A review by elizabacelar
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

5.0

The meaning of life is indeed an obscure question no one really fully understands, I believe, and this book is about a few stories of people that went into searching for the answer to this question and others, similarly to the main backbone story told here, Chris (Alex) McCandless'. Sadly, not a lot of those stories left living main characters, and this book is a beautiful tribute to those that really tries to go to the heart of the question they were trying to answer, and also reflects on how these people started wondering about the purpose of life in the first place, but in such an intense way that they were not only willing to risk their lives to the edge of physical and psychological limits, but in a way almost called by it, with such an intense urge towards the vast immensity only the darkest of wildernesses has. These people were also the same that saw a colossal boundless and genuine beauty only nature has to offer. To understand this calling and follow through with the needed courage takes a very special (or crazy?) human being. I'm still reflecting on a lot of what this book makes you ponder, especially between the lines, and that is really this nature and equilibrium of choices we have in life; that is complete safety and constant imminent death; consciousness and instinct; status quo and freedom. There's just so much to it, it really isn't purely black and white. At first, I was really mad with the whole concept of abandoning one's family and walking into the wild seemingly very ill-prepared, especially feeling for his family. I still have some of those feelings, but I also am looking past the surface of the situation and trying to understand this drive a little better. It definitely changed the way I respect nature and appreciate the blunt abundant beauty that it has.