Rating: 
Summary: Cactus Ed goes out in style
Review: Abbey's final novel is a worthy sequel to the Monkey Wrench Gang. Hayduke's stunts are the most outrageous Ed has cooked up by far. The climax and the grand finale should win the approval of any true Abbey fan. HAYDUKE LIVES!
Rating:
Summary: Crude behavior, but I luv every word of it.
Review: Back in the old college days we as a class read some of Edward Abbey's novels from "Desert Solitare" to "Fire on the Mountain". And only reading it for a classroom assignment, I have to dig it back up and re-read it again after reading "Heyduke Lives". Being a native of the Four Corners area, a true native. Not those so called "native wanna be's" who claim to be from there. I can relate to the characters in Heyduke Lives! My favorite character though has to be Erika, the savy euro-proeco fem hottie stood out along with those of Heyduke himself. The desert of Utah and Arizona will be home to me and Ed as we are the stewards of this everlasting land. Lastly, from the Author himself wrote a warning: "Anyone who takes this book seriously will be shot. Anyone who does not take it seriously will be buried alive by a Mitsubishi bulldoser".
Rating: 
Summary: Good Sequel
Review: I really enjoyed this book, reading about the old gang joining together again. Abbey mentions names well known to those in the environmental movements. The immortal Hayduke certainly outdoes himself in this book. The only thing that made me a little uncomfortable was the murder-up to that point, it was a great book. Abbey betrayed the cause with that little turn of events.
Rating: 
Summary: A slow start, but the blood doeth flow...
Review: I think this book could have used a little more help from the editors, or perhaps the author. But in Abbey's defense, time was running a little short. This is classic Abbey, and the story does get rolling after a while. It got my blood flowing, and there's no lack of action. I'll say that. Abbey's ever-present push for anarchy is in full bloom, and it sometimes gets a little wearing. (The man seems to have a one-track mind.) His characterizations verge on comic-book, and holy cats and bananas, can this guy hyperbolate! Nevertheless, money well spent, and a good read.
Rating:
Summary: A slow start, but the blood doeth flow...
Review: I think this book could have used a little more help from the editors, or perhaps the author. But in Abbey's defense, time was running a little short. This is classic Abbey, and the story does get rolling after a while. It got my blood flowing, and there's no lack of action. I'll say that. Abbey's ever-present push for anarchy is in full bloom, and it sometimes gets a little wearing. (The man seems to have a one-track mind.) His characterizations verge on comic-book, and holy cats and bananas, can this guy hyperbolate! Nevertheless, money well spent, and a good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Deviant Ed
Review: I've got to say I only read the first 100 pages or so. I was just put off by the foul language and sexual deviance. As much as I love Cactus Ed's writing, I have to say he seemed to become a dirty old man near the end. It was like reading a book by Quentin Tarrantino with the ... going off in every other sentence. He's got the right to write it and I've got the right to dislike it.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't bother....
Review: I've read alot of Abbey's books. His Essays are great, as are his fictional stories. HOWEVER, this novel falls far short of Abbey's earlier works. I found it to be very crude in most places, And chock full of the [people] that helped create the conditions that burned my house down this last summer. I've met too many eco-radicals to find them amusing. I will hand it to Abbey, though - he did a great job of describing how these [people] act. In my virulent opinion, skip this book and read ANYTHING ELSE he wrote. This book is bad.
Rating:
Summary: Way Below Ed's Usual Standard
Review: Much as I enjoy Edward Abbey's work, I was very disappointed by this book. True, the characters are there, but nothing much happens to them. And sure, there is some monkey wrenching in defense of what is really important, but the story itself is barely there at all -- a succession of small and extraordinarily repetitive vignettes. There are humorous moments, mostly when he is poking fun at himself, but they're few and far between. Lots of sexual meandering, natural description of the Four Corners area, the usual avalances of wordplay, and some violence (most corporate, but a final Lone act that seems gratuitous). It's still Ed Abbey, but he's nowhere near his best. Given that it's only available in a pricey trade paperback, I'd skip it. The two stars are relative to his other work, not to books in general.
Rating:
Summary: Sequel Never as Good
Review: This book could be a poster child for "The sequel never lives up to its predecessor." Whether or not you've read The Monkey Wrench Gang, you will know exactly what is going to happen at every step of the way. Worse, Abbey takes shortcuts. For instance: all the old characters are brought back; all meet Hayduke again who asks for their help; all refuse and then suddenly, without explanation, all are on board to help him destroy the huge earth-mover, GOLIATH. The object of their sabotage and the fact that they are back together is very predictable. Also, the final scene of destruction is disappointing. It too, "just happens". The message is still great. The cast of characters still appealingly eccentric, Hayduke still a demi-god, but it does not come near to the overall excellence of The Monkey Wrench Gang. Due to the shortcuts, I would strongly recommend not reading this book unless you've read Monkey Wrench. Even then, you better have really loved Monkey Wrench and want some more of the same.
Rating:
Summary: Sequel Never as Good
Review: This book could be a poster child for "The sequel never lives up to its predecessor." Whether or not you've read The Monkey Wrench Gang, you will know exactly what is going to happen at every step of the way. Worse, Abbey takes shortcuts. For instance: all the old characters are brought back; all meet Hayduke again who asks for their help; all refuse and then suddenly, without explanation, all are on board to help him destroy the huge earth-mover, GOLIATH. The object of their sabotage and the fact that they are back together is very predictable. Also, the final scene of destruction is disappointing. It too, "just happens". The message is still great. The cast of characters still appealingly eccentric, Hayduke still a demi-god, but it does not come near to the overall excellence of The Monkey Wrench Gang. Due to the shortcuts, I would strongly recommend not reading this book unless you've read Monkey Wrench. Even then, you better have really loved Monkey Wrench and want some more of the same.
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