Customer Reviews

Cave Passages : Roaming the Underground Wilderness

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After finishing this book for the second time, I again felt the pang of loss for having the pages not continue. A blend of caving, philosophy, and caving philosophy, his work gives one pause for finding meaning in one's life. I for one am jealous of the karst regions he has been fortunate to explore. Telling about those exploits is handled with style that doesn't get in the way of the story itself. I'm sure others would enjoy this book. I do.

Come visit Michael Ray Taylor's underground world and explore some of the last great wilderness on earth without leaving the safety and comfort of your armchair. This collection of short stories on caving takes you around the world to some of the most exotic caving regions. Michael's easy and casual style of writing puts you right in the action. One can easily imagine how tight the Devil's Pinch must be, and what those rocks felt like as they squeeze you from above and below. I liked how Michael made each account personal by letting you get to know the other cavers and the local inhabitants of the region. This book is for anyone with an adventurous spirit.

Michael does an excellent job in this book describing what it is like to travel in the subterranean world of caves. He is able to capture the imagination of the reader and transport them into his real life experiences. At times the reader actually feels like they are crawling through bat guano in some carribean cave while realizing that it is safer here than being on the surface where you might get shot at. This is real life Indiana Jones with a little extra thrown in.

In this irresistable book, Taylor shares his passion for caving in easy-going prose that never falters. He takes us all over into all kinds of caving situations, and the result is simply fascinating. What's more, Taylor never falls prey to the immodest "boy-am-I-ever-cool-and-macho" style that afflicts some who write about their awesome adventures. On the contrary, Taylor is disarmingly candid about his occasional fears and breaches of caving ettiquette. His honesty adds to the pleasure of reading this fine little book. Although the book is never quite as lyrical as one might hope, the last few paragraphs are surprisingly bittersweet.

The single significant flaw is not in the text, but rather in the lack of photographs. One wonders how a book in which great pains are taken to describe underground scenes, and in which the personalities and work of several cave photographers are described, could be virtually photograph free. It's strange and a little frustating. But this is still a delightful book.

Michael Ray Taylor sends a much needed jolt to the world of cave literature. The book is a celebration of caving for caving's sake, rather than for some loftier goal. Mike is your average guy who has an unusual hobby, one that, in another time or place would remain unfulfilled. But Mike has not only been able to enjoy his hobby immensely, he has been able to weave it somewhat into his career. In his role asa journalisthe has wormed his way onto some of the most interesting trips of the past decade and, on occasion, been present at the making of history. Michael Ray Taylor has given us that rarest of things, real life advenure, told in a down to earth, believable style. In a world of incongruous movies and unrealistic fiction, this book is worth it's weight in gold.

Mike Taylor is destined to join the ranks of Tim Cahill and Jon Krakauer as one of America's foremost outdoor writers. Taylor conveys his love for the sport, adventure and literary value of caving unlike any writer I've come across. His grasp of science, nature and human drama is evident on every page. Cave Passages announces the mainstream arrival of an important new voice in travel/adventure writing

After reading this and realizing I live within minutes of some of the places mentioned it makes me want to try it. It also helps me realize how lucky I am to live here. The book took me to what seemed like another world at times. Although I might not agree with some of his and other caver's philosophy, I still appreciate what they are trying to do with the sport. Maybe, I'll get to meet a member of the tight knit, eccentric, caving family and experience first hand some of the thrill and pain of going underground.