Review of Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Originally published on Goodreads on December 22nd, 2022
★★★★★
I admire good profile writing, but good profile writers have a tendency to have us love and root for the profilee, even when they’re not so purely saintly.
I say this first because McCandless’ story appeals to me. Not to the same degree, but his story of societal dissatisfaction seems to ring more resounding across the population today. Most of us aren’t so extreme about it though. The other is simply being on the road, that freedom and joyousness of waking up somewhere new everyday. I can tell you that gets old eventually – McCandless felt it when he convinced himself he wanted to return to civilisation.
At the core of the story for me an unspoken question is asked, Is it possible or desirable to live alone without other people? I think even McCandless isn’t capable of that. One of the hills I will die on is that we are social creatures, evolutionarily designed to be around others and attain affirmation and love and understanding. McCandless got by because he had the company of his writers and Burres and Westerberg and Franz, but notice he always returned back. Notice he wouldn’t have left Carthage if Westerberg hadn’t gone away.
McCandless failed to consider that maintaining human relationships is the great task and difficulty and joy of our lives. People are not saints, people are not there to conform to your world. Life is a give and take of compromise and service so that we may live amongst each other – because what else is there?
PS. It’s kinda funny to me that Krakauer didn’t bother to discuss Education of a Wandering Man except a mention in passing considering that’s what McCandless thought he might emulate? God knows I have and am trying right now.