Into the Wild

By: Jon Krakauer

Narrated by: Philip Franklin

Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. His body - along with a camera with five rolls of film, an SOS note, and a cryptic diary written in the back pages of a book about edible plants - was found six months later by a hunter.

©2007 Jon Krakauer (P)2007 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"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

Enjoyed the Story, okay narrator

I have always enjoyed the story itself, but I had to adjust to the narrator. Something about his voice didn't seem to match the story. But overall, I enjoyed it and would listen again.

Movie is actually better

There was a lot in the book that could have been left out, just made it drag on. made it boring. The actual story of the journey is interesting if he would have just concentrated on that, which is what the movie did.

Krakauer Does It Again

At first I didn't think this book would interest me but through Krakauer's brilliant writing the tragic story of this young man is brought to life. Sad and beautiful. Krakauer's own person mountain climbing story is also shared in this book. Terrific reader makes this book an easy listen.

Haunting

I listened to this while at work and on my bike, I remember sections of it when I revisit these places... it got inside my head. Get it.

Sad Story

Such a heart wrenching tale of a young man with so much life who died too young. Beautifully read, I recommend to anyone who's heard of the story or seen the movie to listen to this book!

Good story, but a little jumbled

I very much enjoyed the story itself, even with the related entries tied within. The only trouble I had was with the back and forth timeline that was created by the input of so many others who McCandless met along the way. I am not a writer and perhaps there was no other way to depict the multiple lives Chris had impacted along his journey, but I tended to get lost in some of the individual stories before being torn out and back into his.

500 facts about fifty different people.

As with a couple other Krakauer books I've read, this one too is more of fact presenting than it is storytelling. I feel like I learned 500 facts about fifty different people. And 500 more about places, objects, things. Some lending to the story well, some seeming thoroughly tangential and irrelevant. He paints a visual picture but for my taste doesn't tell enough story with the pictures he paints. I wish he wove a bit more of a story.

wish I could have met him

I loved the book 20+ years ago (I followed this intriguing story from day one). I bought the audio version and it made it even better. Narrator did a great job.

Good...

Strangely the movie was better. There was an interesting story and character here. But it felt thin. Also was not a big fan of the author inserting himself into this. It took me out of the whole thing.

Good read by Franklin

Devastating and beautiful

This story is something different to everyone. it's meaning has changed for me as I've grown older. When I first read it as a young man I was drawn to it's outward rebelliousness and desire to disconnect from your parental pressures and the quest to forge your own path. Now as a father with a adult son of my own, the book means so much more. A amazing story about a amazing young man by a amazing author.