Saturday, July 9, 2016

Wild

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cheryl Strayed's journey to find herself on the Pacific Crest Trail, and a reflection on what it means to make and learn from mistakes.

First thoughts: Yes, it was similar to Eat, Pray, Love, but also different. I think Wild appeals to a different sort of person than EPL does, or a different point of life. I keep thinking about this book as both a thing that actually happened and the later retelling of it - I have mixed feelings about the actual events, while completely enjoying the telling of those events.

The Actual Events: At times I think, I could do that. Or, that sounds fun/awesome/gratifying. Other times...not so much. But overall, I'd love to hike at least a portion of the PCT. Ideally more prepared than Strayed. And probably with a companion.

The Retelling: The language is beautiful. The pacing - back and forth between "present" and what got Strayed to the trail - is perfect. My mouth dropped open in some parts, tears formed in others. I enjoyed the process of reading.

Favorite Quotes:

"Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story..." -p51

"I could go back in the direction I had come from, or I could go forward in the direction I intended to go." -p69

"It was really over, I thought. There was no way to go back, to make it stay. There was never that." -p307

"...it was enough to trust that what I'd done was true. To understand its meaning without yet being able to say precisely what it was..." -p311

Recommended for: students, teachers, graduates, adventurers, armchair adventurers, wanderers, people with questions, thinkers, lovers, fighters.

Final thoughts: Really, this book is wild.


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