While not a book I’d heard of, or would necessarily select even if I did, I’m very glad my sister was kind enough to send it for me to read! A true story, written in 1996 by a now well established writer, originally from Central Oregon. He’s written eight books, including ” Where Men Win Glory”, a biography about Pat Tillman, the NFL player who left the NFL for the Army and to fight in Afghanistan post 9/11.
On its surface, this is a story piecing together Chris McCandless’s short life based on his college and post graduation diary and journal, and numerous interviews. His life raises some interesting questions like ” What was the lure of the American wilderness and the restlessness it creates in young men?” Or the complex between father and sons. All under the umbrella of a smart, 4.3 GPA student in both high school and university. Who, upon graduation, happens to walk away from the “normal” future adult life of career, mortgage, 9-5 office hours, wife and kids, and chooses to give away all his life savings and belongings and to live off the land in the wilderness.
The book explains many of his travels around the western U.S. for a couple years, hitchhiking, sneaking on empty train cars, walking for miles, canoeing to name a few examples of transportation. Ultimately his goal is to hitchhike to Alaska to walk, live alone in the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. After 4-5 months, he inadvertently dies and is found a couple months later, and so the author explains all the “how’s” and “whys”.
Each chapter is about a specific adventure, and includes passages that evoke thought and insight of the human condition, as well as quotes/excerpts from famous authors like Mark Twain, Henry David-Thoreau, and Jack London to name a few. The author clearly has done lots’ of interviews of people McCandless meets on his journeys, and further builds out the narrative based on the journals which really help fill in the blanks. Some of the chapters also analyze how he might have died, almost becoming a science lesson themselves.
As I reflect how I might apply what I learned after prison, my main take away is McCandless’s laser focus on how he wanted to live his early to mid 20’s, strange or different to some or not. He didn’t let stereotypes or peer pressure impact those dreams as well. A lesson maybe all of us could use for the next few years of our lives as well! And one I will use as soon as I’m released! BJ
