Rating: 
Summary: Great writer...good book.
Review: I have been a fan of Boyle's since I read "Greasy Lake" my freshman year of college. I think what appeals to me is his subversive interests combined with his absolutely amazing gift for description and metaphor. Somehow I imagine him to be a (more) literary version of Daniel Clowes. I also love how he infuses his novels with meticulously researched histories. Drop City was an enjoyable read. There were times where his writing propelled me more than his plot though. I'm splitting the difference and giving the book 3 stars. (The NY Times and the National Book award folks thought more highly of it.) Perhaps the subject matter--hippie era commune lifestyle combined with extreme living in Alaska--felt a little worked over to me. I couldn't help but read with a jaded eye at times. I'm in my mid-30's so hippie politics seem almost adolescent to me now. For some reason I keep coming back to Boyle's description of women and minorities. There is a definite connection between the African-american characters in the book and the dissolution of Drop City 1. There is a thin veil of racism in the author's tone. I don't think that is the intention though. Maybe I would feel better about that as a reader if Boyle had made a stronger connection between the white characters and their family backgrounds. Boyle never tells the story from the black perspective--Lester, Sky Dog, etc. Ultimately, I was left with a negative attitude toward those characters--excuse the pun, but that part of the story was too black & white. With regard to women...I am tempted to have my wife read it give her response. I felt some of the female characters were stereotypical. The female protagonists Star & Pamela are fully formed but still a sort of reaction to twin male egos of Ronnie & Marco (Star) and Sess (Pamela). In the final analysis, Drop City was male dominated book. Boyle's passages told in female voice felt heavily colored by male perspective. Personally, the book's tone was reminiscent of McGuane or Mailer. I do consider Boyle's descriptive power on that level. I recommend this book to Boyle fans. Readers who want to check him out for the first time should start with his short stories...IMHO.
Rating: 
Summary: NOSTALGIC AND SATISFYING
Review: I was not familiar with T.C. Boyle, and therefore had never ready anything he had written. I chose this book because I was a young woman during the 70's, and was very much a part of the hippie movement in California. I hoped this book would be a bit of a walk down memory lane. How delighted I was to find it was so much more. In the first part of the book, the members of the "California" Drop City so accurately represented people I knew. Idealism overrode reality, fueled by a drug-induced sense of invincibility. But the real impact of this book hits when the Drop City members move to Alaska, with their naive belief that living in the untamed Alaskan wilds would be the ultimate adventure. But they found that the "free love" and "living off the fat of the land" philosophy did not work in the harsh Alaskan winter. Contrasted with this loopy group of people are Seth and Pamela, Alaskan natives, who represent the salt of the earth folks, who's contact with the Drop City inhabitants clearly demonstrates the clash of cultures between good intentioned idealism and harsh reality. All the characters in this book are finely etched. The transition from carefree love children to frightened, unprepared hostages of the Alaskan wilds, is at once predictable and heartbreaking. Several of the Drop City members defect: the original founder takes his allegedly sick girlfriend and bails; Pan becomes a victim of his own materialism and suffers the ultimate consequence. The juxtaposition of the Drop City inhabitants and the lives of native Alaskans Seth and Pamela, is what makes this book so incredibly moving. I found Mr. Boyle's understanding of the 70's insightful and realistic. The plot and characters are not the only strength of this book. Mr. Boyle's writing is both crisp and poetic, interlaced with a biting and acerbic sense of humor. Yes, I definitely recommend this book to anyone, but most specifically those of us who either were, or knew those who were, members of the 70's, and understood how quickly the sense of love and peace could be transformed by reality. The move to Alaska in this book is, is my mind, an allegory of how the harsh realities of life ultimately transformed the idealism of the 70's. The book is well worth reading, no matter where or who you were during that pivotal time.
Rating: 
Summary: Hippies and Hillbillies
Review: If you want to infuse your novel with bold ideas and controversy you could probably pick a better subject than the hippies. Sure, they were controversial at the time, with their utopian dreams and hedonistic lifestyle, but everybody pretty much agrees now that the whole thing was pretty much a waste of time. Therefore, it doesn't exactly come across as a revelation when one of this novel's hippies kills a deer in order to help feed the tribe, then notices later that the untended carcass is stinking and covered with flies. The symbolism is, to say the least, a bit obvious. So perhaps you're not going to get a lot of deep meaning here, but otherwise this is an excellent novel; superbly written, with a great plot, true-to-life characters, and outstanding detail. It is also very engrossing and you'll find it is one of those that keeps you up deep, deep into the night. The plot has to do with a commune of hippies, circa 1971, and the little paradise in northern California that has been created for them--Drop City--by an older dude who's come into an inheritance. They spend their days smoking dope and eating and dancing to rock and roll and making love and--just being, man. Some do chores and others don't and after a while they start to get on each other's nerves a little bit, even though they're not supposed to, being brothers and sisters and children of God and all of that. In any event, the police start making things uncomfortable for them because of their rather unsanitary and, well, lawless way of life, so they decide to split and head to Alaska, where everyone is truly free and no one will hassle them. At the same time, the story is also about a backwoods type and some of the other rough-and-tumble characters who already live in Alaska. The woodsman makes some money by trapping and selling furs, but mostly he is occupied with the simple act of survival, particularly during the eight-month-long winter when the temperature goes to forty degrees below zero and stays there. Along with this hardship, there is the serious difficulty of the sheer boredom one must necessarily deal with when forced to stay indoors for long periods of time. It is really great stuff. The author is very knowledgeable about both the hippie lifestyle and the outdoorsman lifestyle and both are peopled with vividly-drawn, believable characters. He maintains a neutral tone as well. Although one gets a good sense of the decrepitude and just plain silliness of the hippies, he is never condescending or belittling to them. At the same time, his treatment of the main Alaskan character is also even-handed, despite the growing admiration we begin to feel for the guy. It is almost impossible to describe the sense of delicious anticipation one feels when the hippies get on the bus and we know that these two wildly divergent segments of American culture are about to crash together. It doesn't disappoint, with more than a few surprises along the way. Interestingly, the two have more in common than one might initially surmise, in that they both live on the edge of society, as it were, far away from the usual standards and expectations including the daily bath. Certain of the two groups form alliances with one another, the unscrupulous with the unscrupulous, the more altruistic with the more altruistic. Eventually, those left in the hippie camp adapt, more or less, but with much difficulty. And the natives start to tolerate them, more or less, but with some reluctance. And this is where the trip summarily ends, a little breathlessly and a little bewilderingly. In the hippie camp it's still the middle of winter and they're bored out of their minds, infected with crab-lice and squabbling amongst themselves. The main Alaskan is able to resolve a problem in his life, but it is a problem which predated the hippies, and he's still got the rest of the winter to go too. That's it, there's nothing left to say. Therefore, in that the novel doesn't illuminate or expose some hidden or unknown truth, it really doesn't reach the level of masterpiece or even high art. But it is nevertheless very entertaining and well-crafted, and is in fact a fine piece of fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Great writer...good book.
Review: I have been a fan of Boyle's since I read "Greasy Lake" my freshman year of college. I think what appeals to me is his subversive interests combined with his absolutely amazing gift for description and metaphor. Somehow I imagine him to be a (more) literary version of Daniel Clowes. I also love how he infuses his novels with meticulously researched histories. Drop City was an enjoyable read. There were times where his writing propelled me more than his plot though. I'm splitting the difference and giving the book 3 stars. (The NY Times and the National Book award folks thought more highly of it.) Perhaps the subject matter--hippie era commune lifestyle combined with extreme living in Alaska--felt a little worked over to me. I couldn't help but read with a jaded eye at times. I'm in my mid-30's so hippie politics seem almost adolescent to me now. For some reason I keep coming back to Boyle's description of women and minorities. There is a definite connection between the African-american characters in the book and the dissolution of Drop City 1. There is a thin veil of racism in the author's tone. I don't think that is the intention though. Maybe I would feel better about that as a reader if Boyle had made a stronger connection between the white characters and their family backgrounds. Boyle never tells the story from the black perspective--Lester, Sky Dog, etc. Ultimately, I was left with a negative attitude toward those characters--excuse the pun, but that part of the story was too black & white. With regard to women...I am tempted to have my wife read it give her response. I felt some of the female characters were stereotypical. The female protagonists Star & Pamela are fully formed but still a sort of reaction to twin male egos of Ronnie & Marco (Star) and Sess (Pamela). In the final analysis, Drop City was male dominated book. Boyle's passages told in female voice felt heavily colored by male perspective. Personally, the book's tone was reminiscent of McGuane or Mailer. I do consider Boyle's descriptive power on that level. I recommend this book to Boyle fans. Readers who want to check him out for the first time should start with his short stories...IMHO.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best I've Read in a Long Time
Review: Drop City is a fabulous novel, one of those rare works that is a wonderful, fun and satisfying read, one that stays with you long after you have finished it. Drop City tells the story of a California hippie commune in the early 70s that, for various reasons, moves itself to upper Alaska. The novel also concerns those already living in Alaska, and what happens when the two groups collide. There are many wonderful characters in this novel-the hippies and the Alaskans alike are all amusing, memorable, believable. The dialogue, the setting, the plot, the music in the background, the food, it is all perfectly rendered. Boyle has certainly outdone himself with this novel. I have always been a big fan of his novels and stories, they are all terrific, but this one goes even beyond his previous works. Read this novel. This short review can hardly do it justice. Read this novel. Enjoy this novel.
Rating:
Summary: Up to our ears (and love beads) in wilderness encounters
Review: I was there, and I can tell you Boyle's descriptions of the pothead slackers of the sixties is dead on. If you want to know what life on the good ole hippy commune was like, get into this book. Boyle has a time machine all set for 1970. I kept wondering what happened to these characters as they entered the dot com revolution in their 40s. They certainly left the hippy era with a lot less illusions than they share in the romps of this novel. By the end, they get a good old dose of reality. The writing is excellent, propelling and catchy with fine turns of literary phrase. Enough quality to keep this reader happy for 500+ pages. The characters are vivid, engaging, and up close and personal. I liked getting to know them, and I wanted more at the end. Always a very good sign. Not a lot happens, except the rigors of dealing with the wild, but that's life. For another novel with very similar themes and a hell of a good read too, try Adventures in the Alaskan Skin Trade by John Hawkes. Bear encounters, dogs in the snow, glaciers, and a get back to nature extravaganza in the Alaskan outback that will also hold you enthralled if not exactly encouraging about heading out in the wilderness with just your trusty blade.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful
Review: As with all T.C. Boyle's books, this one is no different: well-written, brilliant, and engaging, you simply can't go wrong with anything the man does. His settings, imagery, and characters are on the same level as those of Robbins (Even Cowgirls Get the Blues) or McCrae (Bark of the Dogwood), and his handling of dangerous material is unsurpassed. First introduced to Boyle by way of "Water Music" I found myself searching for anything the man had written. Suffice it to say that "Drop City" does not disappoint--it's Boyle up to his usual and stellar tricks and should not be missed. Also recommended: "Gravity's Rainbow" and "Bark of the Dogwood"
Rating:
Summary: Tom Wolfe meets William Golding
Review: I know they say you can't judge a book by its cover, but in this case, it's not a bad comparison. This book is dark, funny, strange, and riveting, much like the cover photo of naked hippies lying in a night-rimmed field. This is the story of a commune in Northwestern America, and their struggle to remain relevant and true to their roots. In an effort to escape the plastic world and the man, to live off the earth, and to escape the bad vibes that have permeated their world of peace and love, the commune moves to Alaska. The move is naive at best and tragic at worst. Their is little place for vegan, hedonistic idealism in a land as unforgiving as the Arctic. It doesn't take too long into a harsh, dark winter before the utopians realize they are out of their depth. And like in all societies, cliques and factions develop, making this book vaguely reminiscent of "Lord of the Flies," a quite purposeful allusion on Boyle's part. When the commune moves to Alaska, they run up against the sparse local population, who have learned to survive in the wilderness, and are true people of the land. While hostilities arise, there is also born true and enduring friendships and love, making this book not a wholly depressing read, but lending it instead heart and soul...here is the "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" comparison. One can almost hear Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters in the locals' reaction to the day-glo bus the hippies ride up in. In "Drop City", Boyle has created more than an engrossing read. It is a parable of human nature: a very real desire and achievement for peace and love counterbalanced by the predilection towards violence and revenge, naivete vs. world-weariness. All the remarks on the cover of the book called "Drop City" a funny novel. I am not so sure the writing was funny as was the whole ridiculousness of the situations the characters find themselves in. It is a tribute to Boyle's writing that the seriousness of the story does not subtract from the overall humor of the story and vice versa. Boyle can take the reader from laughter to disgust in the length of one sentence, making this book an all over rather sober and thought-provoking read. Highly recommended
Rating:
Summary: Two Bookmarks
Review: My partner is a fan of TC Boyle, a writer I like but not I think so much as she. I've read a batch of his short stories over the years and handed her one, and from there she devoured many more of those stories and a bunch of novels besides. We went to see him give a reading and I started, there while waiting for him to come to the mike, his novel "Drop City". She started "Tortilla Curtain" and finished it well before I got halfway through mine, since it was shorter and she reads more lingeringly and longer than I do these days. On finishing Tortilla Curtain she snuck off to bed ahead of me and started in on Drop City. I'm two thirds in and she is on, oh, chapter 3 or 5. The copy, just the one copy, that is in our bedroom now has in it two bookmarks. She goes to bed before I do most nights, so hers moves and I come to bed and gently wrest the book from her to advance my bookmark a few dozen pages. I could tell you about the plot, the characters, or say something some other people have said about Boyle, but maybe the thing to say is that this is the kind of book that can easily bear two bookmarks.
Rating:
Summary: People, places, circumstances, vivid and VERY entertaining
Review: It's been a long time since I've read a book I felt this addicted to. And this is only the second time this bookworm has written a review on amazon. The story never faulters, always flows, always keeps you wondering. The characters start out as hippies--a group--and then become individuals who you come to know. They are a bunch of young kids striving for ideals, but of course are like all of human kind, with weaknesses, foibles, strengths, unique backgrounds, and passions. It's the messes we get into that make for good tales. I've lived in the Southwest and Alaska both, and I love sense of place in stories, so this book was a delicious treat in this way, as well. Get Drop City and look up my name on amazon if you want another book set in Alaska.
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