I think you're right. Krakauer can tell a hell of a story. It's just that in this case I wasn't sure it was a story that needed to be told. McCandless was, pretty much, a post-college kid FU. His story is a sad one but I'm not sure what the telling of it accomplished.
Not that every book has to "accomplish" something - but unless it's pure entertainment -- difficult to assume given this story -- I guess I felt there ought to be some point besides "don't go off into the woods without a clue."
At least with "Into Thin Air" you learn something about what it takes to climb Everest. "Into the Wild" seemed to be mostly what the Catholic Church used to call "prurient interest." When I finished it I felt a little as though I'd had my nose in someone else's business for no real reason.
(I think this book left a worse taste in my mouth than I thought. I wonder if I still have it; maybe I should re-read it and get rid of some of my judgmental attitude, hmmm?)
