Author: Jon Krakauer
Date Published: 1996
Genre: Non-fiction; Biography
Length: app. 200 pages
Summary: In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild. Source: Amazon.com
Recently, I was on a bike ride and, during some odd conversation about roadkill, this book was mentioned. It was described as a good read but disgusting at the end. I almost told them to ruin the story and just tell me what happened. However, I decided to get it from the library and read it myself. That turned out to be an amazing decision.
I loved this book. I’m not interested in deserting my family and burning all my money to disappear into the wilderness. However, I could still see myself in McCandless. After graduating college, he wasn’t satisfied with the future that lay ahead of him. To him, that life seemed boring and meaningless. Instead, he took charge and began to live the way he wanted, predominantly alone, mixing with friends on his terms.
The friends McCandless made on his way were people he could respect. He enjoyed their company and they enjoyed his. As much as they cared for him, they also knew to leave certain subjects alone. Though they wanted him to let his parents know he was safe, they did not pressure him to do so. They describe him as talented, intelligent and hard-working.