So You Want to be in... Wild

This is something new I've decided to try. Ever loved a book so much you wanted to be part of it? I wanted to give you the provisions you need to be "in" your favorite books. I'm hoping to do these kind of posts fairly regularly if you like them. The first book I decided to do was Wild by Cheryl Strayed since I read and reviewed it recently.

1. A very large backpack - like this one from The North Face.

2. Hiking boots -These are the Danner Mountain Light Cascade Hiking Boots - the same ones Cheryl wore in the book, recreated by REI. 

3. Condoms - Just staying true to the book, people.

4. Snapple Lemonade - The intense craving Cheryl has while in the middle of nowhere on the PCT.

5. Reading material. No! Not the whole stack! You have to carry it in your backpack! Just pick one or two. 

Now you are ready to either hike the Pacific Crest Trail, or read Wild by Cheryl Strayed. The choice is yours.

Book Vs. Movie: Wild

Book: 
How I thought this book would go: Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk....
How this book actually went: A deeply moving story of a woman's relationships with her mother, her husband, and siblings and the complexities that led her to hike the Pacific Crest Trail.
Yes, there is a great deal of walking - 1100 miles of it to be precise- but Cheryl Strayed beautifully outlines her emotional back story. The author’s prowess at description makes you feel like you are right there on the trail with her - and from her descriptions of losing toenails and encountering wild animals and sketchy strangers, you might want to turn back. In its essence Wild is a redemption story, almost spiritual in nature, of healing, accepting the past and moving on. This book was excellent and I highly recommend it.

Movie: 
Watch the trailer:

I was hoping the movie wouldn't stray far from the book, and I was pleased that it didn't. The movie is really just a condensed version of the book, leaving out chunks here and there to fit time constraints. The movie also left out entire characters like Cheryl's sister Karen. Leaving out these details didn't take much away from the story though. In my opinion, Reese Witherspoon made an excellent Cheryl. The movie was great for a visual representation of the trail. While reading, my imagination did not quite fathom how large of an expanse was covered on foot until I saw Reese Witherspoon standing in the middle of nowhere, mountains and trees on all sides. Due to the length of the film and lack of narrator, details were left out. One example that stuck out to me was when Cheryl had to kill her mother’s beloved horse. The book was painful in its description, (I swore out loud) but the movie glossed over it (I was both disappointed that details were left out and very very grateful for it). It was a good movie, but after reading the book it came across both lacking in detail and at times a bit slow paced.

Winner: Book
I think the book was the best format to tell this story.

What to read/watch next: 
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert