Review of “Into the Wild,” by Jon Krakauer, 1997. New York: Anchor Books/Random House. Paper, 207 pages.
The feeling of being disenfranchised is a very strong force indeed.
We talk about the disenfranchised as the outsiders, the bullied, the lost, the left out, and the ignored in society. Unhoused persons, street people, drug addicts, and the evicted all have their own stories. We talk about disorders and depression. We discuss paths people attempt to follow. We talk about goals. All of this talk leads us sometimes to places we had not counted on.
The stigma of not “fitting in” or feeling like your story matters is difficult for many people to accept.
This particular story tells about Christopher McCandless, the young college grad from Emory University who went west in 1992 to get back to nature. He was found dead in an abandoned school bus, and his death inspired two books and a movie about his days on the road. (Sean Penn directed the movie, and Emile Hirsch starred as Chris in that film.)
Into the Wild is a perplexing journey—most but not all of the pages are about Christopher’s wandering in the West—and it is very unsettling. It is not a book for the squeamish, not because it is gory or pornographic, but because it tells of the complicated mind of the young man. Krakauer attempts to understand what drove Christopher to go on the journey, and he follows him through the Southwest and the Plains. He tries to go with him spiritually by retracing his steps into Alaska and the area where the bus was parked, where Christopher spent his last days.
Christopher on the last leg of his journey getting to the old road that was intermittently covered by rivers that could become swollen from spring rains and melting snow. Why Christopher felt compelled is a good question the readers will have to consider as they read this book and the newer one.
This book became a bestseller, and it became a movie, as mentioned above. It also drove Christopher’s sister to write her own book. Reading both will give you a different picture from reading only one of them. This is an understatement.
Christopher lives in an old schoolbus that had been dragged out into the area he called his home. This clearing was separated from a road leading out to safety. A stream cut across the road, however, and it is that stream that winds up being an obstacle he cannot overcome.
This book was followed up by a book called The Wild Truth, written by his sister, Carine McCandless, who claims she knew him better than anyone. I actually read her book first. Upon reading it and hearing about Krakauer’s book, I decided to order it, read it, ponder it, and review it also. I am glad I read this first book also.
Without giving away too much of the content—readers need to learn it for themselves—I will say that the books combine to tell an unhappy tale indeed. I am glad I read both these books and had some time to think about both before I wrote my two reviews.
This is a very interesting book, and it compares a few other men who have gone off into the wilderness on various sorts of quests and explorations. Mostly, however, it focuses on the fugue of Christopher in the West. I recommend that if you read this book, you also read the one written by his sister.
Why does a young White guy—who seems to have a lot going for him—simply walk away from his life and become somebody else? What is it that happened to him?
He felt so very disenfranchised.
Although he maybe did not mean to die, he still did perish from putting himself in harm’s way. What caused this story? What caused this ending? Reading both books, plus seeing the film, might help you understand what is behind this entire mystery.
Feeling disenfranchised is a strong force indeed.