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Title: One Life at a Time, Please by Edward Abbey ISBN: 0-8050-0603-6 Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Inc. Pub. Date: 15 February, 1988 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: I loved it!
Comment: 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!
Rating: 3
Summary: Abbey reveals some weakness in his character and writings
Comment: 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: 5
Summary: Abbey's best non-fiction after Desert Solitaire
Comment: 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.
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Title: The Journey Home: Some Words in Defense of the American West by Edward Abbey, Jim Stiles ISBN: 0452265622 Publisher: Plume Pub. Date: January, 1991 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Good News by Edward Abbey ISBN: 0452265657 Publisher: E P Dutton Pub. Date: January, 1991 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Down the River by Edward Abbey ISBN: 0452265630 Publisher: Plume Pub. Date: January, 1991 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Voice Crying in the Wilderness by Edward Abbey, Andrew Rush ISBN: 0312064888 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: September, 1991 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: Beyond the Wall : Essays from the Outside by Edward Abbey ISBN: 0805008209 Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Inc. Pub. Date: 15 April, 1984 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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