I enjoyed watching the film, a rarity for me, so when this came up on a Kindle deal for 99p i didn't hesitate.

After watching the film i was of the mind that Chris McCandless was a total idiot, as apparently were most of the people who heard the basic story of his demise.   But was it fair on him to be portrayed in that way?   I wanted to know a bit more.

Jon was the reporter who first brought this story to the world in an article he was asked to write for 'Outdoor Magazine'.   But he knew he hadn't done the story justice in the time constraints that he'd had to get that article written, so he went back over the whole story and wrote this book.

And this book really does put things into context.   One thing the film doesn't cover is the childhood that Chris and his sister suffered under a domineering, controlling, and oft times abusive, father who demanded excellence all the time, and when Chris found out the truth about his father's excellence -- how Chris and his sister came to be born -- i think something really snapped inside him.   He just wanted to be free of everything his father represented, to get as far away from it as possible -- and having been bought up by a father like that who i had to escape from at 15 years old into my own wilderness, i can't blame Chris whatsoever for being like he was and doing what he did, in fact, i totally understand.

As to the writing, this story is incredibly well thought out and presented and really does put a lot of Chris' behaviour and attitude into a much broader perspective than a film could ever hope to get to.

So if you have watched the film then please don't just stop with that view of Chris, i don't think that's fair.   Take a little while, read this book and get to see a much wider picture of Chris McCandless. ( )

Fascinating story of Chris McCandless, who gave up his possessions and hitchhiked across the country until finally making it to Alaska, where he starved to death in the wilderness.

Partly inspiring, partly tragic. Certainly an interesting book that both makes me appreciate nature, and want to explore the world, but at the same time, appreciate the relationships I have, and the creature comforts of this world. ( )

4.5 ( )

In 1992 a young college graduate hitchhiked his way to Alaska and trekked into the Alaskan wilderness alone for an epic journey of survival and self-discovery. Going by the name Alexander Supertramp, the young man had given away most of his possessions, donated $24,000 to charity, and abandoned his car two years before. Charming and affable, Alex left a lasting impression on many people. Nevertheless, he yearned for wanderlust, never staying in one place too long. Alaska had always held a lure for him, and Alex entered the wilderness with adventure in his heart. A mere four months later, hunters and hikers would find his severely emaciated body in the back of an abandoned bus leaving everyone to wonder what happened.

The Bottom Line: Highly recommended reading for fans of nonfiction, adventure, and survival. This book will resonate with adults of all ages, but especially with those in college and those who enjoy hiking in the wilderness. Krakauer has the ability to impart detailed information in a way that keeps the reader turning the pages. If you’ve ever longed for solitude and adventure, check out this book about one young man following his passion.

For the complete review including Book Club Notes, please visit the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. ( )

My, am I torn on this one…on one hand McCandless’ story is adventurous, romantic, and thrill seeking and had he survived I’m sure he’d have been celebrated and become an early Bear Grylls of sorts. Of course, this is how the author wants you to feel. You see in him the same sense of wanderlust with a pinch less of the misfortune. Of course, McCandless himself is an enigma, as the author only “met” him postmortem. When he interacted with people he seemed very captivating, one man even wanted to adopt him as a grandson. Of course, that runs in high contrast with his solo escapades. I’m also confused about his decision making, one that struck me almost immediately was burning his cash after abandoning his car. I get the car, if the fact that it flooded and he couldn’t get it running was true, but why burn the cash when you are trying to get cross country to Alaska, then having to work odd jobs to make money to get there. I won’t get hung up on it, but it definitely doesn’t compute. The author also seems to get stuck on McCandless’ morals and ideals, which again, are great, but he seemed to get so lost in his idealism that he lost the distinction between fiction and nonfiction. He took way too many fiction books and tried to turn them into his version of a bible (unless I’m reading too much into things) trying to practice what they preached while forgetting that they didn’t even practice what they preached. Now, I don’t want to crucify or glorify the guy, but something just doesn’t pass the smell test.

I know I’ve ranted and raved a bit here, so I’ll try to reign it in with a final thought, and keep in mind, I didn’t read the original article in Outsider, but I do get the feeling that after writing it, the author felt a lot of blowback and negativity brought toward McCandless from his readers. The book in part read as an apology to Chris for the original article. Whether it be the moose/caribou debate, or the seemingly obsessive digging into his manner of death, amongst other things, I couldn’t shake the feeling. I also would have liked more about Chris and his relationship/friction with his parents which seemed to be the stepping off point to the whole rigamarole, which was touched on, mentioned in detail, but not really explored completely, and would really help in maybe understanding him, or his choices better. He hated his parents so much he essentially dropped off the map, but still hung on to that sleeping bag that he was found dead in, which his mother made…again, doesn’t compute but I’m starting to rant again, so I’ll tie this up by saying I can’t…it makes sense and it doesn’t, I liked it and I didn’t. From an Eagle Scouts point of view, his Alaska adventure seems like a great vacation for a week or two (see the tv show Alone and it’s success as another example) but a really poor life choice. And that’s that… sorry for the length and kudos if you stuck with me. ( )