Wild (on DVD)

Wild
[DVD Wild]

Cheryl Strayed’s blistering autobiography Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail was one of my absolute favorite reads three years ago, and when I heard that it was being turned into a biographical film to star Reese Witherspoon as Strayed, I was filled with both hope and trepidation. The book was such a personal story, and opened up so much of Strayed’s troubled life, in its exploration of how a 1000+ mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail allowed her to purge some demons and come to terms with loss, that I wasn’t sure a film would be able to honestly capture that emotion.
Admittedly, I am a fan of Reese Witherspoon, and she does turn in a marvelous, nuanced performance in Wild. However, the book is far more powerful, in part because the filmmakers had to telescope the book’s events and cut out several key moments from Strayed’s experiences. The cinematography is terrific, the supporting cast was fine. And the storytelling gimmick of jumping backwards and forwards in time is (for the most part) effective. However, the film just felt somehow…disconnected…from the emotional events that seemed so powerful in the book. If you haven’t read the book, I do recommend this film. However, I recommend reading the book (or listening to the audiobook, as I did) even more!

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Wild web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Best Easy Day Hikes: Lincoln and Omaha

Best Easy Day Hikes: Lincoln and Omaha
by Michael Ream [917.822 Rea]

I'm a huge fan of the nature guides from Falcon Books -- I rely on their hiking guides to Rocky Mountain National Park every time I vacation in Estes Park and want to hit the trails. So, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this publisher recently put out a short volume focusing on hiking opportunities in the Lincoln and Omaha area. If you're looking for a quick but detailed guide to interesting places to stretch your legs here in Lincoln, you'll find more than a half-dozen suggestions here, with useful information about what sights to look out for while you're on the trail. Take it along when you head to Omaha, or any of the other nearby locations listed in this volume. The thin paperback format makes it perfect for slipping in your back pocket while you're taking a stroll. Who knows, you might discover a hidden location in the city in which you live! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Falcon Books web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.