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Into the Wild isn’t a perfect book, but it’s a great conversation starter about alienation, privilege, and what it means to reject society. Chris McCandless isn’t a hero or a fool. He’s something more complicated, and that’s what makes this book so fascinating to talk about.
Krakauer's writing is nothing special, taking a detached perspective, which didn’t always lend itself well to a biography of McCandless. Between 50–75% the book meanders, with Krakauer inserting accounts from other survivalists and his own experience. These inclusions felt more like filler than meaningful additions to the main story.
With his analytical and matter-of-fact writing style, Krakauer tried to remain neutral to allow space for the reader to come to their own conclusions. In some ways this attempt succeeded, but sometimes information was presented in a way that felt like pathologizing Chris rather than trying to understand him. I especially felt this in the sections about his parents, where Chris is painted as a pitiful figure who heartlessly abandoned them.
I wondered at times if some information was left out, or if Krakauer was providing the full context of McCandless' life. This stems from Krakauer’s detachedness: he avoided explicit political or philosophical analysis, though at times it still slipped through subconsciously. He kept the story very focused on McCandless as a person, for better or for worse.
I don't want to rate the book based on McCandless himself, but I see why this book is taught in schools and why it sparks such heated discussions. I definitely felt myself being pulled into philosophizing and theorizing, and for that, I really enjoyed my time reading this.
I left viewing McCandless as a complex and tragic figure. To me, his story represented the American experience in all the worst ways. Alienation, isolation, disenfranchisement, powerlessness. There's something to be said when people would rather completely detach themselves from society and take their chances surviving in the wilderness than try to eke out an existence in the capitalist system. There's also something to be said for how he still found community in small ways, sharing meals with strangers and making a profound impact on people's lives even if they didn't fully understand him. He didn't hate people, and he didn't hate life, he just hated the future he was born into and saw no other way out.
While I don't necessarily agree with his approach, I see the pain and desperation behind it. He's not a hero or an inspiration, but he's not a worthless loser, either. He’s helplessly human, sympathetic yet frustrating, and that’s what makes him so polarizing. Trying to fit him into a black-and-white existence as all good or all bad, as an American hero or an immature loser who failed to conform, is exactly the type of dehumanization he was trying to run away from.
I don't think I would willingly pick up another book by Krakauer as I found his writing uninteresting. However, I think Into the Wild is worthwhile as "required reading". Not because of Krakauer’s literary merit, but because McCandless’ life serves as a springboard for larger discussions. I loved completely immersing myself in an astounding amount of debate about McCandless as a figure, from perspectives I agreed and disagreed with. It would be disingenuous to say Krakauer’s framing played no role in that.
In the end, the book is less about McCandless’ death than about what his life forces us to ask about our own society.
Krakauer's writing is nothing special, taking a detached perspective, which didn’t always lend itself well to a biography of McCandless. Between 50–75% the book meanders, with Krakauer inserting accounts from other survivalists and his own experience. These inclusions felt more like filler than meaningful additions to the main story.
With his analytical and matter-of-fact writing style, Krakauer tried to remain neutral to allow space for the reader to come to their own conclusions. In some ways this attempt succeeded, but sometimes information was presented in a way that felt like pathologizing Chris rather than trying to understand him. I especially felt this in the sections about his parents, where Chris is painted as a pitiful figure who heartlessly abandoned them.
I wondered at times if some information was left out, or if Krakauer was providing the full context of McCandless' life. This stems from Krakauer’s detachedness: he avoided explicit political or philosophical analysis, though at times it still slipped through subconsciously. He kept the story very focused on McCandless as a person, for better or for worse.
I don't want to rate the book based on McCandless himself, but I see why this book is taught in schools and why it sparks such heated discussions. I definitely felt myself being pulled into philosophizing and theorizing, and for that, I really enjoyed my time reading this.
I left viewing McCandless as a complex and tragic figure. To me, his story represented the American experience in all the worst ways. Alienation, isolation, disenfranchisement, powerlessness. There's something to be said when people would rather completely detach themselves from society and take their chances surviving in the wilderness than try to eke out an existence in the capitalist system. There's also something to be said for how he still found community in small ways, sharing meals with strangers and making a profound impact on people's lives even if they didn't fully understand him. He didn't hate people, and he didn't hate life, he just hated the future he was born into and saw no other way out.
While I don't necessarily agree with his approach, I see the pain and desperation behind it. He's not a hero or an inspiration, but he's not a worthless loser, either. He’s helplessly human, sympathetic yet frustrating, and that’s what makes him so polarizing. Trying to fit him into a black-and-white existence as all good or all bad, as an American hero or an immature loser who failed to conform, is exactly the type of dehumanization he was trying to run away from.
I don't think I would willingly pick up another book by Krakauer as I found his writing uninteresting. However, I think Into the Wild is worthwhile as "required reading". Not because of Krakauer’s literary merit, but because McCandless’ life serves as a springboard for larger discussions. I loved completely immersing myself in an astounding amount of debate about McCandless as a figure, from perspectives I agreed and disagreed with. It would be disingenuous to say Krakauer’s framing played no role in that.
In the end, the book is less about McCandless’ death than about what his life forces us to ask about our own society.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Dementia, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief
Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Cannibalism
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death
adventurous
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Grief
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Cannibalism, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Men will do anything but go to therapy. Including dying from starvation while trying and failing to live out their Henry David Thoreau/Jack London solitary extreme minimalist, primitivist fantasies in the Alaskan wilderness while being horribly underprepared.
Chris McCaness' life choices are close to zero percent relatable to me and It’s hard not to judge him for his hubris. But Krakauer does a fine job with exploring the story, so I guess I still enjoyed the book.
Chris McCaness' life choices are close to zero percent relatable to me and It’s hard not to judge him for his hubris. But Krakauer does a fine job with exploring the story, so I guess I still enjoyed the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror
A young man sells his belongings, donates all his savings and travels alone to the Alaskan wilderness to make it on his own, horribly underprepared and under-equipped, then dies from starvation after 108 days or so.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Sometimes difficult to get through, but ultimately very well written and fascinating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Animal death