“It is true that I miss intelligent companionship, but there are so few with whom I can share the things that mean so much to me that I have learned to contain myself. It is enough that I am surrounded with beauty…”
Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild
If you’ve ever found yourself a book that holds a special place within your heart, that encapsulates all that you feel about the world and all that you feel within yourself, than you’ll understand how I feel when I read this book.
I first fell in love with ‘Into the Wild’ in tenth grade when I was given the book to read as a homework assignment. Over the years, I’ve probably read this book 100 times over. Each time that I read it, I get something new from it.
Synopsis:
Known for starving to death in the Alaskan wildnerness, Christopher McCandless was an ambitious man from a well-off family with an aching need for adventure and a stubborn penchant for self-reliance.
After graduating from college, McCandless leaves everything behind and begins on a several years long journey across America in search of a place to call his own. He changes his name and leaves everything from his former life behind so that his family is unable to find him. Eventually, McCandless’ journey leads him to the Alaska wilderness, where he believed he found the solitude he’d been searching for so long for.
It’s a real-life story of adventure and heartbreak, telling the tale of lost soul who only wanted to find his happy in the world and would stop at nothing to do so. McCandless was an intelligent, extremely self-aware, caring and kind man who lost his life in search of solitude.
The book weaves McCandless’ journal entries with letters, interviews and a few speculations as to his state of mind along the way. It’s filled with incredible passages of thought provoking stories and quotes that cause one to think about the world in the very best of ways.
My take:
Most seem to think he was crazy, but many also think he was quite smart and admired him for what he did even though he managed to succumb to a couple of bad choices along the way. Personally, I can understand it. I can understand how one would search to vastly, so thoroughly for peace in this world that they’d be willing to stop at no bounds to find it.
McCandless was a visionary, who spent his life chasing something many of us are too afraid to even consider. His words are well spoken, his thoughts a little skewed (perhaps) but extremely intelligent, and his life is definitely one worth knowing about.
It’s not a long read, but it’s a great read if you’re looking for a new book to check out this summer. And, if you need some more convincing, google “Into the Wild Quotes” and read some excerpts from the book. You won’t regret it.
Also, read the book first. Don’t just watch the movie. The book is a lot better than the movie.
Loved the book and the movie!
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Right? It’s such an amazing story!
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It definitelyis!
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The book is always better than the movie!
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AMEN TO THAT!
Some movies are good – like the Harry Potter movies, but I always say that the books are better!
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Yes, some movies are done VERY well, but I’m just more of a book person!
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Oh, I wish I had! But, I was unaware of the story at all until the movie. I do feel you’ve done it great honor and I’ll now be looking for it myself.
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Thank you so much ❤
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I loved the movie, but I looked up the actual story online to find out what was not completely accurate. I also bought the soundtrack. Loved it.
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Oh yeah, the soundtrack was also amazing! I totally agree.
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Watched the movie “Into the Wild” and loved it. Haven’t read the book yet. Will have to check it out. If you like this book you may also like “Wild” by Cherly Strayed. You may have seen the movie with Reese Witherspoon. 🙂
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Thanks for the suggestion! I’ve also read Wild. It’s alright. I wasn’t a huge, huge fan of it, but it’s definitely worth a read.
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I liked that she had the guts to do the PCT on her own! But definitely interested in any good travel books you can recommend. 🙂 So will read “Into the Wild” to see how it differs from the movie. 🙂
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Yeah, she definitely was pretty gutsy, that’s for sure. It’s not something I’d ever have the confidence to do. Cheers to badass women of this world 😉
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Omg its book About me and my life 😀 i have to read it As soon As possible. Thank u for sharing this amazing post
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It is true; Books are usually better than movies – specifically classics.
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One of my favorite books too! You should try “The Wilder Truth” by his sister Corine. She talks about his childhood and her parents in more detail. She was upset about her decision to portray her parents as not so terrible because everyone treated them with sympathy and they played into it. Jerkwads.
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Not so terrible in the movie*. whoops
The parents essentially replaced Corine and Chris with two other kids they met at church one day. Haha
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They kind of did, in a big big way. In reading the book it was easy to realize why he was so lost.
Thank you for the recommendation. I have heard of it before but have never taken the time to read. I think I just might. 🙂
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Enjoy. Great blog you have going here.
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