True adventure and survival · Biography
Into the Wild
Jon Krakauer reconstructs the life of Chris McCandless, a young man who gave away his savings, headed into the Alaskan wilderness in 1992 and was found dead months later. He also draws on his own youth.
Facts last checked 2026-10-17
- First published
- 1996
- Pace
- Medium
- Length
- Short
- Pages
- 228
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you are curious about what drives people to risk everything in the wild.
Skip this if you want a tidy verdict, since the book leaves open why McCandless died and who he was.
The feel
Content warnings
Quick answers about Into the Wild
- What is Into the Wild about?
- Jon Krakauer reconstructs the life of Chris McCandless, a young man who gave away his savings, headed into the Alaskan wilderness in 1992 and was found dead months later. He also draws on his own youth.
- Who should read Into the Wild?
- Read it if you are curious about what drives people to risk everything in the wild. Skip it if you want a tidy verdict, since the book leaves open why McCandless died and who he was.
- How long and how fast is Into the Wild?
- It is a medium-paced, short read of about 228 pages, first published in 1996.
- Does Into the Wild have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Death.
- Can I borrow Into the Wild for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends Into the Wild; the borrow button above searches it for you.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Bookshop.org | Check price | Buy new from Bookshop.org |
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Libro.fm | Check price | Buy audiobook from Libro.fm |
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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