Into the Wild - Two and a Half Stars
The book my book club's reading this month is Into the Wild by Jonathan Krakauer. I thought the description of the book, a fresh-out-of-college guy from privileged middle class America hitches around the U.S. then treks into the Alaskan wild and mysteriously dies was interesting but I didn't expect to like the book as much as I did. Being a person who appreciates the outdoors but cannot understand why one would willingly choose to live in discomfort, I thought that I would be annoyed with Chris McCandless and the author's depiction of his story. It was just the opposite, retracing the steps he made during his final year was enthralling and what especially added to the story for me was Krakauer's deftly woven in quotes from numerous pieces of notable American literature that highlighted man's obsession with nature, beauty for beauty's sake and the value of self-reliance in a material world (although I AM a material girl - sorry couldn't help it.)
Krakauer wraps up McCandless's story in such a way that you aren't angry at him for his seemingly foolish and selfish choices, although my one bone of contention was the callous way in which McCandless dealt with his family who quite honestly did nothing to provoke such treatment. It's a great, quick read on a subject that most probably can't relate to but if Krakauer could make this city chick at least marginally relate to the urge to chuck it all and head for the woods then there has to be something to this book.
For a few fun, sassy reads from a Chicago author try Bitter is The New Black or Bright Lights: Big Ass by Jen Lancaster. The first book follows her fall from dot-com divadom to unemployment and (some) humility. Totally entertaining, I love Jen's attitude and writing style, especially her footnotes! This is an author I could go out for cocktails with and likely inspire a strange chapter in her next memoir. Bright Lights is life post "the crash" her attempts to become a full-time writer and all the annoying and endearing craziness that happens living in this great city.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Into the Wild - Two and a Half Stars
The book my book club's reading this month is Into the Wild by Jonathan Krakauer. I thought the description of the book, a fresh-out-of-college guy from privileged middle class America hitches around the U.S. then treks into the Alaskan wild and mysteriously dies was interesting but I didn't expect to like the book as much as I did. Being a person who appreciates the outdoors but cannot understand why one would willingly choose to live in discomfort, I thought that I would be annoyed with Chris McCandless and the author's depiction of his story. It was just the opposite, retracing the steps he made during his final year was enthralling and what especially added to the story for me was Krakauer's deftly woven in quotes from numerous pieces of notable American literature that highlighted man's obsession with nature, beauty for beauty's sake and the value of self-reliance in a material world (although I AM a material girl - sorry couldn't help it.)
Krakauer wraps up McCandless's story in such a way that you aren't angry at him for his seemingly foolish and selfish choices, although my one bone of contention was the callous way in which McCandless dealt with his family who quite honestly did nothing to provoke such treatment. It's a great, quick read on a subject that most probably can't relate to but if Krakauer could make this city chick at least marginally relate to the urge to chuck it all and head for the woods then there has to be something to this book.
For a few fun, sassy reads from a Chicago author try Bitter is The New Black or Bright Lights: Big Ass by Jen Lancaster. The first book follows her fall from dot-com divadom to unemployment and (some) humility. Totally entertaining, I love Jen's attitude and writing style, especially her footnotes! This is an author I could go out for cocktails with and likely inspire a strange chapter in her next memoir. Bright Lights is life post "the crash" her attempts to become a full-time writer and all the annoying and endearing craziness that happens living in this great city.
The book my book club's reading this month is Into the Wild by Jonathan Krakauer. I thought the description of the book, a fresh-out-of-college guy from privileged middle class America hitches around the U.S. then treks into the Alaskan wild and mysteriously dies was interesting but I didn't expect to like the book as much as I did. Being a person who appreciates the outdoors but cannot understand why one would willingly choose to live in discomfort, I thought that I would be annoyed with Chris McCandless and the author's depiction of his story. It was just the opposite, retracing the steps he made during his final year was enthralling and what especially added to the story for me was Krakauer's deftly woven in quotes from numerous pieces of notable American literature that highlighted man's obsession with nature, beauty for beauty's sake and the value of self-reliance in a material world (although I AM a material girl - sorry couldn't help it.)
Krakauer wraps up McCandless's story in such a way that you aren't angry at him for his seemingly foolish and selfish choices, although my one bone of contention was the callous way in which McCandless dealt with his family who quite honestly did nothing to provoke such treatment. It's a great, quick read on a subject that most probably can't relate to but if Krakauer could make this city chick at least marginally relate to the urge to chuck it all and head for the woods then there has to be something to this book.
For a few fun, sassy reads from a Chicago author try Bitter is The New Black or Bright Lights: Big Ass by Jen Lancaster. The first book follows her fall from dot-com divadom to unemployment and (some) humility. Totally entertaining, I love Jen's attitude and writing style, especially her footnotes! This is an author I could go out for cocktails with and likely inspire a strange chapter in her next memoir. Bright Lights is life post "the crash" her attempts to become a full-time writer and all the annoying and endearing craziness that happens living in this great city.
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