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henry_wallison's review against another edition
5.0
This made for an all-around fun read. I was glued to the story, and deeply enamored with the interesting and flawed characters Abbey created. It was especially intriguing to read this after reading Desert Solitaire, as you can really see a lot of the ideas and facts of the desert that Abbey described there play out in narrative form here. Well worth the read!
canadajanes's review against another edition
5.0
This is a must read for anyone who loves the southwest and for anyone interested in environmental activism.
libraryadvokate's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
zhengsterz's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Fictional book that follows a gang of eco-terrorists sticking it to the man! Consists of a doctor, a hot nurse, psychopathic Vietnam war veteran and a Mormon outdoorsman. Very cast of misfits type adventure romp with romance and a cheesy ending. Nothing spectacular
writermattphillips's review against another edition
4.0
Haha... a classic. This is freaking awesome.
chairman_meow77's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
monte05's review against another edition
3.0
I am torn as I am writing this review. On one hand, this book was a blast to read because of my knowledge of most of the places mentioned in the novel and the dynamic personalities of each of the characters. On the other hand, had I not known of the locations in the novel the lack of description would make understanding the setting very difficult; also, while the characters' personalities are interesting in of themselves I personally would have preferred better interaction between them (especially in the second half). If you are familiar with the Arizona and Utah region and are interested in strong personality types supporting to preserve nature (in a somewhat radical way) this book is just for you!
evaorbit's review against another edition
slow-paced
4.0
I liked this books message of taking action and sabotaging what needs to be sabotaged. I’m inspired by the action that they took. I liked the characters but needed more depth. Also the plot was slowwww. Still I feel like even more of an environmentalist than I was before!
bookishwendy's review against another edition
3.0
I took this one on a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. It was the perfect read for the setting -- or would have been if I'd have been able to read more than 2 - 3 pages each night before the sun set (headlamp batteries must be saved for emergencies). And if I were a guy. And it were still the 70s or maybe 80s. I love Abbey's Desert Solitaire so much, but something about this novel rubbed me the wrong way at times. Mostly the childish, objectified Bonnie. Also, the radical "save the earth by blowing things up" message just doesn't have the same resonance after 9/11, you know?
But then one of the desert descriptions, a snark on Utah, or some shard of Abbey's dark wit (or one of his stupid puns, God bless him) would make me smile and keep me reading. Some of the best bits are the meta-appearances of Park Ranger Edwin Abbott, the handsome, young and officious nuisance who appears occasionally to arrest the Gang for stealing raw meat or carrying dynamite.
And yet... as you float down a beautiful canyon, past three sites where dams were *nearly* built, and Redwall Cavern and Vasey's Paradise and Havasu Creek, and you think about Glen Canyon now buried under the silt of Lake Powell, you have to wonder was lost forever. So as a mere individual I really do get the gut of this book -- the frustration of powerlessness and the desire to wreck industry the way it has wrecked nature. So this is basically a fantasy novel in that respect (and also due to those rather nauseating hookups the male characters all either have or fantasize about with the one female).
All the outdoorsy guys I know love this one, and I can totally see why.
P.S. For the record, as of July 2014, that infamous coal elevator and automated train serving the power plant in Page, AZ, are still very much in operation some 40 years later, as witnessed by yours truly. Though perhaps the end for it is near: http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/2014/07/28/epa-approves-plan-curtail-operations-navajo-generating-station/13277331/ Well, maybe in 30 more years.
But then one of the desert descriptions, a snark on Utah, or some shard of Abbey's dark wit (or one of his stupid puns, God bless him) would make me smile and keep me reading. Some of the best bits are the meta-appearances of Park Ranger Edwin Abbott, the handsome, young and officious nuisance who appears occasionally to arrest the Gang for stealing raw meat or carrying dynamite.
And yet... as you float down a beautiful canyon, past three sites where dams were *nearly* built, and Redwall Cavern and Vasey's Paradise and Havasu Creek, and you think about Glen Canyon now buried under the silt of Lake Powell, you have to wonder was lost forever. So as a mere individual I really do get the gut of this book -- the frustration of powerlessness and the desire to wreck industry the way it has wrecked nature. So this is basically a fantasy novel in that respect (and also due to those rather nauseating hookups the male characters all either have or fantasize about with the one female).
All the outdoorsy guys I know love this one, and I can totally see why.
P.S. For the record, as of July 2014, that infamous coal elevator and automated train serving the power plant in Page, AZ, are still very much in operation some 40 years later, as witnessed by yours truly. Though perhaps the end for it is near: http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/2014/07/28/epa-approves-plan-curtail-operations-navajo-generating-station/13277331/ Well, maybe in 30 more years.