Book Review: INTO THE WILD

Author: Jon Krakauer
Number of Pages: 207
Publisher: Anchor
Release Date: January 13, 1996

"In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild."
                                                      - Goodreads.com

If you want a book that will really make you think, than you should pick this one up! This book is so well written, and everything is explained very well. The story itself is amazing, but the writing itself makes it that much better. I usually don't read non-fiction sort of books like this, but this one held my attention the entire way through. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.

Chris McCandless' story is just so heart-wrenching. It's been a few days since I've finished this book, yet I still do not know whether to be happy for Chris or sad. Part of me wants to be happy, because he went out and accomplished what he wanted to do, and for many months he seemed extremely happy. On the other hand, his pursuit for happiness and satisfaction with life ultimately resulted in his own death. I have mixed feelings, but I think that's to be expected as this story is hardly cut-and-dry.

I read this with small groups in my English class, but it could easily be read alone without any issues. However, it was nice to be able to discuss the major points of this book with others, because there really is a lot to think about.

Overall, this was an amazing book. I have nothing bad to say about it!

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Absolutely.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: LORD OF THE FLIES (2nd)

Author: William Golding
Number of Pages: 182
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: 1954

"William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a coral island has become a modern classic. At first it seems as though it is all going to be great fun; but the fun before long becomes furious and life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic and death. As ordinary standards of behaviour collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them—the world of cricket and homework and adventure stories—and another world is revealed beneath, primitive and terrible. Lord of the Flies remains as provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, igniting passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. Though critically acclaimed, it was largely ignored upon its initial publication. Yet soon it became a cult favorite among both students and literary critics who compared it to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in its influence on modern thought and literature. Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies has established itself as a true classic."
                                                                                                - Goodreads.com
This is my second time reading this classic. Last year I read it individually for a book project, and I ended up rating it 3 out of 5 smileys. This year I read it as mandatory reading with my English class. I found that through reading it again I understood it so much better than the first time around. I went back recently and read my review from the first time I read this book and I was happy to discover that the questions I had mentioned in my post I now can answer.

This novel has really grown on me. It's a book that you can read over and over again and each time you do so, you find a few more details that you missed all those times before. It's a little slow in some parts, though, and sometimes I wanted to scream at the characters and say: "YOU IDIOTS! WHY DID YOU DO THAT???" Lord of the Flies is rich in symbolism and lessons that I think everyone should learn. If you want a good read that makes you think, pick up this book!

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) 4 out of 5 smileys. Now that I understand it better, I have enjoyed the book more.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd