Into the Wild

De: Jon Krakauer

Narrado por: Philip Franklin

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...

"Terrifying...Eloquent...A heart-rending drama wandering of human yearning."--The New York Times

"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."--The Washington Post

Reseñas de la Crítica

"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

Bitterly dissapointed with narration

I love this book. I love the story, I think it's told perfectly, a wonderful balance between the life of Chris, his family, his friends, his rides, the people Chris was likened to, and Krakauer's own experiences. To the previous reviewer who questioned the need to include Krakauer's own experience: The story could easily be told without that section, but it would have suffered for the omission. Among other things, it helped bridge the gap between "what we think we know" and "what a near-death in the frozen wilderness is actually like".

So why three stars? Well, the title says it all. This book is all but ruined by the narrator. In the book there are quotes all over the place - from Chris, from people Krakauer spoke to, from Krakauer himself. And yet the narrator does not change his voice at all for each of the different parts. I found myself getting confused - is he still reading from Chris's journal or is he back to Krakauer's voice? It completely wrenches you out of the story, and stops the heart of the story coming across.

Add to that the audio-sin of dodgy recording... a repeated line or two due to someone not worrying about listening to the final product before releasing it (probably in too much of a rush to cash in on the movie success to worry) makes this an audio book I would not recommend.

As to the actual book - do yourself a favour, buy, beg, borrow - find a copy. Remember your young ideals. Remember the times you've done stupid things that could've ended very differently. Enjoy this book.

A Great Story

I'd have to say this might be my second favorite audiobook. A great story of trying to find yourself and doing what you want.

Disappointed

I got lost somewhere between Ch 4 and Ch 7ish. When the book began explaining others instead of Chris's journey my interest was lost. It is not that others that had lives similar to his are not interesting. I didn't want to hear chapter after chapter about them when my purpose was to learn more about Chris and his journey to Alaska. The narration wasn't enough to keep me invested. It was like sitting through a dry college lecture for weeks and trying not to fall asleep.

One of the Best Audiobooks I have Listened to!

I loved this book, even cried at the end it was so good. I love how the story is constructed, the author weaving his own stories in with the adventures of the main character. Also, the narrator is brilliant! I listened to this in two sittings, didn't want to go to sleep. :-) This one is a must listen!

Loved the Movie - Liked the Book

I rented the movie then I wanted to know more about "Alex" so I listened to the book. The book filled in many details that weren't in movie and I really appreciated that. I was distracted when the author interjected his mountain climbing adventure. If you liked the movie you will like the book and visa versa.