Early on in Karkauer's account I disliked Chris McCandless immensely. He Displayed a selfish and unjustified lack of respect for his parents, his government and his society. Yet his nomadic lifestyle would havebeen impossible without the generosity of strangers living in the "Conventional world" he so despised. And in the very last days of his life, He Was Forced to plea for help from the same "Conventional World" from Which he withdrew so Readily. While reading the second half of the book, HOWEVER, May views began to change. Mr. Krakauer does a fine job of explaining the drive behind seeking men as McCandless (and himself). Contrary to other readers, I found immensely helpful thesis sections in trying to understand McCandless, and I came to gain more respect for the main character. In the end, Into the Wild is most interesting Because it tells a biographical tale of the author himself and others like him. As the author Explains, Krakow undertook similar solo journies in Alaska at around the same age. He too Could have died. To portray McCandless as selfish or sophomoric meant indicting himself. Nevertheless, Krakow's well-written prose does not shy from seeking self-flaggelation. He reflects honestly on the dangerous risks seeking young men (including himself) have taken, does not seek to justify them but to explain them, and leaves the reader with the knowledge the losing yourself in the vastness of nature is unlikely to cure troubles That May exist within.
