At a Glance
About Jon Krakauer
StrengthsAt the beginning of each chapter, Krakauer used snippets of adventure-related works, highlighted portions from books in McCandless's possession, and, on occasion, etchings from the bus where McCandless stayed. These helped to highlight the overall focus of the chapter, reorient the reader if we were going to rejoin Chris, and provide a well-deserved break to Krakauer's lengthy accounts in a previous chapter. "Dark spruce forests frowned on either side the frozen waterway. The trees had just been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean toward each other, black and ominous, in the fading light. A vast silence reigned over the land. The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness. There was a hint of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness - a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the Sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility. It was the masterful and incommunicable wisdom of eternity laughing at the futility of life and the effort of life. It was the Wild, the savage, frozen-hearted Northern Wild. Jack London, White Fang" (9) "The dominant primordial beast was strong in Buck, and under the fierce conditions of trail life it grew and grew. Yet it was a secret growth. His newborn cunning gave him poise and control" Jack London, The Call of the Wild (38) McCandless looked up to Jack London and Krakauer found strong, powerful, and rich lines from London's works to show what McCandless was experiencing throughout his adventure. But what proved to be even more powerful were the lines from McCandless himself. Krakauer sprinkled these both at the beginning of chapters and throughout the book. "Jack London is KING Alexander Supertramp May 1992" (9) "All Hail the Dominant Primordial Beast! And Captain Ahab Too! Alexander Supertramp May 1992" (38) "TWO YEARS HE WALKS THE EARTH. NO PHONE, NO POOL, NO PETS, NO CIGARETTES. ULTIMATE FREEDOM. AN EXTREMIST. AN AESTHETIC VOYAGER WHOSE HOME IS THE ROAD. ESCAPED FROM ATLANTA. THOU SHALT NOT RETURN, 'CAUSE 'THE WEST IS THE BEST.' AND NOW AFTER TWO RAMBLING YEARS COMES THE FINAL AND GREATEST ADVENTURE. THE CLIMATIC BATTLE TO KILL THE FALSE BEING WITHIN AND VICTORIOUSLY CONCLUDE THE SPIRITUAL REVOLUTION. TEN DAYS AND NIGHTS OF FREIGHT TRAINS AND HITCHHIKING BRING HIM TO THE GREAT WHITE NORTH. NO LONGER TO BE POISONED BY CIVILIZATION HE FLEES, AND WALKS ALONE UPON THE LAND TO BECOME LOST IN THE WILD. ALEXANDER SUPERTRAMP MAY 1992" (163) These allow the reader into the mind of McCandless even though they provide no true detail to what he was truly thinking, feeling, and believing, which I believe is a strength. It adds to the mystery of Chris McCandless and the suspense of his journey until his demise. Ultimately, Krakauer does a wonderfully detailed and drawn out job to showcase Christopher McCandless's journeys and final journey. Each piece of the puzzle is introduced well and then woven into the grand scheme of Chris's life. WeaknessesThere were many points while reading Into the Wild that I wanted to shake both Chris McCandless and author Jon Krakauer. I wanted to shake our protagonist for his sheer stupidity and brash, sometimes arrogant attitude towards the world and people around him, but his high school friend, Andy Horowitz hit the nail on the head when he was quoted as saying, "Chris 'was born into the wrong century. He was looking for more adventure and freedom than today's society gives people'" (174). And, the reader learned all about those that did have the opportunity for adventure and freedom, including the author, in plenty of, in my opinion, longwinded and, to an extent, pointless history lessons on previous explorers of Alaska's frontier. There were a few chapters that I fell asleep during (no joke) or just skimmed to get the gist. These chapters and snippets made up about a quarter of the book. Focus on the main character, Krakauer, not yourself. RecommendationIf you have ever enjoyed reading survival-themed books such as My Side of the Mountain, Hatchet, and/or a Jack London classic then this book is for you, especially if you are bored with these fictional stories. Into the Wild is nonfiction and recounts the steps that Christopher McCandless endured until his death. Krakauer goes into extreme depth and analysis, too. If you are interested in all of the details of attempted survival and adventure then this book will be right up your alley. If you like adventure and survival type books, but not the detail, I would still recommend this book to you because it offers a balanced mix of Chris's adventure and the details surrounding it. Why Did I Read This Book?I read this book because of its reputation. Many family members and friends have recommended it to me over the years. I read it to finally say, "I read it, and this is what I think about Chris McCandless."
I know it has been made into a movie, but I am a book-to-movie purist. I enjoy reading the book first then watching the movie, and drawing my conclusions from there. I am also able to count it for the following reading challenges:
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