Into the Wild

Babe here. I read on the news that it is freezing cold on the prairies and almost everywhere else in Canada. Maybe this isn't the best time to bring up the title of my latest reading find, but here it is. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is the book that I am currently reading.

I watched the first part of the movie on the plane ride home but the trip ended before I became really engaged in the story. I decided that I wouldn't rent the movie or watch the end of it because it felt like it was becoming a "feel good" boy-explores-the-world type of story.

I was wrong.

The young man in the story does indeed travel around the USA but unfortunately he meets a bad end. After tramping around the states and living the dream in Alaska for several months he dies and his body is found by some moose hunters who are passing through the area. The journey that he takes before ending in Alaska is documented through photos and writings he left behind and personal stories told by people he met while traveling.

You are probably wondering why I took an interest in the book after being turned off by the movie. The answer is simply that I was curious. While wasting a couple of hours in Chapters the other day, I noticed that there were two different editions of the book on display. I wanted to know what the difference was. Aside from the different covers and prices, the text seemed to be the same.

My interest was captured after reading the author's note which explained why he researched and wrote the book. From there I moved onto the first chapter and haven't stopped reading since. (Clarification - I did stop reading while I bought the book, came home, had dinner, showered, slept, woke up, had breakfast, shoveled the drive way, and surfed the internet. Now I'm back reading the book, though.)

In my opinion, the movie isn't worth spending time on because it skips important elements found in the book. The book itself is a very compelling story and I encourage you to read it if you have a chance.