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Survival/living in the wilderness


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I don't know if it would be quite your thing, but Savages by Shirley Conran is excellent. A group of corporate wives are left in hiding on a hostil island after their husbands are massacred. They have to learn to survive each other as much as their situation. It really is a fantastic read, but I think perhaps geared more towards women than men. I've read it multiple times and will certainly read it again - I love it that much!

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I read this years ago Castaway by Lucy Irvine. This is the story of Lucy who agrees to marry a man much older than herself and live on a remote Island in the Torres Strait between New Guinea and Australia and the problems that arise. It was quite good, I think better than the subsequent film adaptation.

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I immediately thought of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, but thinking about it further, I wondered if you minded children's books? The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series by Michelle Paver is set in (I'm not very good with historic periods) pre-historic times, about a boy who needs to use his survival skills on his journeys, and although he comes into contact with other humans and clans, there is a lot of it which follows his day to day life and how he uses his knowledge of nature to survive. I love them, and am eagerly waiting for next month when the last one (book 6) comes out in paperback.

 

ETA: Just remembered The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney as well. It's one I keep meaning to get myself, but hasn't made it on to my book shelf yet.

Edited by chesilbeach
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Just noticed you asked for fiction not non-fiction ah well here are some non-fiction if you want to read about some truthful encounters.

 

I recently bought my boyfriend who is interested in similar things a book called One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey by Sam Keith (Author), Richard Proenneke (Author)

 

Would Walden and Other Writings by Henry David Thoreau be suitable, I have that on my bookshelf?

 

Blurb: The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation' In 1845 Henry David Thoreau left his home town of Concord, Massachusetts to begin a new life alone, in a rough hut he built himself a mile and a half away on the north-west shore of Walden Pond. Walden is Thoreau's classic autobiographical account of this experiment in solitary living, his refusal to play by the rules of hard work and the accumulation of wealth and above all the freedom it gave him to adapt his living to the natural world around him.

 

And another book I am reading is Finding Your Way without a Map or compass by Harold Gatty....any of these what you are looking for?

 

Also Call of the Wild by Guy Grieve?

 

As for fiction I would say those already mentioned Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver are great although aimed at YA I know plenty of adults who have read and enjoyed like many books aimed at YA. A boy with a wolf for a best friend. I've read the first three myself and loved them.

Edited by chrysalis_stage
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Well, there's Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, which is supposed to be a good read. I have it on my tbr, but haven't started it yet.

 

Although on second thoughts, it's non-fiction and isn't really about survival, as the person who it's written about died. (This isn't a spoiler, as it tells you this on the back of the book and within the first few pages). It's about Chris McCandless, who gave his savings to charity, burnt all the money in his wallet and set off to explore the wilds of Alaska. A film was made of it too, but the general consensus is that the film is not up to much.

 

P.S. I loved Lord of the Flies! I didn't like it first time round because I was made to read it at school, but I thoroughly enjoyed it when I read it later, of my own accord.:lol: I realise I'm in the minority here though!:lol:

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Well, there's Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer...it's non-fiction and isn't really about survival, as the person who it's written about died. (This isn't a spoiler, as it tells you this on the back of the book and within the first few pages). It's about Chris McCandless, who gave his savings to charity, burnt all the money in his wallet and set off to explore the wilds of Alaska. A film was made of it too, but the general consensus is that the film is not up to much.

 

I watched that movie and found the soundtrack to be the best thing about it, love a bit of Eddie Vedder! If the book is even better than the movie than I must recommend!

 

In terms of fiction there's an old book called Man Plus about adapting humans for survival in the Martian atmosphere, an otherworldly suggestion for you :lol:

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