Wild:
From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
- Cheryl Strayed
Published - March 20, 2012
Publisher - Knopf
Pages - 315 (Hardcover)
ISBN - 978-0307592736
Publisher - Knopf
Pages - 315 (Hardcover)
ISBN - 978-0307592736
Genre - Nonfiction, Biographies
and Memoirs, Adventure; Books to Movies (the film Wild will be released in the future, starring Reese Witherspoon)
Literary Awards - Indies Choice Book Award for Adult Nonfiction (2013); Goodreads Choice for Best Memoir & Autobiography (2012), Oprah's Book Club 2.0 Selection.
A Best Book of the Year: NPR, The Boston Globe, Entertainment Weekly, Vogue, St. Louis Dispatch.
Pace - leisurely
Style - desciptive
Tone - strong sense of place, moving
Writing style - richly detailed; descriptive
Storyline - Character-driven
Title Read-alikes:
Summary -
After the death of her mother from cancer, Cheryl Strayed fell into a downward spiral, leaving her devoted husband for numerous one-night stands and a stint abusing heroin with a new boyfriend. She also estranged herself from her once-close siblings and step-father.
Although she was almost broke and had no backpacking experience, Strayed headed for California on an 1,100 mile journey for self-discovery on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Her hike lasted for several months, beginning in the Mojave Desert and ending on the Oregon-Washington border. She arrived on the PCT ill-prepared with a heavy over-packed backpack she could barely carry and shoes that didn't fit properly. Strayed also overlooked important trail information - hundreds of miles of the PCT in the High Sierra was covered with ice and snow. She met various hikers, local people, and amusing "characters" along the way, forming friendships and obtaining help from some of them when she was low on food and money. They also offered practical information on hiking and maneuvering the PCT.
My opinion:
I found the book fascinating because Strayed painted vivid, detailed descriptions of the locations she visited along with her family members and the characters she met on her journey. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next and enjoyed reading about the various places she visited.
Parts of the book are introspective, in which Strayed analyzed her weaknesses and relationships with her ex-husband and family members. While attempting to cope with the loss of her mother, she made unwise choices by using heroin and having numerous affairs while married to a loving husband. Throughout Strayed's journey, she commented about the many men who were attracted to her both on and off the trail. While at a trail stop in Oregon, she complained about how bad her body looked after weeks of hiking on the PCT. These complaints were made before her date with a guy she briefly met in a bar that ended up as another one-night stand on a beach. That was one time I felt no compassion for Strayed.
Literary Awards - Indies Choice Book Award for Adult Nonfiction (2013); Goodreads Choice for Best Memoir & Autobiography (2012), Oprah's Book Club 2.0 Selection.
A Best Book of the Year: NPR, The Boston Globe, Entertainment Weekly, Vogue, St. Louis Dispatch.
Pace - leisurely
Style - desciptive
Tone - strong sense of place, moving
Writing style - richly detailed; descriptive
Storyline - Character-driven
Title Read-alikes:
- Claiming Ground - Laura Bell
- Once Upon a River - Bonnie Jo Campbell
- Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
- Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
Summary -
After the death of her mother from cancer, Cheryl Strayed fell into a downward spiral, leaving her devoted husband for numerous one-night stands and a stint abusing heroin with a new boyfriend. She also estranged herself from her once-close siblings and step-father.
Although she was almost broke and had no backpacking experience, Strayed headed for California on an 1,100 mile journey for self-discovery on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Her hike lasted for several months, beginning in the Mojave Desert and ending on the Oregon-Washington border. She arrived on the PCT ill-prepared with a heavy over-packed backpack she could barely carry and shoes that didn't fit properly. Strayed also overlooked important trail information - hundreds of miles of the PCT in the High Sierra was covered with ice and snow. She met various hikers, local people, and amusing "characters" along the way, forming friendships and obtaining help from some of them when she was low on food and money. They also offered practical information on hiking and maneuvering the PCT.
My opinion:
I found the book fascinating because Strayed painted vivid, detailed descriptions of the locations she visited along with her family members and the characters she met on her journey. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next and enjoyed reading about the various places she visited.
Parts of the book are introspective, in which Strayed analyzed her weaknesses and relationships with her ex-husband and family members. While attempting to cope with the loss of her mother, she made unwise choices by using heroin and having numerous affairs while married to a loving husband. Throughout Strayed's journey, she commented about the many men who were attracted to her both on and off the trail. While at a trail stop in Oregon, she complained about how bad her body looked after weeks of hiking on the PCT. These complaints were made before her date with a guy she briefly met in a bar that ended up as another one-night stand on a beach. That was one time I felt no compassion for Strayed.
I'm debating about this one because it does sound like Eat Pray Love (and I hated the book and the movie!) but the camping element might make me give a chance.
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