Into the Wild by Krakauer

[kccougar]

What did you think of Chris McCandless? I started Into the Wild on the plane yesterday so I'm only about 2/3 through the book, but I find myself coming to the conclusion that the guy was simply mentally unstable, and it doesn't seem right to romantacize his going off the deep end.

Did others that read the book find something noble in his wanderings?

[Clark Addison]

It's been a while since I read the book, so I may be off in some of my memories here.

I kind of fall in the middle on this one, but I definitely don't agree with Krakauer. Krakauer obviously sees him as noble and heroic, and his quest as admirable. I can't agree with that assessment, and if you read McCandless' notes toward the end of his ordeal, I don't think he would have seen himself that way as well. He was a scared kid who just wanted to get out. That's basically how I see him, as a very naive and kind of spoiled kid.

I've heard from other people who really take an intense dislike to McCandless, who say that he deserved to die because of his stupidity. I don't agree with that either. Sure he was stupid, but if you had asked me when I was his age if I could survive an Alaska summer under his conditions, I probably would have thought I could easily do it. A lot of us do stupid things, but for most of us, it fortunately doesn't kill us.

[TripletDaddy]

Krakauer is a bit of a nut and it is not surprising that SU finds him to be so credible.

Related accounts given by fellow climbers that were on Everest that year seem to differ drastically. You may want to check out The Climb, written by members of Fischer's climbing team.

I do find it interesting that Krakauer can go from authoring a book on mountaineering to a book on the Lafferty murders. The guy is prolific, I will give him that. I look forward to reading the Jon Krakauer Dutch-Oven Cookbook. Hopefully it in post-publication by now.

If you pop over to CG, there are several lengthy threads re: Krakauer. They are worth checking out, if only to read SeattleUte's perpetual defense of this otherwise insane individual.

[RobinFinderson]

DDD, you are assessing the wrong book. Into the Wild was the one that follows the kid who runs away from home to become a tramp and be free, and it was turned into the excellent movie directed by Sean Penn which featured Eddie Vedder's music.

I really like the story, and count myself among the people who think that McCandless is a prophet and a martyr.

[Art Vandelay]

Krakauer is a bit of a nut and it is not surprising that SU finds him to be so credible.

Related accounts given by fellow climbers that were on Everest that year seem to differ drastically. You may want to check out The Climb, written by members of Fischer's climbing team.

I do find it interesting that Krakauer can go from authoring a book on mountaineering to a book on the Lafferty murders. The guy is prolific, I will give him that. I look forward to reading the Jon Krakauer Dutch-Oven Cookbook. Hopefully it in post-publication by now.

If you pop over to CG, there are several lengthy threads re: Krakauer. They are worth checking out, if only to read SeattleUte's perpetual defense of this otherwise insane individual.

Krak is a Emerald City guy, I assume Gracie had his back too.

"Into the Wild" was a good book but as it always seems with a Krakauer book he knew what he wanted say first (idealistic, brave young man breaking away from the capitalistic establishment he was raised in) then molded his history to defend his position. I fear the Pat Tillman book will be much of the same (epecially with Tillman's mother having such strong feelings on his death and the cover-up)

It has been years since I read "Into Thin Air" but I recall Krakauer's account varying greatly from Anatoli Boukreev's.

The best mountaineering book I have read is by Ed Viesturs "No Shortcuts to the Top". If you want a more realistic first hand account of a young college student trying to survive the winter all alone read this book.

[TripletDaddy]

DDD, you are assessing the wrong book. Into the Wild was the one that follows the kid who runs away from home to become a tramp and be free, and it was turned into the excellent movie directed by Sean Penn which featured Eddie Vedder's music.

I really like the story, and count myself among the people who think that McCandless is a prophet and a martyr.

oh, good call. I was thinking about "into thin air."

[Jeff Lebowski]

DDD, you are assessing the wrong book. Into the Wild was the one that follows the kid who runs away from home to become a tramp and be free, and it was turned into the excellent movie directed by Sean Penn which featured Eddie Vedder's music.

I really like the story, and count myself among the people who think that McCandless is a prophet and a martyr.

McCandless was a nut. I enjoyed the book and the movie, but both were over the top in glorifying the unfortunate death of an idiot.

[RobinFinderson]

McCandless was a nut. I enjoyed the book and the movie, but both were over the topic in glorifying the unfortunate death of an idiot.

Was Joseph Smith a nut for the same reasons?

[marsupial]

McCandless was a nut. I enjoyed the book and the movie, but both were over the topic in glorifying the unfortunate death of an idiot.

I don't know that I would call him an idiot, but I certainly wouldn't call him a prophet either. Definitely what he did was not smart, though it is something that as a kid I would contemplate doing. No serious plans, but I would sometimes think about what it'd be like to live on just the land or to be a vagabond, traveling with nothing.

I didn't read the book but saw the movie and found it interesting and heart-breaking.

I feel for his parents. It was a selfish thing to do to them.

I can't decide if he's crazy... However, that guy that lived with the bears, Timothy Treadwell. He was bat-poop crazy.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Was Joseph Smith a nut for the same reasons?

[Guest]

Spoiler...




If he had even a rudimentary topo he could have just about walked out of his bewilderment. He's a true outdoor dumbass, if there ever was one.

[RobinFinderson]

I often wonder what the hell we are all doing with this life we have. As a Mormon, maybe you feel like you have a better grasp of the answers, but the day-to-day existence of most people is not very life affirming, and does not really stretch us toward any kind of transcendent state of being. Most of us go to work, come home, fiddle on the internet a bit, kiss our family, and go to bed. That can be a life of simple pleasures, especially the meaningful interactions with friends and family, but the majority of the day, for most of us, is spent as a cog in a machine for the enrichment of others. It is about sustaining a certain material level of comfort, and devoting the bigger part of our life to building up other people's financial portfolios. McCandless, to me, is a person who saw this trap for what it is, and while he didn't have a sure plan to escape the trap, he knew that the answers he was looking for would not be found within the confines of the rut.

So he set out, looking for something. His life is a testament to the search for meaning, the hope that there can be a better way of living than what most of accept as the inevitable. I see a bit of Joseph Smith's idealism in that attitude, and like Joseph Smith, the pursuit led him to a grisly end. They aren't alike in their doctrine, but there is something similar in their desire to pursue a different way of living, no matter what the cost, and the cost for both of them was their life. I genuinely admire Joseph Smith. He too was a prophet of sorts (though probably also a charlatan, his radical quest is inspires me to overlook some of his flaws).

[Jeff Lebowski]

I often wonder what the hell we are all doing with this life we have. As a Mormon, maybe you feel like you have a better grasp of the answers, but the day-to-day existence of most people is not very life affirming, and does not really stretch us toward any kind of transcendent state of being. Most of us go to work, come home, fiddle on the internet a bit, kiss our family, and go to bed. That can be a life of simple pleasures, especially the meaningful interactions with friends and family, but the majority of the day, for most of us, is spent as a cog in a machine for the enrichment of others. It is about sustaining a certain material level of comfort, and devoting the bigger part of our life to building up other people's financial portfolios. McCandless, to me, is a person who saw this trap for what it is, and while he didn't have a sure plan to escape the trap, he knew that the answers he was looking for would not be found within the confines of the rut.

So he set out, looking for something. His life is a testament to the search for meaning, the hope that there can be a better way of living than what most of accept as the inevitable. I see a bit of Joseph Smith's idealism in that attitude, and like Joseph Smith, the pursuit led him to a grisly end. They aren't alike in their doctrine, but there is something similar in their desire to pursue a different way of living, no matter what the cost, and the cost for both of them was their life. I genuinely admire Joseph Smith. He too was a prophet of sorts (though probably also a charlatan, his radical quest is inspires me to overlook some of his flaws).

Yeah, whatever.

I thought his story was interesting and you have to admire his moxie. But that was a horrible thing to do his family (the manner in which he just disappeared). And he had zero common sense. What the hell good does it do to burn your cash? This guy was a walking Darwin Award candidate.

[Guest]

McCandless is a false prophet of going into the wild.

On the flip side, here is true to life man who walked into the wilderness of Alaska and lived there on his own for 30 years, by the sweat of his brow. His hand built cabin still stands today.

Even at 80 a man like Dick Proenneke would kick the hell out of the likes of McCandless in the outdoors.

http://www.amazon.com/One-Mans-Wilde.../dp/0882405136

[RobinFinderson]

Yeah, whatever.

I thought his story was interesting and you have to admire his moxie. But that was a horrible thing to do his family (the manner in which he just disappeared). And he had zero common sense. What the hell good does it do to burn your cash? This guy was a walking Darwin Award candidate.

You can make that argument, and it is will appeal to 99% of the people on this board. Personally I would compare him to the apostles, going out without a purse or script (i.e. burning the cash). He leaped. The situation with his parents is sad. I think we can only guess as to whether figurative patricide was necessary in order to pursue his new life. Mormons believe that Christ had the choice to die on the cross, and in choosing to do so, he abandoned his wife and children at age 32. I don't think one needs common sense to be a prophet.