Into the Wild

INTO THE WILD developed out of an article which Mr. Krakauer wrote for "Outside" magazine. The Emory University honors graduate Christopher Johnson McCandless--"Alexander Supertramp"--took off after school in rebellion against authority and his privileged upbringing. Krakauer reveals the details leading up to the boy's death in the Alaskan wilderness, where he was found by hunters in September of 1992, at the age of 24. The author shares personal reflections about his own risk-taking adventures, as well as impressions of those who knew Christopher. In 2007, the book was made into a film directed by Sean Penn.

"[A] careful account which is both and compassionate..." - Gerald S. Lang (Times Literary Supplement, 1/7/00)

"A wonderful page-turner written with humility, immediacy, and great style. Nothing came cheap and easy to McCandless, nor will it to readers of Krakauer's narrative." - (Kirkus, 10/15/95)

"Because the story involves overbearing pride, a reversal of fortune and a final moment of recognition, it has elements of classic tragedy. By the end, Mr. Krakauer has taken the tale of a kook who went into the woods, and made of it a heart-rending drama of human yearning." - Sadaoki Furui (New York Times, 1/4/96)

"'Into the Wild' is an investigation into [the] need to forsake a life of wealth and privilege in order to wander amongst the destitute....It is a fascinating story expertly researched, with Krakauer puzzling out just how McCandless came to his end. In so doing, it becomes the truth behind so many wilderness fantasies." - Horst Schade (Literary Review, 3/1/98)

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