Maybe I was expecting a bit much about spiritual awakening one might have in the course of 1100 miles.
Overall, it's a decent read but it does fast track the Oregon part of the trail throwing out names of placess more than meandering in them.
Jokes apart, one can see the book is a great memoir but not the author's finest work. It is a cautionary tale for impulsive folks and solo hikers, a good reference for way points & local flora-fauna on the route and a solid print ad for REI. You have to remind yourself that she did this in a time when you couldn't flip out a phone to check AllTrails or Google Maps. She relied on a mere printed guidebook, with no "internet research" which makes this feat even more admirable. About her personal life, the book starts out raw -- delving into the gritty details of her complex family , but over time becomes repetitive and doesn't leave a satisfying finish in terms of learned lessons. Maybe I was expecting a bit much about spiritual awakening one might have in the course of 1100 miles.
Overall, it's a decent read but it does fast track the Oregon part of the trail throwing out names of placess more than meandering in them.
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
A lady gets a lot of people helping her along her hike where she does some soul searching. Sometimes moments of profoundness hit but most fell flat on the reread.
My thoughts on "Wild" can be articulated in this line from the book: "It had only to do with how it felt to be in the wild. With what it was like to walk for miles for no other reason than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows, mountains and deserts, streams and rocks, rivers and grasses, sunrises, and sunsets. The experience was powerful and fundamental." Addictive and beautifully written, I'd recommend "Wild" to anyone.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has struggled with the experience of true, gritty, guilty loss. She explains how she takes on a giant obstacle to overcome the one that the loss of her mother has left her with.