Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

4.4 | 74,991 ratings

Price: 18.9

Last update: 04-06-2025

Top reviews from the United States

Steve Patchin

Read This for What It Is, Not What You Want It to Be

Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2013

I could say that Cheryl Strayed's memoir "Wild" is beautifully written, perfectly paced, vividly detailed and enlighteningly deep, but I would not be saying enough.

Rarely have I read a book that is so right on so many levels as "Wild." And yet, this is true in spite of the fact that there seems to be almost nothing about her that I can relate to. In fact, Cheryl reveals things about herself that I usually would find repulsive, but instead I honor her for the strength to show us. I shouldn't like this book, but I do. In fact, I love this book, and Cheryl deserves the utmost praise for creating this work of art.

When I think of what I want from a book, I realize that Wild has everything I could ever ask for. So many books disappoint on many levels, even if they entertain, provide useful information, reveal the depths of life or display beautiful sentences. I had resigned myself to accepting less and focusing on the good aspects of whatever I read. What I found most often was that something was missing. If a book had a compelling story, it would lack depth; if it had fleshed out characters, it would have a weak story; if it had beautiful writing, it had little meaning; if it were deep and meaningful, its writing was dreary and ponderous. When I chose to read Wild, I did so because it was apparently about a journey across the Pacific Crest Trail. That subject is interesting to me, and I wanted insight into what the experience might be like. I chose to read Strayed's memoir in spite of criticisms I had read saying it was too much about the author dealing with personal problems. All I hoped for was to find the book interesting and informative about the PCT, and it is that; that and much more.

It is one of the most raw, poetic, insightful, meaningful and well written books I have ever read. I am in awe of Strayed's bold honesty and her profound discoveries about life. Her writing is impeccable to the end, revealing just the right details at a perfect pace that brings her experience to life in a way that is as deep and alive as her actual journey. As with her journey, her writing never takes a short cut because of weakness or laziness. She's given us everything here. I felt a connection to her experience without finding empathy for her choices. I could not relate to most of the things she did in her relationships because I often found that her choices and actions went against what I would do. But her blunt, yet lyrical, telling of her story led me to relax judgment and accept things as they were. In this way, the book became my own journey of discovery, leading me to conclusions similar to hers, and revealing something about what it means to be alive. When a book can do that for me, it is doing something very special.

To those who may criticize Strayed for writing something other than what they wanted or for not doing things the way they would have, I say you are missing the heart of this book. Do not read this book for what you want it to be, but read it for what it is. If you can do that, you will discover a work of art that transcends mere story-telling, and you will know in your soul that you have experienced some part of Cheryl's journey with her and maybe discovered something about yourself, too.

M.S. Lee

Beautiful, Intense Journey

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2014

When I read the synopsis of the book, my first instinct was to run far far away. I generally steer clear of any books with themes like "I need to find my purpose by doing something stupid in nature". Plus I saw her last name. Really? However a friend of mine insisted I give it a shot and so I started reading it. Just to be clear and without giving too much away, the book is a true story about a woman who hikes all by her lonesome on a trail that I kept wanting to call the Pacific COAST trail. However it's actually the Pacific CREST trail (probably much less glamorous).

It didn't take long before her beautiful prose dragged me kicking and screaming into her journey and had me sweating and nervous right along with her. She's brutally honest and open about her failures, successes, grief and general sense of being lost. The two things I loved most about the book was her powerful writing and her ability to keep me interested. She balanced giving enough detail and creating the environment of a "journey' without beating you to death with every single unpleasant detail one would suffer in a summer long hike. I never felt bored or thought "oh boy, here is where she's going to talk about every step up a mountain".

Don't get me wrong, I love hiking but that alone doesn't make for a great story. However Strayed was able to put together all the important details and interesting dramas to give you one awesome story that's hard to put down. Her writing was also a good balance between quality without being too dramatic or ostentatious for it's own sake. Her voice is powerful and intense and at times, bordering on poetic. Probably one of the most haunting moments in the entire book was a flashback where she had to deal with her mother's aging horse.

I think most readers who enjoy a bit of adventure, some quality prose (if you're a fan of the Twilight books, go elsewhere) and a solid, autobiographical tale will like this book. I suppose it's only fair in a review to mention a few small criticisms as well. The one theme, she did at times seem to beat us over the head with, was her need for sex, closeness and affection. At times it felt like she just wanted to bare her soul a little too much (I could do without some of her lustful cravings while simultaneously commenting on how disgusting she was after having not showered for days, sweated profusely and still wearing the same clothing). Also her recurrent mother theme at times became less poignant with the constant reference to how difficult her mother's death had been. Towards the end of the book, some of her insights she had gained over her voyage started becoming repetitive and in many ways, for me the book was its best from the beginning until about half way to maybe three quarters of the way through.

SPOILER ALERT: She lived. Granted anyone who bothers to note that it's a true story written by the woman who hiked the Pacific Crest trail will know this before reading it. For much of this book, I can't believe sometimes how she survived and how she managed to keep going. At many times, it was clear she got lucky and despite her prowess as a writer, she clearly suffered from a tiny bit of outdoorsy dumbness. However you have to admire her strength and perseverance. My feet were practically aching through most of the read. Overall it's a great novel, powerfully written and intensely told. I loved it!

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