Scan barcode
A review by kyarabereading
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
I had to read this book for my AP Literature class back in 2018-ish, but I was a lazy high school student so I never read it. Plus, I didn't really care much for the story of Chris McCandless, so I thought "why bother?" I finally decided to give it a read this summer, and I have to say, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It's not usually the type of book I read, so it was a huge surprise to me.
Since it's a nonfiction story, one may be inclined to think it would be really boring (and I will admit, some parts are a bit boring) but the author does a great job of bringing these "characters" to life. Krakauer really takes the reader on this journey with him, helping the reader better understand the journey Chris McCandless went through that led him to his untimely death in Alaska. I like that we not only learn more about McCandless's life: We also see Krakauer reflect on his personal experiences, provide historical information and connect it to McCandless's story, try to uncover the cause of McCandless's death, etc. I will say that I was even moved by McCandless's philosophy through this book. Before I even read the book, I had made preconceived notions about McCandless so I disliked him for all the reasons other people who learned about him after his death disliked him: He seemed pretentious, he did something reckless, etc. But I grew to appreciate him more through this book (though I still don't really like him very much). I think there's a lesson to be learned in that.
Final thoughts: Krakauer's writing is what compelled me to finish this book the most. Sometimes I forgot that I was reading a nonfiction book because he did such a good job storytelling in a way that makes the reader feel like they are there with him/with Chris. I would probably read this one again!
Since it's a nonfiction story, one may be inclined to think it would be really boring (and I will admit, some parts are a bit boring) but the author does a great job of bringing these "characters" to life. Krakauer really takes the reader on this journey with him, helping the reader better understand the journey Chris McCandless went through that led him to his untimely death in Alaska. I like that we not only learn more about McCandless's life: We also see Krakauer reflect on his personal experiences, provide historical information and connect it to McCandless's story, try to uncover the cause of McCandless's death, etc. I will say that I was even moved by McCandless's philosophy through this book. Before I even read the book, I had made preconceived notions about McCandless so I disliked him for all the reasons other people who learned about him after his death disliked him: He seemed pretentious, he did something reckless, etc. But I grew to appreciate him more through this book (though I still don't really like him very much). I think there's a lesson to be learned in that.
Final thoughts: Krakauer's writing is what compelled me to finish this book the most. Sometimes I forgot that I was reading a nonfiction book because he did such a good job storytelling in a way that makes the reader feel like they are there with him/with Chris. I would probably read this one again!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death