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.

      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.

      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

      don't read this book, it's boring!!!, 9. Dezember 2005

Krakauer's book "Into the wild" deals with a youg man called Chris McCandless who wants to break out of society. This journey finally leads him to Alaska where he meets his fate.
If you read the blurb it can arouse your curiosity because you want to find out more about Chris' private motives for leaving all behind and beginning a new life far away from civilization and the circumstances of his death.
But actually there is no tension at all and therefore you will be disappointed by reading the first pages of this book, as it just is a report about a fool seeking self-discovery in the wilderness.
To put it in a nutshell this book is just a recommondation for nature freaks.For all the others it's only a waste of time and you will be bored to death!

      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.