Into the Wild New edition Edition

You fathers and you mothers
Be good to one another
Please try to raise your children right

Don't let the darkness take 'em
Don't make 'em feel forsaken
Just lead them safely to the light

I wouldn't call him misguided or anything, it would do a great disservice to Christopher McCandless's life.
I am an outdoorsman myself and can understand the attraction of living alone in the forest, the sheer joy of living naked in the woods the way we have done for the last million years. It's just that it takes years of training and experience before you can attempt that and even after that it's 80% luck.

This kid was a good kid who needed a good tutor that's all, the world is a sadder place because we lost him.

best book i've ever read...

most ppl call it stupidity, idiocrasy and work of an mentally retarded... but i call it life... following your dream..

you may have a lot of many, lot of property and stuff... but at the end of the day, what all matters is your dream...

hats off, Christopher Johnson McCandless...

I enjoyed the book. I identified with Christopher. At his age, I was also hooked on the spirit of adventure Jack London gave so many of us. I disagree that Christopher had a death wish, but like so many men- he was seeking the silence, serenity, and beauty that only being alone in the wilderness can bring. The book also reminded me of the story of Dick Proenneke, who spent 30 years alone in the Alaskan wilderness and built a cabin that still stands today- using only hand tools. The main difference was that Dick started out on his journey when he was 50 and had already acquired many trade skills and wisdom that gave him the knowledge on how to survive (and thrive) in the wild.

The protagonist Chris McCandless would never have imagined in his wildest dreams that his death in Alaskan Wilderness would make him a worldwide phenomenon thanks largely to the book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer and Sean Penn’s movie by the same name.

At age 22 Chris McCandless left his home, abandoned his car mid-way, worked at odd jobs to earn money, hitch hiked to various places in America and finally went to Alaskan Wilderness to have a sojourn of solitude by living off the land. He intended to return to civilization but finally succumbed to starvation or perhaps accidental poisoning.

The author portrays a haunting storyline right from Chris’s childhood days, the relationship with his parents which steadily detoriated, the lives of many people he touched on his way and the affection they all hold in their hearts for Chris McCandless.

Perhaps he was an eccentric, perhaps he was reckless in his pursuits, perhaps he was an idealist (holding writings of Jack London and Thoreau in high esteem), perhaps he was ill prepared to move to Alaskan Wilderness by not carrying enough food rations, maps or compass, perhaps he was just unlucky to have got stuck up over there. People may call him a martyr or a fool but in spite of all this he was basically a nice guy at heart who firmly believed in following his dreams to the extreme, now ask yourself how many of us really try do that ?

Jon Krakauer is an excellent writer and captures the essence of the protagonist in a simple storyline often drawing parallels between his and McCandless’s life. Other than knowing about the life and death of John McCandless this book is definitely a must read for all those who love outdoor life and fail to see its associated pitfalls.