Into The Wild - Jon Krakauer

== INTO THE WILD ==

=== 1996 ===

=== JON KRAKAUER ===

'Into the Wild' tells the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man from a well-to-do American East Coast family who, after he graduated from college, donated all of the money in his bank account ($24,000) to Oxfam renamed himself "Alexander Supertramp," and began a journey in the American West.

Nearly two years later, ...
...
This is not the first controversial book the author has written, in 1996, his account of the 1996 Everest disaster in the book publication of 'Into Thin Air', and was strongly criticised for presenting a one-sided version of the event.

In 'Into the Wild', Jon Krakauer rebuilds the final two years of McCandless's young life in his contentious book, that in many ways parallels the author's own dreams.

Jon Krakauer ... more

INTO THE WILD

1996

JON KRAKAUER

'Into the Wild' tells the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man from a well-to-do American East Coast family who, after he graduated from college, donated all of the money in his bank account ($24,000) to Oxfam renamed himself "Alexander Supertramp," and began a journey in the American West.

Nearly two years later, McCandless was found dead in the Alaska wilderness.

This is not the first controversial book the author has written, in 1996, his account of the 1996 Everest disaster in the book publication of 'Into Thin Air', and was strongly criticised for presenting a one-sided version of the event.

In 'Into the Wild', Jon Krakauer rebuilds the final two years of McCandless's young life in his contentious book, that in many ways parallels the author's own dreams.

Jon Krakauer became involved in this story after writing an article for Outside Magazine. The magazine's editor asked Krakauer to investigate the strange circumstances of this young man's death.

His badly decomposed body was found several weeks after taking his last breath and Krakauer attempted to place logic on this disturbing story.
As he states, his fascination with this did not end there; working with reports from the many people who had met Chris, he began to paint a picture of a serious young man who easily made friends.

McCandless hitchhiked to his final adventure in April 1992. He had spent the previous two years living in an itinerant society while looking for a "raw, transcendent experience."

Just what made a Grade A student from an upper middle class family in Virginia, voluntarily take up the life of a tramp, and then trudge throughout the West only to end up dead in a school bus in Alaska?

The story starts with the discovery of McCandless's decomposed body inside an abandoned bus in Alaska and retraces his travels during the two years he was missing.

In his book, Krakauer archives the events that led up to McCandless' retraction from society as well as the two years of physical and spiritual exploration made by the young man. It would seem that Krakauer intended to give his readers an understanding of why McCandless did what he did and not just write him off as some young thrill seeker who foolishly died.

As well as telling about 'Alex's' journey, the book also tells about the many people who were affected by the life, and death, of this young man.

Naturally there was his family, who he brusquely ended all communication with after his graduation. Their tale is one of heartbreak and confusion

Another person affected was the driver, Jim Gallien, who picked up 'Alex' as a hitchhiker in Canada. He went out of his way to drive him all the way to Alaska, he worried about the lack of equipment that Alex had with him, and bought him a meal. The last time Gallien saw was Alex was when he dropped him at the head of the Stampede Trail on Tuesday, April 28, 1992. Alex pulled a camera from his backpack and asked Gallien to snap a picture of him. Then, smiling broadly, he disappeared down the snow-covered trail.

Yet another person affected by Alex was the 80 year-old Christian man, Ron Franz, who provided food, protection, and shelter for the boy in the brief amount of time they were together.

McCandless made impressions on the people he met, but he affected Franz more than anyone else, so much so that the old man, with no surviving next of kin, wanted to adopt the 24 year old as his grandson.

Franz even took McCandless' advice and left his comfortable life to live in nature. After hearing the news of Alex's death he renounced God saying, "I decided I couldn't believe in a God who would let something that terrible happen to a boy like Alex."

Chris, who renamed himself Alex McCandless and Alexander Supertramp, followed a dream that was somewhat influenced by Jack London's fictional accounts, but also by writers and philosophers who abstained from the trappings of property.

He was completely ill prepared for achieving his great passion, the dream of his lifetime.

We know what happens to him 113 days after he entered the Alaska interior, but the period between when he graduated and when he died is only known through journal notes, conjecture, photographs, letters and memories. We learn through these memories about his resourcefulness, his planning, his intelligence and his unique personality.

When he finally chose to enter his final destination he felt prepared, while local accounts will certainly declare the young man insane and overly influenced by romantic ideas.

Jon Krakauer's accounts find parallels to his own life, as well as other explorers, and I felt that in a way, Krakauer's memories and youthful aspirations coloured his interpretations of Alex's trek.
He describes himself as having once been wilful, self-absorbed, moody, and obsessed with mountain climbing often fantasizing about remote mountains in Canada and Alaska. Both the author and Chris were young men intoxicated with the thought of the drama and challenge.

At times I thought that Krakauer went on a little TOO much about himself in the book.

He also reports numerous stories of solo adventurers who, even while knowledgeable and prepared, entered the isolated backcountry never to return.

For some reason Chris/Alex (I find it difficult to know what name to call him) felt compelled to test himself. His adventure could not have a successful outcome; if he were guaranteed a safe ending it would have been no challenge to him.

I found this, despite the tragic situation that inspired it, to be a fascinating and well-written book.

With regards to Chris/Alex I don't find him an admirable idealist, but more insane, I suffered with his family and friends for their loss and found myself irritated with his total disrespect for their feelings.
Some people suggest that Chris was actually seeking suicide, but I agree with the author that Chris's death was an accident that resulted from being overly confident and unplanned - an unnecessary tragedy.

I thought that Jon Krakauer did a brilliant job of rebuilding Chris McCandless's last two years of life. I like the way that he inserted his own voice as well as the voices of people who had met and known Chris.
He showed how through the that acquaintances Chris met on the road who expressed compassionate concern for him, that he had a talent for touching the lives of the people he met.

Personally though, I found myself angrier with him and caring much more for his friends of the road.

On August 12, McCandless wrote what are assumed to be his final words in his journal: "Beautiful Blueberries."

He tore the final page from Louis L'Amour's memoir, Education of a Wandering Man, which contains an excerpt from a Robinson Jeffers poem titled "Wise Men in Their Bad Hours":

Death's a fierce meadowlark: but to die having made
Something more equal to centuries
Than muscle and bone, is mostly to shed weakness.
The mountains are dead stone, the people
Admire or hate their stature, their insolent quietness,
The mountains are not softened or troubled
And a few dead men's thoughts have the same temper

On the other side of the page, McCandless added,

"I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!"

*********************

CHRISTOPHER McCANDLESS

Born February 12, 1968, El Segundo, California, United States
Died mid-August, 1992 (age 24), Stampede Trail, Alaska, United States
Body discovered September 6, 1992
Nationality American
Other names Alexander Supertramp
Parents Walt McCandless and Wilhelmina "Billie" McCandless (née Johnson

****************************

I would recommend this book; it is relatively short at 224 pages, and a quick and engrossing read.

BOOK DETAILS

· Paperback: 224 pages
· Publisher: Pan Books (7 Sep 2007)
· Language English
· ISBN-10: 033045367X
· ISBN-13: 978-0330453677
· Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13 x 1.6 cm

Summary: Well worth reading

 

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