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Jon Krakauer: Into The Wild

mediamst

mediamst

New Member
Has anyone read this book? I am reading it now and I have to tell you. THIS KID IS STUPID!

For anyone who isn't familiar with the book, here a quick rundown. Its based on a true story of this kid who goes "into the wild". In an attempt to be like Thoreau in walden, or someone in a novel by jack kerouac's "on the road". Only thing is, the kids so dumb and clueless, he gets himself killed.

Burns his money, ditches his car etc. Goes wandering around and almost dies all the time because he is so clueless, Then goes works at fast food joints, and hits the road again return to his foolishness untill he finally gets himself in too deep. I don't find it transcendental, or even inspiring, just an ignorant kid.
Many kids with this same mind set has made a hero out of this fool too. How odd.

Sorry for the rant. It just amazes me.
 
mediamst said:
Has anyone read this book? I am reading it now and I have to tell you. THIS KID IS STUPID!

For anyone who isn't familiar with the book, here a quick rundown. Its based on a true story of this kid who goes "into the wild". In an attempt to be like Thoreau in walden, or someone in a novel by jack kerouac's "on the road". Only thing is, the kids so dumb and clueless, he gets himself killed.

Burns his money, ditches his car etc. Goes wandering around and almost dies all the time because he is so clueless, Then goes works at fast food joints, and hits the road again return to his foolishness untill he finally gets himself in too deep. I don't find it transcendental, or even inspiring, just an ignorant kid.
Many kids with this same mind set has made a hero out of this fool too. How odd.

Sorry for the rant. It just amazes me.
Click to expand...
i know you were trying to down this book, but you made it sound pretty awesome. i don't know what i'm going to make of this kid when i read it, but i'm kind of curious how this book is now. thanks for the reccomen-, thanks for the review.
 
I am currently reading "Into the Wild"

When I read for pleasure (as opposed to "for school") I don't tend to read a lot of non-fiction. However, "Into the Wild" seemed like an interesting story of disenchantement with the so-called "mainstream" (materialism for example).

I have not finished reading the story of Chris/Alex. I am only about sixty pages in the book. From sixty pages I can't conclude (yet) whether he was an idiot or not --- but so far he seems complete insensitive to his parents. His relationship with his parents has (so far) not been described in any way that would lead me to believe it had a history of being strained. There seems to be no reason for his apparent refusal to have contact with his parents. I hate to think what they must have gone through while he was off hitchhiking around the U.S. He seems quite self-centred in this regard. Yet he seems to have little problem striking up warm relationships with people he meets as he travels the country --- even keeping in touch with them through letters.

His parents worries, however, don't seem to bother him.

The only other comment I have about this book is the lack of photos --- usually I wouldn't miss them, but much is made (by Krakauer) about Chris/Alex taking photos while he travels. Yet there's only one small black and white photo of him in front of the bus. It would be fascinating to see his photos.
 
I have not read it. I won't plan to now as you have told me he dies at the end :mad: Could you use spoilers?

Regards
SillyWabbit
 
I have not read it. I won't plan to now as you have told me he dies at the end Could you use spoilers?
Click to expand...

Actually it is written right on the front cover that he dies --- so it wouldn't have been a surprise if you read it.
 
Cover blurbs aren't always (if ever) within an author's control.
Yes, it's a true story, but there's another reason for letting the reader know right from the start that he's dead (the author himself does this). The book takes the reader on a journey to discover exactly what happened to Chris/Alex and why. His death is the catalyst for the project.

I've taught this book to college students and have found that their reactions change, sometimes radically, over the discussion period. I purposefully break the book down into three sections so they can slow down and observe their own feelings as well as how Krakauer structures the book (and how that structure affects them as readers).

By the end, most students are still upset (some even more than they were at the beginning) at the way C/A treated his family, but most have changed their minds about what early on seemed to be his "stupidity."
He made an immense impression on too many people he met along the way to be dismissed as just a dumb kid. Actually, I found him to be pretty complicated. Clearly he was passionate, sensitive, self-centered, emotionally conflicted, very intelligent, idealistic, and incredibly stubborn.
He took what he read--London, Tolstoy, Thoreau--deadly seriously. He also was confounded by his own emotional problems. But, at the core, he seemed to be driven by a need to live his life in some "pure" way. Yes, he was young. But sometimes we give up on our ideals way too early.
 
One more thought/question: Why is this string in the "fiction" forum? It's pretty clearly non-fiction which, I think, would clear up at least some of the problems some readers have with it.

And Mediamist, I hope you were able to stay with it to the end. How he died isn't what (or all) one is led to believe at the beginning of the book. I really understand your frustration and even anger. After the initial article he wrote for Outside Magazine, Krakauer got lots of letters, especially from Alaskans, about how careless, arrogant, and just plain dumb Chris was. But that was before he'd researched the whole story.
You may still end up thinking Chris was a jerk (or you may not ;) ), but why he did what he did and the stories of others like him are pretty human and, at least for me, rather compelling.
 
I started this last night but I'm not very far into it. I'm hoping that bumping this will get some people talking about it again. The book, not the movie.
 
I read this when i was 16 and i loved it. I didnt find chris stupid really at all. He did however annoy me at times and i felt like he was overly sensitive throwing fits like a kid. Ive actually done similar things going into the woods for extended periods with little supplys, and had nothing to do with any influences. i feel that chris felt the same way i did, that the earth and wild was the only truly beautiful thing and only way to be free.

in a world of such corruption and lie and hate and war. Can't rely on anyone they all lie cheat murder or rape or do something fucked up. The world and animals are the only pure thing left and it feels rather freeing to be in them alone.
 
I can't handle this. I saw his parents and sister on a show and it sadened me.

There is a movie out also right?
 
mediamst said:
Has anyone read this book? I am reading it now and I have to tell you. THIS KID IS STUPID!

For anyone who isn't familiar with the book, here a quick rundown. Its based on a true story of this kid who goes "into the wild". In an attempt to be like Thoreau in walden, or someone in a novel by jack kerouac's "on the road". Only thing is, the kids so dumb and clueless, he gets himself killed.

Burns his money, ditches his car etc. Goes wandering around and almost dies all the time because he is so clueless, Then goes works at fast food joints, and hits the road again return to his foolishness untill he finally gets himself in too deep. I don't find it transcendental, or even inspiring, just an ignorant kid.
Many kids with this same mind set has made a hero out of this fool too. How odd.

Sorry for the rant. It just amazes me.
Click to expand...


Thank you for saying that! Into the Wild is an okay book, and the movie is meh as well.
 
I enjoyed the book and it was a quick read for me. There have been times in my life when I wished I could just pick up and disappear, of course not to the extent of what Chris McCandless did.
The kid had a major problem with his parents his dad in particular. I could not understand why he did not keep in touch with his sister though, who he loved and cared for very much.
 
OK, I finished this book earlier today. Reading it gave me some perspective into what kind of person Chris McCandless/Alex Supertramp was and it didn't change my opinion of him or the recklessness of his behavior.

He was an extremely intelligent kid who read too much Thoreau, was extremely lucky, bullheaded, had no common sense, and, worst of all, arrogant with no respect for the power of nature. He had tramped off before and survived risky situations (the desert washout for one) and by the time he reached Alaska, his luck was all gone.
 
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