What a change

Reading about his climbing Devil’s Thumb was intense, I am just hesitant to want to compare their lives. I think everyone can find simliarities in their life to Chris’, but at the same time, I think its kind of self righteous to take away from Chris’ story a bit. I realize I am probbaly being very harsh on the author, and in a different setting, I think his life is incredible, I just think the book would have been fine without his story.

Howver I do see the fact that without the author speaking to the family, and going to Alaska, there would probably be no book. So I guess its fair to say, reading about his life is worth being able to read about Chris’ life.

I see your last point, but I kind of have to throw out the whole “what if” tangent of the basket, of him not having a map, “if only he waited until the water was lower” and say…well fuck. He didn’t.

So to sit there and alayze a situation in all the things he could have done better is a little pointless to me, from an outside perspective, with maps and gears thats easy to say…but if Chris had a map he might not have gained what he did by doing all of that truly on his own.

It is really sad to think that after he was enlightened,and was done with his adventure, ready to re-enter society, that he didn’t make it, but I don’t see the point of listing all the things he could have done differently.

Most of my points come from the fact that Chris was against following the norm, and giving into the ugly parts of society, so its kind of ironic in general that his life turned into a best selling book, and a successful movie…he would probably laugh about it…

He says “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. ”

So maybe having a map would have saved his life, or knowing there was a basket there, but would it have made him feel as happy as he did?

On the two friends that came along to Chris’ “patch of freedom” I have to disagree. I must say that I enjoyed that part of the story just as much as any other part of the book. I feel that it gave us a real feeling of the situations Chris encountered as opposed to just an educated guess. I think being there and seeing what Chris was facing was definitely a crucial part of the whole writing experience.

I feel that a lot of the descriptions that Jon uses and how he tells us about the area, the bus, and the vegetation is useful. I found it so ironic that if Chris had only explored a few miles along the river he would have found a way out and possibly made it back alive. But then again, maybe he did find this “salvation” and simply chose not to use the basket until it was too late. Somethings we will never know.

I didn’t really appreciate the authors need to spend about 3 chapters on his own life though, I understand the similarities in his journey to Chris’ but this was a book about Chris not him…and in a way I felt he was trying to glorify his own life and sense of adventure by using Chris’ story as a platform to share his…I also found no need to have included the name of his 2 friends who traveled with him to where Chris stayed, and what they did…it was like trying to give them or himself a few minutes of fame.

I did enjoy the very last part about the last picture taken of Chris before his death… of a happy satisfied Chris…it was a great closing