Wild

It looks like two clear camps for those who journey through this book, a bit like Marmite, people either love it or they struggle with it. Well, its a big YES from me, I love Wild. It has been my favourite book this year, and I thought I had read quite a few books already that would not be beaten. I loved the quality of the writing, the honest approach and the unfolding of what for most people would have been a nightmare of a 1100 mile walk along most of the Pacific Crest Trial (PCT), at a nightmare point in life.This is not a journey undertaken by a walking fanatic or expert, in fact the author had never done a walk like this before. It was undertaken by the narrator, Cheryl Strayed, as a way of trying to stop her life unravelling after the death of her mother from cancer, the remains of her family falling apart, despite her best efforts, and her marriage that should have been a success, failing because of her promiscuity and her falling into heavy drug taking. The solution taken without too much thought, was to walk the challenging long distance American Pacific Crest Trail!The theme of the book is how the journey acted as a way of coping with grief for the death of her mother, her crumbling relationships and her inability to forgive herself for her shortcomings, and for the guilt she felt for all that was happening in her life. The description of the walk, and the way she was so unprepared for it, physically and mentally are incredible. It is an amazing story, and I enjoyed it as a metaphor for the journey through life, and the people you meet along the way who help you to your goals, and often appear at just the right time. The story has lived with me for quite a while; the film, which we saw within days of finishing the book, was superficial and missed many of the messages, although the landscapes were fantastic and Reese Witherspoon was perfect as Cheryl Strayed. The extras on the Blu-ray DVD, including the feature on Cheryl Strayed herself, also helped to appreciate the story. Do give this book a chance in your life; I am sure you will be Wild about it too.

I've had this on my Kindle app for ages, only being spurred on to read it because I like to see films only after I've read the original book first.This isn't one you are going to laugh about, it's not one with witty lines or even a lot in the way of plot. But it's not that sort of book - it's a memoir, a study of grief, a story about a woman setting herself a challenge and struggling through to complete it.And it achieves this. Cheryl's mum dies young, unexpectedly and in a rather difficult and painful way. Her daughter's life, family and outlook is immediately shattered, and only after going off the rails somewhat does Cheryl see a way to try to move forward, try to put her grief into perspective and keep living. She decides to walk the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) that stretches through a good proprtion of America, solo and with little money. Just a giant backpack full of supplies that soon gets nicknamed Monster, and that strong men even have trouble lifting off the ground, let alone Cheryl.And so begins her rather epic few months on the PCT, alone with her thoughts (and a few books), occasionally meeting other hikers, and narrating for us her thoughts and experiences. It's a slow-moving book, with glimpses at Cheryl's past, her mother's death and what happened after that. She's honest about it, and her pain is hard to ignore - life just isn't fair.I did find this hard going at times, as it is a fairly slow read, but I did pick up the pace halfway through. I found the concept of the hiking exhausting but was totally in awe of her determination and grit. And the luck she had, with so many people helping her and offering their assistance - my belief in the generous nature of people did get a bolster.I could also relate to the need for solitude, time to think and the desire to test yourself.A very engaging and empathic novel overall, one I now look forward to seeing on the screen.

Riveting and emotional story. I thoroughly recommend it.

A great book about a woman’s strength during challenges with life and the great trail. Really enjoyed it.

This book helped me out of oneof the deepest darkest moments of my life, I've bought it for multiple women in my life when they went through difficult situations as well. I re-read it every time I need a "pick me up"

A awesome paperback book to carrying around and, of course to read.

Cheryl writes from the heart. This story is more than just a travelogue. Its an intimate portrayal of her vulnerable side. She tells us about her battle with depression and addiction.Also, the book is an antithesis of the self-help genre, thankfully. Some wounds need a lot of time and air to heal, is one of the core messages, which is beautifully told.

'' Eu sabia que, se permitisse que o medo me ultrapassasse, minha jornada estava condenada. Eu decidi que estava segura. Eu era forte, eu era corajosa. Nada poderia me vencer. Insistir nessa história era uma forma de controle dos medos, que na maior parte do tempo funcionava. ''O interessante de ler histórias em fatos reais é ver o quão você também pode se permitir em iniciar algo do qual nunca imaginou. Esse livro me fez ver o quanto essa mulher foi corajosa em caminhar pelo PCT sozinha e ter certeza em sua escolha mesmo no decorrer da caminhada muitos não apoiarem, e para ela tudo era como uma reflexão interna caminhando longas distâncias e refletindo sobre grandes questões que aconteceram em sua vida, isso me fez refletir o quão (estar só) nos traz clareza de pensamento, perceber o quão sua própria companhia é por assim dizer: A melhor da qual você pode ter, tem uma parte do livro que ela diz: '' Sozinho sempre me senti como um lugar real para mim, como se não fosse um estado de ser, mas sim uma sala onde eu poderia me retirar para ser quem eu realmente sou'' . Há coragem que ela teve de passar noites em florestas podendo cruzar seu caminho com cobras, leões ou até mesmo um assassino em série, dormindo em lugares que poderiam não ser tão seguros, tudo isso para se dar a oportunidade de se redescobrir em uma nova perspectiva da vida. Há, que livro! Que livro! Pretendo rele-lo em breve, ou até mesmo ver o filme, mas como muito dizem: O filme não fala muito sobre o quanto ela sofreu com a morte da mãe e alguns crises familiares e internas. Então indico realmente a ler essa história incrível.

Even if you have seen the film, it is definitely worth reading the book! Her irony, sense of perspective and the fact that she did have trekking experience, are not evident in the film. They are very much so in the book though. I felt the book was pure, straight from the heart and it's also an adventure. Even though you know how it will end (unless you've been living under a stone the past 10 years), I'd venture to say it will be hard for you to put it down. So it's best to start on the book when you have the time to finish it. Or be willing to miss your stop if you're commuting, not sleep if you start on it late at night, or cancel a dinner date because you want to finish the book. That is my word of warning.