Glad to see someone who lives on his own terms
Written: Jan 24 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: learn about a man who was "born in the wrong century"
Cons: Gets a little off track, only about 200 pages
The Bottom Line: Read and wonder why someone would leave a seemingly fullfilling life behind. You will learn why.
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| Gov9's Full Review: Jon Krakauer - Into the Wild |
There is numerous ways to look at Christopher McCandless. A rugged outdoorsman; a manic compulsive; a mental disturbed young adult; someone to be admired. To read about someone like this is fascinating.
I finally picked this up after reading 'Into Thin Air' a few years ago. Just as with 'Air', 'Into The Wild' will stay with you for awhile. Navigating a journey into the inner pysche of a man Krakauer never met, we see Chris from the outside and the inside. It is written similarly to the 'Perfect Storm' as it tries to recreate a journey where there were no survivors.
For a college student to think about the world around him as destructive and to embrace 'the new frontier' values in an era of global capitalism is rather remarkable. To reject love, materials, and social forces and to enter into a world in which you enjoy the adventure, the uncertainty, and not being bogged down by the American culture goes against what the youth are taught. For someone to want to live this way is brave.
Whether he succeded is debatable. Dying is something he knew might happen, but it was part of the adventure. Did he want to. I would say no, but it was a consequence of living life the way he wanted to. Chris tells a person he meets along his journey who tries to get him to hang around and call his parents, "No, you don't understand. This is what I'm doing." That says it all. One of his old friends says he was born in the wrong century. His ideals reflect that.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Gov9
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Member: John
Location: Laurel Springs, NJ
Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 4 members
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