Comments on: Into the Wild http://heliologue.com/2009/06/27/into-the-wild/ Let joy be unconfined. Let there be dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons, and necking in the parlor. Wed, 23 May 2012 05:37:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Conor http://heliologue.com/2009/06/27/into-the-wild/#comment-179214 Conor Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:37:35 +0000 http://heliologue.com/?p=3871#comment-179214 The way I see it, I have <em>unlimited</em> tolerance for "wanderlust and the vagaries of mysticism"! But that's, I think, precisely why I find this <i>Into The Wild</i> phenomenon so hard to stomach. This guy is not a prophet or a mystic. He was a jerk, and an idiot. As you point out, getting high grades is hardly an indication of brilliance on all fronts. He was a know-nothing wannabe ascetic from the freaking suburbs, and his body was found by a moose hunter. <em>That</em>'s how the cover copy should read, IMNSHO. The way I see it, I have unlimited tolerance for “wanderlust and the vagaries of mysticism”!

But that’s, I think, precisely why I find this Into The Wild phenomenon so hard to stomach. This guy is not a prophet or a mystic. He was a jerk, and an idiot. As you point out, getting high grades is hardly an indication of brilliance on all fronts.

He was a know-nothing wannabe ascetic from the freaking suburbs, and his body was found by a moose hunter.

That‘s how the cover copy should read, IMNSHO.

]]> By: Ben http://heliologue.com/2009/06/27/into-the-wild/#comment-179063 Ben Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:20:08 +0000 http://heliologue.com/?p=3871#comment-179063 I think you generally have a higher tolerance than me for wanderlust and the vagaries of mysticism. You also, I think, enjoyed <cite>Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance</cite>. McCandless' idealized quest is bound to engender less sympathy from someone as brutally pragmatic as me. I think you generally have a higher tolerance than me for wanderlust and the vagaries of mysticism. You also, I think, enjoyed Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. McCandless’ idealized quest is bound to engender less sympathy from someone as brutally pragmatic as me.

]]> By: Brady http://heliologue.com/2009/06/27/into-the-wild/#comment-179048 Brady Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:34:15 +0000 http://heliologue.com/?p=3871#comment-179048 Yep, McCandless is incredibly frustrating (as was my disclaimer when I gave you the book), but I found him to be slightly more of a compelling cypher than you did. He is hypocritically callous to those around him (until his near-mortem epiphany), and yet every person who ever knew him seemed quite charmed, even smitten with him. He is mind boggling arrogant and reckless in his approach to his adventures, and yet he survives all of them until the end (and even the last were it not for an understandable mistake). He is pretentious in his literary choices (Thoreau, London, various Russian authors), yet he has a solid enough grasp of them to put some really thought-provoking excerpts in his journal. McCandless seems to evoke all-or-nothing reactions from people: he's either an idiot or a saint. My hope is that angsty teens will see him as a cautionary tale, not an inspiration. But then again, he does call to attention (intentionally or not) that we are not always required to participate in a fast-paced technological society distant from nature. Taken as a parable meant to invoke discussion in these issues, I think the book is a great success. Yep, McCandless is incredibly frustrating (as was my disclaimer when I gave you the book), but I found him to be slightly more of a compelling cypher than you did.

He is hypocritically callous to those around him (until his near-mortem epiphany), and yet every person who ever knew him seemed quite charmed, even smitten with him.

He is mind boggling arrogant and reckless in his approach to his adventures, and yet he survives all of them until the end (and even the last were it not for an understandable mistake).

He is pretentious in his literary choices (Thoreau, London, various Russian authors), yet he has a solid enough grasp of them to put some really thought-provoking excerpts in his journal.

McCandless seems to evoke all-or-nothing reactions from people: he’s either an idiot or a saint. My hope is that angsty teens will see him as a cautionary tale, not an inspiration. But then again, he does call to attention (intentionally or not) that we are not always required to participate in a fast-paced technological society distant from nature. Taken as a parable meant to invoke discussion in these issues, I think the book is a great success.

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