What a read!!!
Before anything, I need to tell you all how much I LOVED this book - it is one that I will treasure not only on my ever growing and caving bookshelf, but also in my heart, for life.
I received this book as a birthday gift from one of my good friends, Adrian.
I had been intrigued by this book for some time, considering it was a beautiful mixture of adventure, travel, freedom and mystery combined! I also knew that it had been made into a film but I'd been desperately trying to avoid watching it as I try to always read the books beforehand.
There are so many beautiful aspects of this book, from the gorgeous excerpts from other books that start off every chapter, to the riveting and inspiring quotes and messages you pick up throughout the pages all the way to the fact that there are SO many different opinions about this book!
This book riled up so much controversy, as most true stories do.
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. Four months later, his decomposed body
was found by a party of moose hunters. How McCandless came to die is
the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.
Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his cash. He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and , unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented. Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw the maps away. Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild.
Blurb taken from: Here
Many believed that Chris McCandless was a mad man, hellbent on self-destruction. A nutter that set off 'into the wild,' knowing full well that he'd never return. A suicidal, arrogant and naive little 'boy'.
Well... I beg to differ.
To me, McCandless was so easy to relate to in many ways.
There was one major difference though... I could sit and daydream all day long about packing a small backpack with the essentials, breaking free and wandering off into the great unknown.. hell, I DO sit and daydream about it endlessly! The difference with McCandless however, is that he had the balls to actually do it.
That fact makes this book somewhat dangerous for someone like me to read - because it influences me in so many ways and helps to build up the courage to do exactly that.
IS that a bad thing though?! This is where the controversy starts all over again.
If you're an adventurer, a seeker of freedom, an adrenalin-junkie or merely enjoy the great outdoors - then this book is for you.
Of all the admirable and breathtaking things I picked up from this under-rated book, the below is something that completely knocked me off-kilter... but at the same time, adjusted every inch of my way of thinking into exactly what I needed it be... it made me feel courageous and READY to face to world. Give this quote a read and tell me that it doesn't inspire you:
"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a person than a secure future. The very basic core of a persons living spirit is their passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences and hence there is no greater joy than an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
Do yourself a favor and read this book. I guarantee to will change your life.
Now all I need to do is watch the movie!
I hope you are all having a stunning weekend. Relaxing, partying, eating, drinking, playing, learning, sharing and BEING.
(these are some of the things that I've been up to lately):
Not my best look....
Life is beautiful... and it is what you make of it.
