Wild
Cheryl Strayed
March 2012
336 pages
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My issues with this book:
- You are not the only person in the world who is an “orphan.” Get over yourself.
- Being an “orphan” does not give you a free pass on the heroin. Or the unprotected sex.
- Who sets out to hike a serious hiking trail without first testing the weight of their backpack? I mean, really, even I’m not that stupid.
Oh…did you want a summary? Here it is:
Sex. Death. Sex. Sex. Sex. Grief. Drugs. Sex. Drugs. Divorce. Hiking. Sex. Sex. Hiking. Sex. Sex. Sex. Drugs. Hiking. Grief. Grief. Grief. Sex. Sex. Sex. Hiking.
On the one hand, I read this book in a day. It was quite readable in a train-wreck kind of way. On the other hand, I Could. Not. Stand. the author and her whiny self-pity and the poor choices that she continuously made.
The hiking was mildly interesting, in an “ouch ouch ouch your toenails are falling off” kind of way. But even then, the author made so many poor decisions (hiking alone, running out of water, abusing her feet, losing her shoes) that it was a hard book to like. I’m also left wondering if there might have been a bit of James Freyishness happening, because…seriously?
Ti and I were pretty much bashing this one on twitter last week, so I know I’m not alone in my dislike. Although I think it’s fair to say Ti had issues with the book. My issues were more with the author’s personality.
Well, I was thinking of buying this book – now I’m not sure I want to.
Oh dear. When I first heard about this book, my initial reaction was like yours. Then everyone keeps going on about how well-written it is. Now I really do have to read it to see where I fall.
Hah! Looks like my summary style for what Ireland was like! LOL
By the way, I don’t know how to comment on Tumblr, but love your picture today! What a cutie!!!!
Wow! Well I have to agree with Carrie above that my reaction was at first when I heard this book pretty much what your review says. But then everyone said HOW AMAZING it was so I was going to read it. Now I don’t know. The things you pointed out are things that would really bother me! I look forward to Ti’s review as well! I might have to pass on this. And ooh, James Freyish?! LOL. Oprah better hope not for the sake of her credibility haha.
Crap. I used to do quite a bit of backpacking in my youth and I’ve always wanted to do the Pac trail. Now I’m not sure I’ll take reading time out for this. Drat.
I have this coming from the library rather than buying it. I was worried about whether or not I’d like it. It’s refreshing to see a negative review after all the glowing ones I’ve read.
aw, I love love Dear Sugar, so I guess I was predisposed to wanting to like this book. And I read the first chapter and the grief was so brutal and palpable that I put it aside and haven’t picked it up again. I don’t know that the things that bother you, would bother me since I also tend to feel sorry for myself :X
I had no idea there was so much sex! I’m really into reading about that stuff lately, so maybe I’ll try this one after all.
DDD
Had a feeling this might not be for me…
Hey! I’m 80% and she hasn’t yet had any sex in the woods! did we read the same book? She *thinks* about it and mentions it a lot but she hasn’t hooked up unless I’ve missed it. She just got to Ashland Oregon and no box and she is… panicky. BUTOFCOURSE, cuz she has no money and wants a Snapple.
My first goodreads status update for this book, about 30% in, I wrote she was an idiot for how unprepared she was. Two of my other bookclubbers are defending it – one gave it 5 star and thinks she is ‘incredibly brave’ and the other person gave it 4 star saying it is ‘really good’.
I do find her somewhat tiresome, but not as whiney as I feared after our twitter chat. The books she gives herself to read are interesting. (JOYCE!! WOOT!)
I just don’t find she is conveying how seriously demanding this hike is. It’s… odd in that regard. Like it is supposed to be a cake walk and she was just silly for being unprepared but otherwise, it is so good she was able to trek so many miles and survive despite her feet hurting and so happy she could finally find herself and enjoy nature.
HA. Glorious review. I shall stay away from this book.
Oh. I thought I wanted to read this, but not if its so focused on sex.
This is on my to-read list, because it’s one of my aunt’s favorites, though I’m a bit more ambivalent after reading your review. I think I can deal with the heroin and unprotected sex, but I’m not big on angsty memoirs. Hmmm …
Oh crap. I just signed on to read this one earlier today because I thought it sounded interesting. Now not so sure…
It was almost like you were reviewing 50 Shades of Grey!
Nope, I pretty much bashed both the book AND her personality. Review posts on Thursday.
LOL!
Thanks for the open review! Had been on the fence about it, but so tired of whiny ignorant memoirs.
Won`t be picking this one up, I`ve read to many dislike reviews!
I did read this and I had a totally different experience than you and Ti. Perhaps it came from reading her Tiny Beautiful Things book first. I liked her already and wanted to hear her story. Yes … she comes off as a totally stupid and reckless 20something–but who wasn’t that dumb at her age? Even though I wasn’t nearly as reckless as she was, I was pretty darn dumb in many ways that make me cringe now. I thought she was brutally honest — the temptation to put herself in a better light must have been strong. But I admire her for showing her true self — warts and all. So I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one.
LOL!! I’m in the camp who enjoyed this one. I read it before all of the bad hype started and am kind of glad for that. When I met with my book club, though, NONE of them enjoyed it and they all mentioned the whining. I must have just overlooked it because I didn’t get that impression. Or maybe I’m just a lazy reader of late (sometimes I’ll listening to bits of The Stand that I’ve clearly already read but have no recollection).
I backpacked a LOT in the Sierras in the seventies and again in the nineties and I throw the BS flag on a lot of the story. Bear cannisters or hung bags were mandatory when she hiked. She would have lost toes and feet not just toenails. I just think the book has to have some Freyism in it. AND the heroin??? She is either bored with the bad parts or it didn’t happen. Opiate addicts don’t get high and go eat. They get high instead of eating and they sleep sleep sleep. They don’t stop cold turkey and drive thousands of miles. Has she never heard of detox?