Our discussion of Wild by Cheryl Strayed

We met last night to discuss Wild by Cheryl Strayed.   We had a great (and lively!) discussion, so I will try to hit some of the highlights of what readers had to say:

• One of the first comments was, "No pictures?"   Many readers wanted some photos included in the book.  Even though many readers felt the author's writing was very descriptive, they wouldn't have minded a few photos in the book.   One reader also said she wouldn't have minded a few more inset maps, with a "I was right here" kind of notation.
• We had some general discussion about Strayed's continuing her hiking, despite all of her pain (and foot issues).   One reader said she felt it's sometimes better to know when to quit, although another reader said she was impressed that Strayed kept going for the whole journey.
• We also had some general discussion about how unprepared Strayed was.   Generally, we were a little surprised by just how unprepared she was, and how it seemed that she was somewhat wilfully unprepared (choosing not to read instructions, etc.).   However, we agreed that if she had been an experienced hiker, the book wouldn't have been nearly as interesting as it was.  Readers also found it interesting (and surprising) that she chose to travel alone.   We had some general discussion about this, and how certain parts of the book were a little scary, because the author was in dangerous situations.   One person observed that it seemed the author was "incapable of saying no, especially to a man."  However, we all agreed that if she had chosen to hike with a companion, the book would have been completely different.
• Some readers were inspired by what Strayed wrote not only about her own journey, but about her mother, as well.  One reader said that one of Strayed's comments about her own mother saying, "I've never gotten to drive the car of my life," made her really think about her own conscious decisions.
• Strayed's unflinching look at herself, and her life, was something we also talked about.   As one reader put it, she liked how Strayed laid it all out there and didn't sugarcoat anything.    Some readers said they didn't always like Strayed, although they found her, and the story, very interesting.   As one person said, "We have to remember that we're reading her story; we're not choosing her to be our best friend."   We talked about some of the author's choices, and what seemed to motivate her.   One reader said she was proud of the author, and impressed by how tough she was.   We talked about how the author never asked anyone for a handout, and how resilient she was at times.
• Readers liked Strayed's overall writing style very much.  One person said she liked how readable the book was, and how the author did a nice job combining her past with her being on the trail.   We talked about how this kind of a nonfiction book reads like a fiction story, with good pacing and interesting characters.

As you can see, we found a lot to talk about, and had a great discussion.   We do welcome more discussion, and comments here are welcome!