"Into The Wild"

I just finished reading a book called “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer. Though it has been sitting on my book shelf for the better part of 4 years, I haven’t actually taken the time to read it until now. The book and its subject matter have been brought to the forefront recently because it has been turned into a movie. Directed by Sean Penn, I heard great things about the film but missed it due to its limited release. Anyway, I was searching for something to read and came across “Wild” and decided it deserved my attention, if for no other reason than to have some base of knowledge before seeing the movie.

“Wild” is the story of Chris McCandless, also known as “Alex Supertramp,” and his Alaskan adventure that ultimately took his life. Chris was an extremely bright but extremely complex kid who, in 1990, left Atlanta after his college graduation and spent the better part of two years wandering the Western Frontier. Chris spent time kayaking to the Gulf of Mexico, working in a silo in North Dakota, and many nights camping in the deserts of Utah and Nevada. Chris was an idealist who was quick not only to talk about his ideologies but also to live them out. He willingly lived a life of total poverty, even burning the cash he had with him on one occasion as an illustration of his devotion. Early in his travels he abandoned his car and the majority of his time on the road was spent either hitchhiking or just walking. He often worked but never for very long and anytime he felt his employer might want him to stick around a little longer he was sure to be gone within a week. He was never comfortable unless he was on the move and making it on his own.

Chris came from a wealthy background and a family that seemed, at least to his high school friends, to be fairly normal. The typical conflict between teenager and parents was evident but nothing so out of the ordinary as to push a man into total solitude. Yet when Chris began his trip “into the wild,” he neither notified his family nor kept in touch while traveling. In fact, the first time his parents were even aware of his whereabouts following his college graduation was when they were called to identify his body. Not once in two years did Chris write or call home, despite the fact that he sent numerous postcards to those he met on his journey. A deep rift existed between Chris and his family, a rift that his parents never understood or saw and the writer can only vaguely uncover.

On his final expedition, Chris planned and almost successfully completed a solo campaign into the heart of the Alaskan wilderness. Packing barely more than a ten pound bag of rice, a .22 caliber rifle, a camera, and a bag of books, Chris trekked down a hunting trail in April, with plans to stay through the summer. His intention was “to find himself,” a cliché that is often used loosely but one which Chris truly sought after. In September his body, emaciated and decomposing, was found by the first group of hunters to pass through the area. Chris had died some three weeks prior. Sadly, journal entries indicate that Chris had finally found himself and was ready to move back into society. Say what you will about the ultimate outcome of his excursion but the trip served its purpose and allowed Chris to find the peace he desired.



Initially Chris’ story was written up by Krakauer in Outside magazine, an article that would illicit a great deal of interest and comment. Some wrote in to wish condolences to the McCandless family, some to praise Chris’ brave lifestyle, and some to condemn him as an arrogant, incompetent fool who underestimated the perils of the wild. After finishing the piece and reading some of the feedback, Krakauer was unable to put the matter to rest. An avid outdoorsman and climber, he identified with Chris and launched an extensive investigation into Chris’ life and subsequently, his death. Krakauer spent more than a year gathering evidence, talking to those Chris came in contact with on the road, and digging into the life of the McCandless family (with their help, it should be noted). His discoveries and believes make up the frame for “Into the Wild.”

It is hard to describe “Wild” as a great book. It mixes pieces of Chris’ travels with the author’s own story and the precise, critical style of the book clearly indicated the journalistic background of Krakauer. The research done for this book is obviously extensive but in many instances, it reads like a long newspaper article rather than a biography. The story, however, is one of great interest and deserving of the attention the book has brought to it.

Chris McCandless is an extremely interesting “character.” The author does an excellent job of presenting his actions and his personality in a factual manner, allowing the reader to decide for himself whether or not Chris is a hero of sorts or a lunatic (or maybe somewhere in between). His rejection of almost everything civilization has to offer, his desire to live off the land, and his complete and total conviction in everything he did are qualities that many can respect, if not embrace. And yet the virtual abandonment of his family, his mood swings, and his seeming lack of preparation lead some to consider him another angry youth, possibly suicidal or possibly suffering from a mental disease. Krakauer does a masterful job of presenting the Chris in an honest and sometimes unflattering fashion and presents the reader with a question: Do you connect with and relate to Chris McCandless or not? The answer to this question, I believe, will ultimately be reflected in your view of Chris. If you cannot connect with him, you are likely to consider him either crazy or stupid, someone who was either seriously let down by our health system or got what he deserved. But if you can connect with him, you are likely to view Chris as an icon, a man who lived out his beliefs with reckless abandon, with little regard to the thoughts of society or even his own life.

Personally, I relate to and connect with Chris. To leave it all behind, to separate oneself from society, to be one with nature, and maybe most importantly, to truly delve into and uncover oneself holds a great deal of appeal to me and to many other people, especially males in the same age range as Chris. There is real appeal, for me at least, in hiking down a little used trail, killing my own food, and living in an abandoned bus-turned-cabin. Don’t misunderstand. I think Chris’ expedition can be (and has been) over romanticized. In many ways he is the Kurt Cobain of the extreme sports world. To trudge off into the wilderness sans map and proper gear without letting anyone know where you will be in case things go wrong is at best ignorant and at worst moronic. In truth, I don’t think anyone can unquestionably say that Chris wasn’t suffering from some sort of mental illness. Schizophrenia often displays itself in males around the age that Chris was when his behavior became more erratic. At the very least his mood swings lend themselves to the possibility of bipolar disorder. Yet there is value in the lifestyle which Chris professed and however misguided, a man who truly lives out the life he professes is a rarity in our world of two faced and hypocritical idealists who may talk about a life as one with nature but do not have the balls to spend a week without an air conditioner. Much like Chris himself, his story is one of great complexity that is worthy of being told, regardless of ones beliefs about the man himself.