Customer Reviews

Angeles Crest: A Memoir

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I am stunned! And exhausted and inspired and in love.... I just finished ANGELES CREST and it is the best book I've ever read, because: (1) Michael Modzelewski has the courage of a lion. (2) The sensitivity of a poet. (3) The energy of 10 men. (4) A deep understanding of the feminine gender. The book works so wonderfully on so many levels at once: physically, intellectually, spiritually. It's an old-fashioned Quest with the final Prize the hardest things in this Life to find: Self-Knowledge and Universal Harmony. Not only does Michael take us over a 100 mile wilderness distance, but even farther within. Should be required reading for every human being, for the author is truly a 'Man' among Men who has answered many of the Mysteries this life places in our Path.

Michael Modzelewski makes it clear from the start of this wonderful book that it is not limited to running (e.g.) a literary invocation quote from W.H. Auden: "The camera's eye does not lie, but it cannot show the life within the life of a runner." And what a life he's led and what a writer this man is! I've worked in publishing for 15 years and he's as great a descriptive writer as I've ever read. And his life and running are interwoven perfectly here, not only in the book's form of switching back-and-forth from running action to memory passages, but also metaphorically: by improving his life and overcoming tough challenges (willingly giving up a 'free-ride,' a college football scholarship to surviving killer malaria in Africa) the author steadily makes himself into a better runner. What I liked best is the overall tone of humility, self-depricating humor and the excellent relationship between Michael and his Dad. Unlike most kids with a famous father, instead of trying to overthrow, compete against, or punish "King Oedipus" with bad behavior, Michael's progressive successes in life only serve to increase the greatness of Ed Modzelewski as a father and his friend. In this day and age when the subjects of books and movies seem mostly to be about family dysfunction and misery, it's very heartening to read of such a positive, uplifting father-son relationship, as well as Michael's great effect on his brother and running partner, Scott. If you're looking for a step-by-step guidebook on how to run marathons, look elsewhere. But if you want an inspiring story of not only what it takes to master an immense physical challenge, but how to develop you mind and soul as well, Angeles Crest is a complete masterpiece.

I read this book mostly on the strength of Michael M's first book, "Inside Passage." I loved reading about his adventures on an Alaskan island, and his encounters with the wild and the whimsical in that remote wonderland. I must confess that I am not a runner, and wouldn't necessarily have bought "Angeles Crest" to read about running. BUT AM I EVER GLAD I DID buy it! This book is a chronicle of the most remarkable metaphysical and spiritual odyssey that I have ever encountered, and I am a metaphysical book junkie. If you have any doubts about the existence of "parallel worlds" that are accessible to any of us who are willing to make the trek into them, via running or any other spiritual practice, this book will blow your mind. Two big thumbs up, and five really big stars.

Christopher Morley once wrote: "When you sell a man a book, you don't seel him 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue -- you sell him a whole new life." That statement certainly applies to ANGELES CREST. The true test of a great author is if he gets you to think in totally new ways. Michael Modzelewski does that (many times over) with this wonderful, inspiring book. As a runner, he takes us through a 100 mile marathon(!) with memory passages filled to the brim with soul-stretching adventures. Ladies, this is the total Man we've all been looking for. Men, this is a Mentor to follow!

Angeles Crest is pure bliss! Michael Modzelewski opened the Door with his first book, Inside Passage and here he runs through that door into a world we all should be living in, if we only we had the courage to open our minds to explore and accept "paranormal" worlds existing in parallel universes around us. WOW, Michael! You've taken your potential as a writer and a man and with this book blown it up sky-high and soul-deep. Michael Modzelewski is the prototype of the man for the future NOW. He operates on "all cylinders" -- and then some!!

A Masterpiece!!!!! An epic tale of Michael's Odyssey of 100 miles run in juxtaposition with real life marathon embedded with personal life stories and spiritual spectacle through the Third Eye. A powerful glimpse into human psyche .

Michael Modzelewski tells us that we are all runners in a marathon called Life. It's a long distance endurance race, mostly on foot and mainly experienced through our bodies and our muscles. But there may be 'mysterious mindful reasonings' in our being given the priviledge to run in this race. They seem to revolve around the ideas of the mind : conscious and unconscious paranormal learning, of the seeking of truth and of the importance of telling our stories both for ourselves and for the benefit of others.

The book is written in an unusual style : no chapters, no respites, just a marathonic run of free flowing, graphic words set in paragraphs of Byronic prose. Sound difficult? Initially I thought it would be, but on the contrary, it works, and surprisingly well. Like two runners, two intimately related stories run parallel to each other and synergize one another. The first bold-faced story is scripted in bold face and recurs as a series of segments which are irregularly intercalated with the second, broader, background narrative. The first tells of the author's and his brother Scott's, excruciating run in the Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Race through mountainous southern California, between Wrightwood and Pasadena. This ordeal is sinuously intertwined with a myriad of flash back memories of : growing up, family, football, farming, horses, religion, school, university, readings, making decisions, leaving home, California, running, travelling, Rio de Janeiro, the Florida Everglades, writing, working on cruise ships, readings in Science and Nature and the intelligence of animals, mountain climbing, fears, survival, natives, symbols, people, mystical and sexual experiences, angelic "Blue Whorls", "Extraterrestrials", meditations, women, choosing a mate and much more, including philosophical conclusions about the mysteries of life and the value of life.

The author is open, transparent, candid and honest. Begining from his '50's roots in Cleveland, Ohio, he tells us the way it was, what happened and the way the world is today. In his background story or memoir, he writes about his very hard working, God-fearing, determined and supportive midwestern family : mother, father, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, of proud Polish and Italian origins, all seeking to fulfill the "American Dream". After struggling with the idea of becoming an NFL football player, encouraged by his Dad and uncles, all of which had been illustrious NFL football stars, he chose a more challenging and difficult role to play, journalist, spurred by his mother's words on the importance of reading and learning. However, he followed his father's example on the importance of challenging and listening to both the body and the mind in life. He ran marathons, became a journalist, travelled extensively and learned much from the people he met : in the U.S.A. from a blind women who "saw" things that he never would ; in the People's Republic of China from a 74 year old tai chi master ; in the Russian, U.S.S.R. from a prostitute, during Peristroïka, before the Iron Curtain fell. He lived in Alaska for two years, "alone", but one with Nature. He walked and treked through France, Holland, Spain, lived like a native on a island in southern British Columbia, Canada, following the ways of the Kwakiutl Indians. As if this was not enough, he also safaried through West Africa, scaled Mount Kilimanjaro, and learned that a Samburu warrior could slay a 500 pound lion "with nothing more than a spear dipped in courage".

Throughout his many faceted marathon run thus far, his body, mind and spirit were pushed to their limits. It was during these moments of high intensity that he became aware of a common, distintive, spiritual voice and message running through and unifying all the varied ecosystems and landscapes that he had experienced : a profound., soulful voice telling us to return to our original "feminine" or conservative instincts and pagan roots in Mother Nature. He believes that it's a call for to us to seek out the feminine in ourselves and in others, and in so doing work to save, enrich and enjoy ourselves in the splendor and beauty of Mother Nature.

This highly personal, entertaining and thought provoking book is filled with humor, love, wisdom and encouragement. Michael Modzelewski is a "new age" evangelist for Mother Nature and our place in Her. His message deserves to be heard and to be heeded. Moreover, he is to be applauded for making an unusual effort in his marathon of life, as well as thanked for sharing a bit of it with us. "Thank you, Michael."

What is the essence of Michael Modzelewski's brilliance?
"Love, love, love is the soul of genius." -- Mozart

After reading Mr. Modzelewski's second book, really felt throughout it all, the maturity of the author, the exquisite connection to NATURE/SPIRIT, the elevation of the body/soul in a total unicity/togetherness. Loved the flowing of the actual vs the memories that is the NOW and THEN making one realize so well that each experience/day forms the base for tomorrow.

Mr. Modzelewski again describes with exquisite vocabulary, beautiful metaphores,good humor and much eloquence the surpassing/bypassing/overpassing of the body to attain the soul: the PROCESS being so much more important than the content/result. Most interestingly, one can enter one's body and relive the feeling of the writer as words used make that the author/reader are ONE. I WAS SO IMPRESSED/MOVED/TRANSFORMED/TRANSPORTED.Seems that at times I was in his "shoes". suffering the pains everywhere, the agony and the ectasy!!!

This time around I would suppose that it was Euterpethe Muse of music and poetry that inspired him. Which one next?

WHAT A MESSAGE!!! If AC was SMASHING!!! I?ll be out of words to describe his next project.CAN?T WAIT!!!

Denyse Rousselet

I always sensed that the daily low-down life that we accept as being normal is far from the highest reality available to us. After reading "Angeles Crest," especially the amazing, soul-shaking second half, I now know that a better world can exist if only we rise up, as the author has done, to meet it. Mr. Modzelewski, in a very personal quest has done this: shown the way into a brave new world that solves so many of the problems we are now being destroyed by. This is such an important book, but may not, at first read, be considered thus, for it is very entertaining as well. If you think an individual life can't matter much -- read what incredible depths Michael has explored for us, recalling that saying that "One man with courage is a majority." You will never look at life and the limited way we live in the same way after reading "Angeles Crest".