Pretty Snarky

I just finished Wild: Lost and Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed.

It’s the memoir of a woman who goes through a traumatic loss in her life and it leads her to hike the mountain trail from southern California to the Columbia River (at the Oregon/Washington border)

It was a very easy read. Her narration is accessible and moves easily between her past pain (dealing mostly with a dysfunctional family life) and her present pain (the insanity of walking hundreds of miles with no training while carrying 50 pounds on your back.) She’s really likeable and honest and I felt hooked right away. The question of whether she will finish the trail is gripping all the way through.

I was really moved by her relationship with her mother and by the fast and deep friendships she formed on the trail. I do think the book is a little overrated. It has too much of the “what I came to learn about myself…” insights for my taste.( Although I’m sure those sections are exactly the reason Oprah chose this book to relaunch her book club.) When we endure, whether physically or emotionally, we learn about ourselves and the world. There is no doubt about that. I find it’s nearly impossible to communicate those insights without sounding vague or preachy or Deepak/eatpraylovish.

That said, I was inspired and entertained and would recommend it.