Rating: 
Summary: A classic American documentary...
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read. I cannot say enough good things about this book.
On the surface, this is an outstanding biographical account of a man who "left it all" and went to live in the mountains. But the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, manages to include just about every aspect of life in the story. She has put together a story which covers: pursuing impossible challenges, achieving your dreams, parent-child relationships, disfunctional families, male-female relationships, why women desire men that are the opposite of what the women really want and need, alcohol abuse, the eco/back-to-nature movement, and adventures in the great outdoors.
Gilbert accomplishes this by combining her writing skills, life experience, humor, and personal acquaintance with the subject, Eustace Conway. Her style includes a dash of Tom Wolfe and even Hunter S. Thompson. It is an added bonus that she provides a female perspective in an area that is a male domain. What is particularly remarkable is that the story is true, and Gilbert has packed it all into a short work of non-fiction.
Upon reading this work, I was dying to meet Gilbert and Conway, and discuss a million questions and issues with them. I will leave it up to other readers to formulate their own list.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting premise, but in the end lacks punch
Review: Elizabeth Gilbert starts out her book The Last American Man with a bang, summing up the adventurous accomplishments of Eustace Conway. At seven, he could hunt down chipmunks by accurately flinging a knife. At twelve, he went into the woods and survived on his own for a week. At 18 he conquered the mighty Mississippi in a canoe and the following year it was the Appalachian Trail. Conway is the subject of Gilbert's telling of the "last American man;" rather, the last person in this country to live off the land with Davy Crockett-styled energy.
The first few chapters certainly set the stage for an exciting and interesting story, yet in the end the reader is left angry at Conway as he is anything but American.The book begins by outlining Conway's goal in life, which is quite different than the typical 21st century Internet-savvy American. Simply, he wants to "snap his countrymen out of their sleepwalk." Conway wants to do this by reintroducing Americans to the concept of revelatory communion with the frontier. This communion comes in the form of visits to local high schools, and particularly in people coming to stay with Conway on his land in North Carolina. Unfortunately Conway is not too successful in accomplishing his goal, as he drives away most that are initially interested in the frontier plans. Before describing the actual apprenticeship program, Gilbert sets up the credibility of Conway as the 21st century Davy Crockett. These moments are the most interesting in the book -- descriptions of Conway in college at Appalachian State are humorous, and the adventures that he finds later in life are amazing. In particular, Conway's horseback voyage across America is quite interesting. In the end though, the book shines a light on the fact that Eustace Conway is about as un-American as they come. He does not embody the ideals that many of the great American leaders held. Conway is a selfish and egotistical man that is more interested in his own welfare than the original goal he set out to accomplish. Even Gilbert, who is a close friend of Conway's, admits to his vanity and says that he should loosen up. Conway admits that his frontier image is an act and that he would prefer to live a simple life alone in the woods. Instead, he has commercialized and glamourized his life accomplishments, becoming what he strived to fight in the first place. Conway is a confused man with serious emotional problems (which are explored in detail throughout the chapters about his childhood). The adventures of Conway are interesting, but the book is absent of any real lesson or insight. If it is Davy Crockett adventure that you seek, rent the movie or get the biography. I do not recommend this book to those looking for portrayal of the last American man, as its merits cannot stand ground based solely on the interesting storyline.
Rating:
Summary: Lessons in Life and Leadership
Review: I picked up this book out of a mild interest in what I read on the flap, and then couldn't put it down. It is rich with lessons on what it is to dream and what it is to do, lessons on personal impact, leadership, the nature of love, what a family is, and all sorts of other things. But most of all, it's a compelling story masterfully told. Not all readers will appreciate the nuances and power of Gilbert's profile, but those who do will want to buy copies for friends as soon as possible. There are inspirations and cautionary tales aplenty to be found in this fascinating book. Viking and the author should be very proud of what they've accomplished in this one.
Rating: 
Summary: just terrible
Review: This book is written as if it were for a women's magazine.The text is full of cuteness. The subjectis presented as a true wilderness dweller, but in reality he is nothing of the sort. Last American Man ? There are thousands of people who live far closer to nature than Conway in the hills of West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and even in NY's Adirondacks. This guy goes in and out all the time. He is far from authentic. There is almost nothing in the book that gives the reader a feel for lonely wilderness living. Gilbert has either been hookwinked or she's in love with Conway. The book is disjointed, poorly written and, worst of all, burdened with Gilbert, Gilbert, Gilbert, and her observations are trite. The book is a perfect example of why it is best to read a chapter before buying. A waste of time and money.
Rating: 
Summary: Liked the Book-- Disliked the Man...
Review: The author does a masterful job of portraying a man whom I both admire and detest; she is honest about the deplorable aspects of Eustice Conway's nature, yet she obviously is in love with him. Eustice Conway is Peter Pan with a libido, and I found myself having to put this book down, from time to time, because his excessive hubris was too much to bear.
Rating:
Summary: Honest, Thought-Provoking, Funny & Fascinating
Review: Eustace Conway is a "one-of-a-kind" man, and this book is a truly fascinating read. More than that, the book's written in a unique way. The author, Elizabeth Gilbert, is a character in this story as well. Although Eustace is in the spotlight, we're very aware of the person casting that light, and she does so with a gift for timing, phrasing, observation and humor. She is not an invisible biographer. Her thoughts and opinions are woven throughout. I'm not used to this style, but I came to love it. Elizabeth is the perfect guide on the "Getting to know Eustace" journey. Sit back and enjoy! And when you're done, follow Eustace's advice, and Get Out and Do!
Rating:
Summary: Achingly beautiful!
Review: I loved this book, I forced myself to put it down several times because I wanted to savor it over a few days. Elizabeth Gilbert gives one a riveting account of a larger than life character that made me laugh and cry and raise a clenched fist in salute, yes, yes, yes !! Throw the TV out the window, rip out the phone and sit down with this book, it'll change your life. For everyone tired of the ugliness of modern life, here's hope for a better day.
Rating:
Summary: The Tragic Hero
Review: This book was unbelievable, and I couldn't put it down(honest, i read it in two days). The way it was written was, I thought, perfect for the biography that it was. Each reflection or comment Gilbert added went right along with the story. Almost all of the time it was exactly what you were thinking as you read it, what you wanted to say outloud. Eustace, the man, I do not have the vocabulary to describe. The perfect example of someone we all dream to be, yet deep down know we cannot achieve...So we read books about those people and keep our dreams. I don't think a better story could have been written about a fictional character. In the end we realise that Eustace is somewhat of a tragic hero, not completely the "Man of Destiny" he is supposed to be(yet still touching more than just one life as he so deeply wanted to do), all because of his relationship with his family. With all that is going on in this world, all of the problems and the hatred and the killing, it is good to read about people filled with love. Love for the Earth and love for life, real life not the life of boxes that you and I are know to. And in the end it may just teach a few of us to break out of the boxes and to once again rejoin the circle of life and begin to live our lives as better people with a better understanding and respect for the Earth.
Rating:
Summary: A great book - definitely worth checking out!
Review: This is a great book, especially timely in our current age of anthrax scares and contaminated beef. I would give it 5 stars, but I don't think it is an 'all time' classic, although it is certainly very good. You can get a sense of what it is about from the reviews that are also posted here. The comments from some customers who mentioned things like "so much potential, so poorly realized" are way off base in my opinion. I think it is fine for an author to enter their own personality into a story - it gives you a context to evaluate their reporting and views on the topic at the same time as you evaluate the story. The writing in this book is definitely a kind of new journalism - perhaps 'gonzo' is the term - if you will. To me that means that the writer can take some liberties with the traditional definition of subject and reporter/author. I find the fact that Gilbert reveals her quirky desire to constantly postulate on the sex lives of people she meets amusing. Lighten up folks! One reviewer even mentioned that "she tends to insert unnecessary italics." Who gives a flyin' f**k? To me, that reviewer was clearly a classic whiner, although of course everyone is entitled to their opinion. Probably a frustrated writer. I think Gilbert had a lot of ground to cover and did so without making this into an epic 1000 page saga. I liked the overal simplicity of the book too - it went right along with Eustace and his character. She is not afraid to point out his flaws and attempt to put them into context. The section on the mule, Peter Rabbit, was hysterically funny to me as well. I went to a book reading here in North Carolina recently, and Eustace was a lot less stern than he comes across at times in the book. He was great with all the kids that came, so I guess he must be mellowing out a bit. In conclusion, this is a great book, for those who like the outdoors and for those who like personal, engaging writing. Check it out sometime.
Rating:
Summary: A frustrating read.
Review: I just want to reiterate the reader review titled "So much potential, so poorly realized". This could have been a good book, but the author does get out of her own way. Frustrating and disappointing.
|
