Reviews

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

nktabrgla's review against another edition

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3.0

By the end it was impossible not to feel a sense of accomplishment for Strayed and her journey, both physical and emotional. Strayed connected her experiences on the trail with an exploration of her mother and her grief in a continuous, forward movement. However, a lot of the book annoyed me. Her descriptions often seemed cliche (there were chapters in which I heard my professors' voices in my head reminding me of the need to show and not tell) and the descriptions of her emotional journey lacked originality. I was consistently disappointed in her involvement of race in irrelevant situations (there really is no need to mention every time someone is not white). Likewise, her inclusion of Indigenous beliefs/thought/people was at times superfluous and failed to add depth to her argument. It seemed like an attempt to acknowledge native communities along the PCT (which as a concept, I appreciate), but it was not done in a profound or seamless manner.

ariajanae's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5
I hate to rate this when I didn’t technically finish it, but I couldn’t for the life of me get through the last few chapters! The first half is fantastic. And then it just gets kind of flat in my opinion. I just don’t have any interest in picking it up and finishing it, so I decided I won’t!

snukes's review against another edition

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4.0

Next stop on my tour of books about people doing insane things in the outdoors. Knew this one was going to be cheerier than the last (Into the Wild) since, y'know, the author lived to write it.

Cheryl Strayed is nothing like me. That we both hail from The Middle and think hiking the Pacific Crest Trail sounds like a good idea are where our similarities end. The biggest difference boils down to her impulsiveness. I am... what's the opposite of impulsive? Constrained? Cautious? Boring? And, of course, this is why she actually hiked the PCT and I just sit around and think about it.

But impulsive, extreme people make excellent narrators. Following Strayed's story - from her family background, to her hike, and back-and-forth through a series of flashbacks - was a fascinating journey. I can't help but be impressed at her perseverance, given how badly the hike started for her. (The chapter about how she packed and then lifted her backpack on the first day of the hike nearly had me in tears with something that was a combination of sympathy and schadenfreude.) She kept at her goal through every turn of physical pain. I feel like I could deal with the emotional stuff, but I am not tough (another reason I just sit here and think about these things) and I cannot imagine continuing on through the back pain, lost toenails, and bruises.

Maybe some of those things are inevitable on an 1100-mile hike. Maybe one could avoid some of them if one has read enough cautionary tails. I'll let you know when I find out. Because I'm gonna. As Strayed said, if she can do it....

Random additional note: that Strayed chose her own last name is a point of particular fascination. My brain is now fixated on wondering what I would choose, if given that option. I'll let you know if I think of it.

rachelsbusyreading's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring reflective
Really loved this one!! I’m learning that I just love books about people cross country country hiking lol

krikabee's review against another edition

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3.0

I like this book. Didn't love it, but liked it. It was similar to "Eat Pray Love" for me, in that I was along for the ride but with some hesitation. I enjoyed reading both. But both times I felt only a little sympathy for the author. I'm certainly in no position to judge anyone's journey toward self discovery/enlightenment/fulfillment. I just didn't feel especially close to either of their paths. Worth a read for the story. Mostly I liked hearing about the people she met/relationships she cultivated while still maintaining her "solo" status.

brookeringler's review against another edition

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5.0

I've been going through books like crazy - I have read about a book a day the last five days. None of the books left me as sad to be finished as this one had. I truly wasn't ready for it to be over, goosebumps taking residence on my arms with the thought that the journey I just traveled with Cheryl Strayed is now over. While her story is very different than mine, for reasons different than her I also have the dream of long-distance backpacking. I am very humbled after reading this memoir.

"To know that seeing the fish beneath the surface of the water was enough. That it was everything. It was my life - like all lives, mysterious and irrevocable and sacred. So very close, so very present, so very belonging to me.

How wild it was, to let it be."

evagachus's review against another edition

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It was ok. She just didn't enamor me.

threeg's review against another edition

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4.0

I enjoyed this story. I appreciated her willingness (cluelessness) to take on such a journey and share it with us.

michellegotto's review against another edition

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5.0

I resisted reading this for a long time because of the hype surrounding it. But then I ready "Tiny, Beautiful Things" and loved Cheryl Strayed's voice, so knew that I had to pick it up. I was not disappointed. Strayed's loss is palpable throughout the book, but so is her strength. I consider myself a strong person, but not in a million years would I feel brave enough to do what she did! Having read "Tiny, Beautiful Things," I wondered how she had gained so much wisdom and compassion. "Wild" is that story. Amazing.

reading_inthe_littlehouse's review against another edition

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3.0

Glad I gave this one another chance. I didn't seem to have the same negative feelings towards the character as the first time I tried reading it. She definitely redeemed herself in the end, for me. Raw, honest and inspiring.