If Chris McCandless had survived the growing up, he might have written this generation's next great bildungsroman.
I'd heard of this book and kept running across references to it but kept putting off reading it as I wasn't really thrilled with the premise.
Chris McCandless was a young man in search of his place in the world. A graduate of Emory University. A good student, a personable young man, but a bit of a loner who'd been scarred growing up (as so many are) and who felt compelled to go on a prolonged search for what mattered.
What I feared was that a non-fiction modern day story that paralleled - at least in part, Hatchet and/or My Side of the Mountain but in a self inflicted way would be more aggravating to me than enlightening. Given the outcome of the protagonist which I'd learned early on in my hearing about this work, I was afraid that the annoyance of wondering why would outweigh the sense of wonder that others suggested that the book engendered.
Plus several mentions that the author had padded the book with "extra material" to make it of sufficient length were worrisome.
However upon listening to this book, I can see the fascination that it holds, particularly for dreamers and the young at heart. The "extra material" was not just padding for length but had a legitimate place and added perspective to the story. It does add background & reinforcement and brings this individual's journey into perspective. The story felt to me like a particularly male story and I'm sure that it will appeal to younger male readers more than to to female readers but that may just be the perspective of this male reader and the writing of a male author.
One strange reaction that I had that others will most likely not have. Listening to this reminded me of travelogues I attended long ago as a child in Petosky. Back then, constant traveler Stan Midgely went to places that I had no real desire to see but his charismatic presentation made even those out of the way places interesting for a while. The skill of this author and the narrative talents of the reader here fulfilled that same role.
While I'm not sure that I'd have stuck with the printed book, the audio version had a way of getting me past the parts that might have ended my reading.
I'm still not sure that anyone really understands fully the character of Chris McCandless but his dying has undoubtedly added a tragic luster to what could otherwise be seen as entirely boneheaded endeavor. And yet, there are elements of the heroic about this young man's quest for independence, enlightenment and meaning. And his hubris was actually quite small considering the outcome.
The author was a sympathetic soul and really allowed readers who've never labored under these particular strains of compulsion to understand what those who are quick to dismiss as quixotic foolishness.
One of the joys of reading is that we can partake of the experiences of others without suffering all the same injuries and risks. This book is a great example of that. I would recommend this book to others as a good read but not a good role model. Here's a good chance to gain some wisdom and some perspective that cost someone else his life.
Note: Immediately after finishing the book, I watched the movie version and it actually helped me enjoy parts of the book that had seemed unimportant before. It did a good job of skimming away much of the "added" material" about the stories of others. It did seem to accentuate the domestic violence aspects of the story which surprised me given that the parents were thanked in the credits as they were. It also added a sexual attraction storyline that I was worried would have perverted one of the underlying precepts of Chris's journey.
I'd heard of this book and kept running across references to it but kept putting off reading it as I wasn't really thrilled with the premise.
Chris McCandless was a young man in search of his place in the world. A graduate of Emory University. A good student, a personable young man, but a bit of a loner who'd been scarred growing up (as so many are) and who felt compelled to go on a prolonged search for what mattered.
What I feared was that a non-fiction modern day story that paralleled - at least in part, Hatchet and/or My Side of the Mountain but in a self inflicted way would be more aggravating to me than enlightening. Given the outcome of the protagonist which I'd learned early on in my hearing about this work, I was afraid that the annoyance of wondering why would outweigh the sense of wonder that others suggested that the book engendered.
Plus several mentions that the author had padded the book with "extra material" to make it of sufficient length were worrisome.
However upon listening to this book, I can see the fascination that it holds, particularly for dreamers and the young at heart. The "extra material" was not just padding for length but had a legitimate place and added perspective to the story. It does add background & reinforcement and brings this individual's journey into perspective. The story felt to me like a particularly male story and I'm sure that it will appeal to younger male readers more than to to female readers but that may just be the perspective of this male reader and the writing of a male author.
One strange reaction that I had that others will most likely not have. Listening to this reminded me of travelogues I attended long ago as a child in Petosky. Back then, constant traveler Stan Midgely went to places that I had no real desire to see but his charismatic presentation made even those out of the way places interesting for a while. The skill of this author and the narrative talents of the reader here fulfilled that same role.
While I'm not sure that I'd have stuck with the printed book, the audio version had a way of getting me past the parts that might have ended my reading.
I'm still not sure that anyone really understands fully the character of Chris McCandless but his dying has undoubtedly added a tragic luster to what could otherwise be seen as entirely boneheaded endeavor. And yet, there are elements of the heroic about this young man's quest for independence, enlightenment and meaning. And his hubris was actually quite small considering the outcome.
The author was a sympathetic soul and really allowed readers who've never labored under these particular strains of compulsion to understand what those who are quick to dismiss as quixotic foolishness.
One of the joys of reading is that we can partake of the experiences of others without suffering all the same injuries and risks. This book is a great example of that. I would recommend this book to others as a good read but not a good role model. Here's a good chance to gain some wisdom and some perspective that cost someone else his life.
Note: Immediately after finishing the book, I watched the movie version and it actually helped me enjoy parts of the book that had seemed unimportant before. It did a good job of skimming away much of the "added" material" about the stories of others. It did seem to accentuate the domestic violence aspects of the story which surprised me given that the parents were thanked in the credits as they were. It also added a sexual attraction storyline that I was worried would have perverted one of the underlying precepts of Chris's journey.
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