Into the Wild | Jon Krakauer

Admitting an interest that borders on obsession, Krakauer searches for the clues to the drives and desires that propelled 24-year-old Chris McCandless to leave civilization behind and head into the remote Alaskan wilderness. Four months later, McCandless’s emaciated corpse was found at his campsite by a hunter.  Mesmerizing and heartbreaking, Krakauer’s powerful and luminous storytelling blaze through every page.

About the book

In April 1992 a 24-year-old from the Washington, D.C., suburbs named Chris McCandless walked into the Alaska wilderness below Mt. McKinley with a small-caliber rifle and a 10-pound bag of rice. Four months later, his emaciated corpse was found at his campsite by a moose hunter. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of “Into the Wild.” Jon Krakauer constructs a clarifying prism through which he reassembles the disquieting facts of McCandless’s short life. Digging deeply, he takes an inherently compelling mystery and unravels the larger riddles it holds: the profound pull of the American wilderness on our imagination; the allure of high-risk activities to young men of a certain cast of mind; the complex, charged bond between fathers and sons.

Review Quotes

“A narrative of arresting force. Anyone who ever fancied wandering off to face nature on its own harsh terms should give a look. It’s gripping stuff.” — Washington Post
“Compelling and tragic…Hard to put down.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“Engrossing…with a telling eye for detail, Krakauer has captured the sad saga of a stubborn, idealistic young man.” — Los Angeles Times Book Review
“It may be nonfiction, but Into the Wild is a mystery of the highest order.” — Entertainment Weekly

Publication date: November 01, 2001

(Revised edition from Living off the country, 1956)

About the Author

Jon Krakauer is the author of eight books and has received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. According to the award citation, Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer.

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