I had recently read listen to on audio and reviewed the book WILD by Cheryl Strayed. I had mentioned at the time the draw that I have always had to do something like this – just escape and be with me… whoever I am at that particular time in my life and try to really get to know…
me.
I am fascinated with those who do it.
After finishing the audio book I rented the movie. I usually appreciate a movie version to a book – I like to see the creative vision the directors come up with and how they bring an authors work to the screen. Here, are my thoughts…
What I liked:
Reese Witherspoon rocked this role playing Cheryl Strayed. I enjoyed her performance very much and I like that Cheryl is a Minnesota native. I also, as I did in the book, liked that while much of the time Cheryl was alone hiking the trail – she met interesting people when she crossed into towns. For the most part I found her very brave to rely on help from a stranger… and of course there is one part where I find her super cool but also crazy to hike the trail alone and have already decided if I ever did something like this I would have to have a friend along… or several friends who switch out throughout the process…. alone can be dangerous.
What I did not like:
I mentioned in the book that I was not too thrilled with her (Cheryl’s) problems with being faithful to her husband and the talk of her sex life with multiple men. For some reason I thought someone had told me that was not the case in the movie but CLEARLY I got that part wrong as the sex was even more prominent in the movie. Thank you to Stacy who warned me in a comment to skip the movie, by the time I read the comment I had finished watching the movie. 😉
My take away –
Yes, I think the book is worth reading. It is inspiring to see how Cheryl hits rock bottom in her life and how she turns herself around through this almost cleansing process of the 3 months hike. 3 months is a pretty impressive endeavor! The movie was good, but if the sex stuff bugs you like it does me… be satisfied with the book. At least in the book it is not so graphic and you skip those parts if you choose.
Book Journey 
Disappointed to hear that the sexual escapades exist in the film. I don’t know. I guess you can get caught up in the passion of it all but it just seemed so premeditated with all those condoms she brought. That is the thing that bothered me. I’m happy she played safe but she had plans to seek this out. I’m glad she did not get raped.
First time commenting on your blog. Recently found you. Thanks for the heads up about the movie, Wild. Haven’t read the book though but considered seeing the movie. Sounds like the script was written to sell tickets.
I liked the movie so much I bought the book after I saw it. Of course, I haven’t read it yet.
Thanks for the warning. I’m not a big fan of sexcapades in books, less so in movies.
I was the one who made the comment about the sex thing. I didn’t find it that bad. I am not for infidelity, but sex scenes don’t bother me. To each his own, I guess.
When the book hit the lists I really tried to like it….and I couldn’t get past the first few chapters. This also happened the first time I read “Walk in the Woods”….a second attempt changed my opinion about “Walk” and I’m going to try to at least see the Redford/ Nolte movie this fall. However…..Wild…not my circus and definately not my monkeys
It seemed pretty crazy to me to go hike the trail totally unprepared and alone.
I recently listened to AWOL On The Appalachian Trail by David Miller. He quit his job in his forties and took four months to walk the length of the trail. You might enjoy this one also. No sex!
I didn’t like the movie as much as I liked the book. In the book, the author showed that Cheryl’s sexcapades were a reaction to her mother’s death. In the movie, it looked like she was just slutty. I’ll admit that I was put off by the fact that someone would go on the Trail without doing more research about gear.
I liked the unpreparedness to an extent – mainly I was thrilled that she didnt train – but yeah, she should have researched more what to take and what not to 🙂
I was upset her sex life was so much a part of the book as well. I’m glad they kept the great people she met along the way. They were my favorite part of her journey. Happy reading!
I haven’t read the book but did watch the film and it was rather better than I was expected purely because of Wetherspoons performance.
Thank you for this heads up. Off to hit DELETE from my queue.
http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2015/09/weekly-wrapup.html
Oh shoot sorry my warning came too late. But, sometimes you just have to see for yourself. The movie wasn’t all bad, I was just disappointed in where they seemed to put the majority of the focus.
I am sure you are not the only one who has felt this way about Wild. I’ve heard everything from fabulous to not so much.
I was under the impression that she had had a lot of sex on the trail and I didn’t think there was that in the movie. Before, oh yeah, there was a lot of sex. I was so impressed with Witherspoon and Strayed’s chutzpah that I couldn’t help but be drawn into the movie.
In the movie there is a lot of flash back sex – only one encounter on the train but int he book it didn’t happen that way so I dont know which is correct, probably the book. I get that it was representing the changes in her life and I too loved Witherspoon in the role.