One life at a time, please

Rating:
Summary: I loved it!
Review: I had great expectations after reading the first essay: Free Speech. I feel like the book went downhill from there. Abbey seems particularly fond of wandering off by himself, but frankly, when he's part of a white-water rafting excursion, I have serious doubts that they would even let him do that. I'm certain now that he's taking considerable "artistic license" in some of these essays. For me the low point was "Writer's Credo". I felt a strong level of insincerity in this piece - How can a writer feel it's his duty to criticize everyone around him without first subjecting himself to the same standards. Frankly, at best, "Credo" is just a justification for Abbey's misanthropic tendencies. At worst, it's a lie.

"Krutch" was just plain boring. "Sex" was somewhat redeeming.

I'm not sure what to say about "Sportsmen" - which as Abbey puts it, is simply excerpts from a printed leaflet. It sure was scary. The question is, with the questions raised about Abbey's honesty of description, and sincerity of purpose, how factual is this piece titled "Sportsmen"? I don't want to believe it, and Abbey spent the whole rest of the book crying wolf. I don't know.

I absolutely love some of Abbey's books. We all love "Desert Solitaire", and the charicatures of "The Monkey Wrench Gang", etc., are wonderful. But this patchwork of rehashed essays seems just like a cheap way to make some extra cash. In summary, a careful read of this bookwill likely expand your image of this writer, but leave you with questions about his veracity. I guess the next book for me will have to be "Confessions". Don't make this your first foray into Abbey's world. You're likely to miss the best.

Rating:
Summary: Abbey reveals some weakness in his character and writings
Review: I had great expectations after reading the first essay: Free Speech. I feel like the book went downhill from there. Abbey seems particularly fond of wandering off by himself, but frankly, when he's part of a white-water rafting excursion, I have serious doubts that they would even let him do that. I'm certain now that he's taking considerable "artistic license" in some of these essays. For me the low point was "Writer's Credo". I felt a strong level of insincerity in this piece - How can a writer feel it's his duty to criticize everyone around him without first subjecting himself to the same standards. Frankly, at best, "Credo" is just a justification for Abbey's misanthropic tendencies. At worst, it's a lie.

"Krutch" was just plain boring. "Sex" was somewhat redeeming.

I'm not sure what to say about "Sportsmen" - which as Abbey puts it, is simply excerpts from a printed leaflet. It sure was scary. The question is, with the questions raised about Abbey's honesty of description, and sincerity of purpose, how factual is this piece titled "Sportsmen"? I don't want to believe it, and Abbey spent the whole rest of the book crying wolf. I don't know.

I absolutely love some of Abbey's books. We all love "Desert Solitaire", and the charicatures of "The Monkey Wrench Gang", etc., are wonderful. But this patchwork of rehashed essays seems just like a cheap way to make some extra cash. In summary, a careful read of this bookwill likely expand your image of this writer, but leave you with questions about his veracity. I guess the next book for me will have to be "Confessions". Don't make this your first foray into Abbey's world. You're likely to miss the best.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not his best
Review: Let me say one thing right up front: Ed Abbey is my favorite author. From the lyrical imagery of "Beyond the Wall" to the alternating landscapes and polemics of "Desert Solitaire" to the introspective fiction of "The Black Sun," Abbey at his best was like no other author. That said, "One Life at a Time, Please" is not my favorite Abbey book. Always a mercurial writer, ("when he was good, he was very, very good, but when he was bad he was awful"), this is a very uneven book. Since it is a collection of essays originally written as lectures, magazine articles, and book forewards, you'd expect a certain amount of variability, but "One Life at a Time, Please" has more highs and lows than a Canyonlands relief map.

Some of the essays are very good--"A Writer's Credo" and "The Future of Sex," for example. Others, like "River of No Return," illustrate his trademark power to breathe extraordinary life into otherwise ordinary adventures. My main complaint is with the collection of essays in the section titled "Politics." In "A Writer's Credo," Abbey eloquently argues that it is the writer's responsibility to be a critic of the society in which he lives, so as to foster positive change in that society. But he seems to forget that to be effective, the writer must also persuade. The vitriolic essays in "Politics" may please existing ecodefenders but are more likely to alienate those important readers who are still undecided. If the result causes people to turn away from environmentalism rather than embrace it, they do more harm than good. Abbey himself seemed to recognize the danger of his ways in the excellent essay, "Mr Krutch."

Would I recommend the book? Absolutely yes. Those already familiar with Abbey will find it an enlightening insight into the enigmatic old misanthrope's personality. New readers will discover an often eloquent leader in 20th century environmentalism. One caution, though. If you've never read Abbey before, save the section titled "Politics" until the end. That way you'll be less likely to fling the book across the room into a roaring fireplace, or if you do, you'll at least have gotten more of your money's worth.

Rating:
Summary: Abbey's best non-fiction after Desert Solitaire
Review: Of all Abbey's non-fiction titles, I liked One Life at A Time best after Desert Solitaire. It's vintage Abbey at his best. You may not agree with his political views in this book of essays. But you'll find his arguments compelling and logical. "Immigration And Other Liberal Taboos" is a classic. So is "The Future of Sex" in which he asks the question, "What is femininity?" Gloria Steinham be damned.

Rating:
Summary: Abbey's best non-fiction after Desert Solitaire
Review: Of all Abbey's non-fiction titles, I liked One Life at A Time best after Desert Solitaire. It's vintage Abbey at his best. You may not agree with his political views in this book of essays. But you'll find his arguments compelling and logical. "Immigration And Other Liberal Taboos" is a classic. So is "The Future of Sex" in which he asks the question, "What is femininity?" Gloria Steinham be damned.

Rating:
Summary: I loved it!
Review: This was only the second Abbey book I ever read, the first being "The Monkey Wrench Gang". This book is where Abbey's penchant for political incorrectness reached its peak, where he expounded on such issues as immigration, gun control, anarchism, and cattle ranching. There is something here to offend everyone! Abbey never did like being lumped in with the Birkenstocks-and-Espresso college crowd; he was always more of a rural desert rat, who preferred cheap beer over lattes, American made pickup trucks over imported SUVs, and work boots over Birkenstocks. I suspect he wrote some of these essays to thumb his nose at the hip urbanites who had made him their latest cult hero, because he directly attacks some of their cherished views here. As usual with Abbey, loads of fun to read. Just prepare to be offended at least once!