This kid, Chris McCandless, graduates from Emory and leaves everything behind. He burns all his cash, gives away nearly $25,000, hitch-hikes around the west for a few years, and then finally turns up dead in Alaska. He was trying to live on the land, and he failed.

I felt sorry for his parents at the end, but at least they got to see where he spent his final days. That would truely suck being lost like that in the wilderness and have no way of contacting anyone.

It was really sad though. I felt really bad for his family when they found out the truth of what happened to him.

I actually have not finished it yet ... you guys make it seem like there's some sort of interesting revelation! Even if not, it's terrible what his parents and sister must have gone through. So sad ... yet a part of me is envious. I would love to do that sort of thing, only I know that I wouldn't last nearly as long as he did.

I think that, number one, it's pretty ironic that everyone thought McCandless (Supertramp, whatever) was wrong when he identified his big kill as a moose. He was right. Though I don't see what the point is -- big game is big game -- it is funny that all these people who were so angry about his supposed "mistake" that they actually WROTE letters to Outside magazine. Number two, it's very interesting that he wasn't, in fact, suicidal. He tried to leave, and couldn't. Yes, he should have had a topo map for crying out loud, but he didn't. Also, on the subject of the potato seeds, it is just amazing to me that he did everything he should have with them (according to the field book), and he died -- essentially -- from it. What a terrible way to go though, starving to death even when you eat.