A good scenario of the old "man vs. nature" theme, 20. Dezember 2007

A fine, although depressing, book about a very idealistic young man who ventures up to live in the wilds of Alaska, without any companions, food, equipment. A good scenario of the old "man vs. nature" theme. Also, if you missed reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, go and read it.

      Into the boredom, 9. Dezember 2005

The book „Into the wild" by Jon Krakauer tells the story of a selfish weirdo, who leaves his live and his family behind to go on a trip through the wilderness of Alaska, but there he does not find the good life he expected but a mysterious death (that's what is said in the blurb). Krakauer tells this story using techniques normally used in documentary films like eye-witness reports, flashbacks and switching back and forth in time and place; even within one chapter. But as these techniques are documentary film-techniques they don't work for a written text. So it becomes confusing and lacks of thrilling parts. The story could have been more interesting if the book had been written in a different, more book-like way. However, since the book has been written as it is, the only feeling I have developed towards the book is boredom -- I just don't care about Chris and it doesn't really matter if he dies or not. I even wish him to die, so that this odyssey of reading will finally take an end.

      review, 9. Dezember 2005

Chris McCandless, a young intelligent college graduate, abandons his family and all his belongings and tries to escape from wealth and comfort. He wants to leave civilisation with all its rules. To put in a nutshell he is seeking for something he doesn't know, probably his way back to nature.Jon Krakauer wants to find out why McCandless, who could have led a modern life in civilisation, turned his back on society and disappeared into the wild without proper gear and finally lost his way.The author travels through the country to find the stations where Chris McCandless lived, worked or prepared his journey to Alaska, and interviews the people Chris had met.He shows the reader McCandless thoughts through his diary entries on the journey and gives an idea about Chirs feelings and intentions during the journey. It's an outlook on the psychology of a sensitive, spiritual, idealistic and seeking young man who affected the live of all people he met on his way.The book is a step by step retrospective on what had happened.There is a lack of action and you have to be an adventurous person like the author to be interested in that book.

      the book with the most misleading blurb ever seen, 9. Dezember 2005

So, what's to say about Jon Krakauer's book "Into the wild"? After reading the blurb I was of the opinion that an interesting, mysterious and exciting thriller was awaiting me. At this time I thought it wasn't that bad that the end of Chris McCandless, the protagonist, was already revealed from the very beginning. I got bitterly disappointed, though! After reading the first few chapters I got so bored about the book, because it's more like a report instead of a thriller, which it seemed to be at first sight. No suspense can be detected throughout the whole novel. The book is written in a very confusing way with many leaps of time. The author tells about the protagonist's life and his breakout from society, about his lifelong dream to go into the wild. We get to know about the family background of Chris McCandless and why he wants to leave all the things behind that were worthy for him up till now. Krakauer tells us about the protagonist's odyssey through the United States and his tragical end in the wilderness of Alaska. To put it in a nutshell the book is definitely something different as what is promised in the blurb. If you are interested in nature and hiking and crazy activities in the wilderness the book could be the right thing for you to read. Otherwise you should better keep your hands off because you will be bored to death!

      interesting for nature lovers, 9. Dezember 2005

Krakauer`s book "Into the wild", is a report about a young man, who ruined his life by his own visions, dreams and irresponsible behaviour. Chris McCandless, the protagonist, wanted to break out of society and decided to live in the wilderness of Alaska, without any gear and help from outside.

A positive feature about the book is that Krakauer researched the facts very well and that the maps before every chapter are illustrative and therefore helpful for the reader`s orientation.By reading the blurb, the reader gets the impression that the story about Chris McCandless is exciting and adventurous like a thriller, but in actual fact it isn`t like that.From beginning till end, the story seems to be a kind of narration which only deals with nature and McCandless`s family background. It`s rather disappointing that there is no actual plot.

Summarizing all the facts you can say that "Into the wild" is exclusively a book for nature lovers, who are interested in such a wild and rough life. For others this book is quite boring and not satisfying.

Natalie, Sandra, Regina