The Wild Truth: A Memoir in Around the World in 80 Books

Mar 17, 2018 marianne rated it liked it

2.5 stars.

Chris McCandless’ obsessive draw to the wild and his complete rejection of his parents seems a little less extreme given the context of his childhood, which is exposed in detail in The Wild Truth, his sister Carine’s memoir. We learn of the physical and emotional abuse that existed within the McCandless families (there are two families, in fact – Dad McCandless had a couple of overlapping marriages for a couple of years, something Krakauer mentions but doesn’t spend much time on in Int 2.5 stars.

Chris McCandless’ obsessive draw to the wild and his complete rejection of his parents seems a little less extreme given the context of his childhood, which is exposed in detail in The Wild Truth, his sister Carine’s memoir. We learn of the physical and emotional abuse that existed within the McCandless families (there are two families, in fact – Dad McCandless had a couple of overlapping marriages for a couple of years, something Krakauer mentions but doesn’t spend much time on in Into The Wild). We see that throughout their turbulent childhood years, Chris was a relentlessly protective, kind brother to his younger sister. And through letters Chris and Carine exchanged after he left for college, we also learn more of Chris’ convictions, frustrations and ultimate breaking points, all from his own words.

My approach to this book wasn’t entirely fair; having just re-read Into the Wild, I wanted the tldr version, the 10-page article that gave me the context or details I was looking for, as I had long suspected that something was off with Chris McCandless’ home life. So I skimmed the book in about an hour’s time. Personally, I did not need more time with it.

Carine’s intent was without a doubt to absolve her brother of the mountain of criticism he received after Krakauer published Into the Wild, and to offer an explanation for his decision as a (very) young man to escape off the map and cut ties with his family in order to seek a higher, nobler personal truth. It achieves this, but a good part of the book digresses from its original thesis and delves into the making of the movie adaptation of Krakauer’s book and her own struggles and victories in her personal life. While I admire Carine for her own trying journey through life, I found little interest in these last two topics. The book isn’t particularly well-written and in parts reads more like a chronicle of abuse and hurt. Its strength lies in its honesty and warmth in the portrayal of a beloved, misunderstood brother by his adoring little sister.
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Jan 14, 2015 Nikki Morse rated it it was ok

Shelves: memoir

I haven't read or seen into the wild, so this was my first introduction to the story. I listened to the audio book, and was mesmerized for the first few hours. And then the infuriating pieces overtook the interesting ones -- I'd yell at her for downplaying the abuse and the materialism that allowed her to keep giving her parents another chance. At the end I was just rushing through so I could move on, and I'm so glad I'm done. ...more

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