Many readers find it hard to have sympathy for young McCandless: his stubborn idealism and lack of preparedness amount to arrogance. Yet, critics point to Krakauer's power as a writer to evoke sympathy for the young man. Where do you stand?

I personally think Chris was foolhardy. I have no problem with his feelings about materialism or his desire to live and survive in the great outdoors. He seems like a wonderful young man, wonderful but confused. He was selfish and made poor decisions. He was too smart to be so completely unprepared. None-the-less, I sympathize will his ultimate end, because regardless of his actions, he was just a kid.