Customer Reviews

The Best of Edward Abbey

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An outstanding portrayal of what it means to be on foot in the middle of the harsh desert wilderness. Of the balance between beauty and the harsh reality of an environment where every animal (from stealthy mountain lions to invisible bugs) every plant (from majestic saguaros to innocent weeds) and even the land itself (from river-bottom quick sand to valley fever lurking in the dust) is at any moment ready to strike, sting, bite, scratch, poke, infect or crumble away beneath your feet without warning.

Humbling. Awe-inspiring. Solid environmental consciousness hard to argue against. And written in a voice that recollects Hunter S. Thompson in its appreciation of the beauty in the weirdness of it all. Having grown up in Arizona, and exploring these same lands, Abbey accurately represents what it feels like to be there. And pithy profundities abound for the deeper meaning of it all.

If you're a fan of Edward Abbey, it wouldn't hurt to check out this book but you may as well just get the books that it takes samples from: Jonathan Troy, The Brave Cowboy, Fire on the Mountain, Desert Solitaire, Appalachian Wilderness, Black Sun, The Monkey Wrench Gang, The Journey Home, Abbey's Road, Good News, Down the River, Beyond the Wall: Essays from the Outside, The Fool's Progress: An Honest Novel, Hayduke Lives!, Earth Apples: The Poetry of Edward Abbey, and Confessions of a Barbarian. Many of the samplings seem out of place when they are taken out of the context of their stories, but there are others that were written to be read individually such as the chapters from Desert Solitaire. Plenty of great writing, but I can't really recommend this book to anyone who either isn't an obsessed fan or someone who just wants a condensed way to see if Edward Abbey is an author who they might want to read more of. I think that if you are one of the latter, you would do better to pick up a copy of Desert Solitaire or the Monkey Wrench Gang instead.

If you have been pondering whether you should read Ed Abbey or not, than this is the book for you. Abbey is an author who had been in the back of my mind for years, but I had never made the effort to read any of his works. I recieved this book as a gift and let it sit on the shelf for about two years.

I waited too long. What a great read. Bits and pieces of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and personel thoughts, the Best of is a book that was put together by Abbey himself of snipets he thought any general reader could enjoy. His writing style, his topics, and his genuine enjoyment of what he does makes this a fine read. I went out and bought a number of his books upon finishing this book and have been very pleased with The Monkeywrench Gang, Hayduke Lives, Fire on the Mountain, The Fool's Progress, Down the River, etc. etc.

Anyone who treasures our outdoors, our rivers, our mountains, and a sarcastic take on the system should pick this book up. I'm looking forward to plenty more Edward Abbey. If you have been waiting to get into Abbey, I highly reccomend it and this book is a great place to start.

This is a great group of bits and pieces from Ed. Abbey's books, a sampler if you will. Well put together and gives you an idea of the flavor of his work, each piece has the year date, so it gives you an idea of the mood of his work throughout the years. I highly reccomend to those who think they might like Abbey, this is a good place to start.