Saturday Reading Group

Saturday Reading Group | 14/04/2018 | 3:00 -4:30

Saturday Reading Group

The Saturday Reading Group is for anyone who loves to read, socialize in English, and meet new people.

The April read  for the group is “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer. On September 6, 1992, Christopher McCandless’ body was found inside an abandoned bus in Alaska. One year later, author Jon Krakauer retraced McCandless’ steps during the two years between college graduation and his demise in Alaska. McCandless shed his legal name early in his journey, adopting the moniker “Alexander Supertramp”, after H. Davies. He spent time in Carthage, South Dakota, laboring for months in a grain elevator owned by Wayne Westerberg before hitchhiking to Alaska. Krakauer interprets McCandless’ intensely ascetic personality as possibly influenced by the writings of Henry David Thoreau and McCandless’ favorite writer, Jack London. He explores the similarities between McCandless’ experiences and motivations, and his own as a young man, recounting in detail Krakauer’s own attempt to climb Devils Thumb in Alaska. Krakauer also relates the stories of some other young men who vanished into the wilderness, such as Everett Ruess, an artist and wanderer who went missing in the Utah desert during 1934, at age 20. In addition, he describes at some length the grief and puzzlement of McCandless’ parents, sister Carine, and friends.

When and where: Meetings will be held in the library once a month on Saturday afternoons starting at 3:00. Cost: FREE to all members of the library. To join: Please contact Anne Kaar at bookgroup@ellia.org


Location: English-language Library in Angers