In April 1992 Chris McCandless, a young man from a well-off family, set off alone into the vastness of Alaska, north of Mount McKinley. He had abandoned all his possessions and given his savings to charity...
In April 1992 Chris McCandless, a young man from a well-off family, set off alone into the vastness of Alaska, north of Mount McKinley. He had abandoned all his possessions and given his savings to charity. He explained to his parents by letter his decision to leave civilisation and embrace nature. Four months later, his body was found by a moose hunter: next to the body, a diary Chris had kept during his agony, up to a few hours before he died. Starting from the pages of the diary, the author began a three-year investigation into Chris's reasons and his ideals.
"It may be a true story, but Into the Wild is a first-rate thriller" - Entertainment Weekly. Jon Krakauer is an accomplished mountaineer and a journalist specialising in extreme sports. He lives in Seattle. Into the Wild, his third book, spent several years on the bestseller lists in the United States.
Author: Jon Krakauer
By the same author, read the review of Into Thin Air (Aria sottile) by Jon Krakauer.
Who we recommend this book to
It is not a mountaineering book nor a handbook: it is a journalistic investigation built like a novel, which you read in one go even without any mountain experience. We recommend it to those who are drawn to the idea of setting off alone into the wild and to those who wonder about the line between freedom, the search for oneself and recklessness.
For those who go to the mountains it is also a useful read to reflect on: Chris's story shows how much preparation, knowledge of the land and the ability to turn back when conditions demand it really count. The book contains no photos or illustrations: all its strength lies in the story. On the same theme we suggest our reflections on the mountaineering of renunciation.
Fact sheet
- Photos and illustrations
- None