This is the compelling true story of Christopher Johnson McCandless, a privileged and well educated young man from an affluent Washington D.C. family who shunned all worldly possessions and contact with people to fulfill his spiritual quest and ultimately died alone of starvation and exposure in Alaska. The book details the daily trials and tribulations he endured while making the decision to leave home and his experiences while traveling across America by hitch hiking stopping only to work odd jobs to support his trip. The abandoned bus where he lived, wrote and died was described well enough for the reader to have a good mental image. The grief of his family upon hearing of his fate further draws you in. A very personal level of feelings and emotions are shared by the reader for Mr. McCandless due to the many entries included from the diary found with his body and the many interviews with the people who knew Christopher as well as those he encountered on his journey including the man he worked for the longest. The last friendship he had was with a man he worked for while on the road. His name was Wayne Westerberg and the picture he creates of his days with the solitary young man are revealing and striking. The portrait of a young man who seems sometimes in possession of the divine knowledge of peace and truth but at times equally confused and frightened is poignant and shows him as a truly tragic figure. His many journal entries give the reader a view into his affection for Henry David Thoreau and other naturalist writers. In addition, Christopher’s own poetry and prose are striking and honestly heartfelt.
Into The Wild was written by John Krakauer who, as a world class mountaineer and adventurer, is well equipped to identify with his characters and provide a wonderful insight.